ERIC Number: EJ1422949
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1466-4208
EISSN: EISSN-1747-7506
School Actors Navigating between Implementor & Arbiter -- A Qualitative Study on the Dynamics in Multilingual Schools' Language Policy
Current Issues in Language Planning, v25 n3 p285-305 2024
Over the past two decades, heightened migration has increased linguistic diversity in schools. For schools to cope with this multilingualism, many governments impose a monolingual policy where only the language of instruction is allowed. Although many schools adopt such a policy, the classroom practices may differ since multilingual students often revert to translanguaging-as-practice. Drawing on three key conceptual language policy (LP) models (Bonacina-Pugh, 2012. Researching 'practiced language policies': Insights from conversation analysis. "Language Policy," 11(3), 213-234; Johnson & Johnson, 2015. Power and agency in language policy appropriation. "Language Policy," 14(3), 221-243; Ricento & Hornberger, 1996. Unpeeling the onion: Language planning and policy and the ELT professional. "TESOL Quarterly," 30(3), 401-427), this study explores LP formation across macro (government), meso (school), and micro (classroom) educational levels in Flanders, Belgium. Macro-level analysis involves scrutinizing policy documents from the Educational Department of Flanders. Meso-level investigation includes policy documents from three secondary schools, compared with insights from interviews with the schools' principals and language coaches. Semi-structured interviews with teachers (n = 18) and classroom observations (n = 138 hours) provide nuanced perspectives at the micro-level. Triangulating data reveals declared, perceived, and practiced language policies at various levels. The study underscores LP's intricate nature within a multilingual educational context. Results highlight the contrast between macro-level policy straightforwardness and the complexity faced at meso- and micro-levels, where context-specific challenges arise. As schools navigate linguistic diversity, the role of language coaches becomes pivotal in creating inclusive and effective educational settings.
Descriptors: Language Planning, Educational Policy, Monolingualism, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Multilingualism, Language Minorities, Diversity, Inclusion, Language Research
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Belgium
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A