The present study investigates the dichotomous relationship between the official language policies celebrating multilingualism in education on the one hand, and the practice field facing practical challenges concerning their students’ multilingualism on the other hand (Cummins & Persad, 2014; Lundberg, 2019). Document analysis of LK20 and focus groups of teachers were used to investigate two research questions; 1) Which aspects of multilingualism are represented in the core curriculum and in the subject curricula of English, Foreign languages and Norwegian in LK20? and 2) How are aspects of multilingualism in LK20 perceived by teachers of English, Foreign languages and Norwegian? The findings indicate that there is a gap between the intentions of the ideological curriculum and the perceived and experiential curricula of teachers and students (Goodlad, 1979). When LK20 states that “All pupils shall experience that being proficient in a number of languages is a resource, both in school and society at large”, the teachers report that this normative assumption may place too much responsibility on different stakeholders such as students, as some are reluctant to display their multilingual repertoires in class. Furthermore, although the intentions at the ideological level of LK20 seem clear, the operational level remains unclear, since how this claim is to be applied in the classroom is not specified. This, in addition to the fact that multilingualism is conceptualized in a different way in the three language subject curricula of English, Foreign Languages and Norwegian, may explain why teachers report that, despite being positive towards linguistic diversity, they are insecure concerning the operationalization of multilingualism in their classrooms. Keywords: Multilingualism, Plurilingualism, Operationalizations of multilingualism, Language policies

The students’ competence in reading and interpreting images is often not as developed as we tend to think (Connors, 2012), and therefore, the students’ knowledge about iconotexts cannot be taken for granted. Still, within teacher education programmes, iconotexts are often only incorporated in courses on children’s literature and for teacher students that will teach in primary schools (Connors, 2012). Through a close-reading of Adrian Tomine’s The loneliness of the long-distance cartoonist (2020), I have therefore examined how a metacomic may be used to promote empathy and literary awareness in upper secondary school. In pursuing this research question, I have utilized the theoretical framework of cognitive criticism (Kukkonen, 2013; Nikolajeva, 2014) and metacomics (Cook, 2017; Kukkonen, 2013), in addition to competence aims regarding empathy and literary awareness in LK20. The analysis suggests that Tomine’s book, which is made in the format of metacomics combined with graphic diary, is an apt tool for emphasizing empathy, as “contemporary diaries make visible the intimate and the personal” (Cardell, 2014, p. 3). Graphic diaries are therefore a perfect format for conveying feelings, and a fruitful format to use with young adults in language classrooms, as this may promote chances of expressing feelings and empathy with others. Through various metafictive devices in Tomine’s work, the students may also be cognitively engaged in literary discussions, which can make them more aware of the construction and production of the format of graphic novels. In future research, graphic novels for secondary students should therefore receive more attention both in theoretical and empirical studies, and graphic novels for this age group could also be incorporated more frequently in course plans in schools and teacher education (Connors, 2012). Through a close-reading of Adrian Tomine’s The loneliness of the long-distance cartoonist (2020), I have therefore examined how a metacomic may be used to promote empathy and literary awareness in upper secondary school. In pursuing this research question, I have utilized the theoretical framework of cognitive criticism (Kukkonen, 2013; Nikolajeva, 2014) and metacomics (Cook, 2017; Kukkonen, 2013), in addition to competence aims regarding empathy and literary awareness in LK20. The analysis suggests that Tomine’s book, which is made in the format of metacomics combined with graphic diary, is an apt tool for emphasizing empathy, as “contemporary diaries make visible the intimate and the personal” (Cardell, 2014, p. 3). Graphic diaries are therefore a perfect format for conveying feelings, and a fruitful format to use with young adults in language classrooms, as this may promote chances of expressing feelings and empathy with others. Through various metafictive devices in Tomine’s work, the students may also be cognitively engaged in literary discussions, which can make them more aware of the construction and production of the format of graphic novels. In future research, graphic novels for secondary students should therefore receive more attention both in theoretical and empirical studies, and graphic novels for this age group could also be incorporated more frequently in course plans in schools and teacher education (Connors, 2012).