Creative (Multilingual) Placemaking in the Classroom: Enhancing Plurilingual Children's Language Awareness and Belonging.

This study examines the effects of engaging plurilingual Grade 5 children in creative multilingual placemaking practices on their language awareness and sense of belonging within a diverse Canadian urban school. Through a series of classroom activities—including identity reflection, community exploration, multilingual design projects, and dialogic conversations—students developed heightened awareness of the linguistic and cultural diversity around them, recognized the power of language in fostering inclusion, and expressed pride in their first languages (L1). The project also stimulated curiosity about language learning and supported children's agency in proposing multilingual enhancements to their school environment. Findings suggest that creative multilingual placemaking can serve as a pedagogical resource to deepen students' social awareness, critical thinking, and plurilingual literacy, while aligning with Ontario's language arts and visual arts curricula.