A positive attitude towards all languages
A whole school language curricula project should be implemented only by individuals with a fundamentally positive attitude towards plurilingualism and all languages and language varieties. There should be no 'important' or 'unimportant' languages. Maintaining heritage languages should not impede the learning of the language of teaching. Of course, this does not mean that all languages have to be present during all activities – this may not be possible – but no languages present in a school should be automatically excluded. In the long term, all languages in a school should be included in curriculum planning.
The ability to surrender power
Teachers must be willing to deal with languages that they do not speak. Of course, this does not mean yielding their fundamental role as an authority figure (and ultimately as the individual bearing responsibility and giving grades). However, it does mean admitting a lack of knowledge to pupils and accepting the fact that pupils know this, and that pupils are capable of doing something the teacher cannot do and also knowing something the teacher does not know (such as being able to explain something to a new pupil in their common heritage language or what a certain ritual is called in a language that they do not know).
Motivation and perseverance
The ability to persevere and motivate oneself to integrate whole school language curricula ideas into teaching practices is crucial, as is the ability to link these ideas with colleagues’ teaching and to frequently reinvent these ideas, to defend them against criticism and justify them to everyone involved.
Collegiality and teamwork
A high level of collegiality and intensive teamwork are basic conditions that are required for the successful implementation of plurilingualism and a whole school language curricula, and for the implementation of individual aspects of a whole school curricula. The occasions on which whole school language curricula activities can be introduced by one person are rare. The help of colleagues, not to mention pupils and in many cases parents, is needed.
Support by school heads and boards
Active support from school heads and boards is important. If a headmaster or headmistress likes the ideas for plurilingualism within their school and provides scope for their development, it will be easier to implement these ideas than having to do so without his or her support. In addition, there will be fewer institutional obstacles if school boards support the ideas. Under these conditions, initially small-scale initiatives can grow, before being attached permanently at a later date to other initiatives, to which ideally they would be linked.