Youth Perspectives on Language and Belonging in the Netherlands: Responsibility in Research and Educational Implications

• In Event: Multilingual Learners' Experiences in Academic and Community Spaces

Abstract

In the context of urban diversity, educational disparities, and youth radicalization, this research focuses on the role of language and education in young people’s identity formation and sense of belonging. Through school observations, a digital survey and semi-structured interviews with high school youth in the Netherlands, I explore the connections among their language use practices, their attitudes towards both home and school languages, their affiliation with different cultures and groups, and their sense of belonging at school. The multilingual practices and preferences of students are juxtaposed against the discourses of their teachers, the language policy context, and the monolingual ideologies prevalent in Dutch high schools. Student perspectives are central, with implications for enhancing experiences of belonging in educational contexts.

Author

• Cynthia Groff, Leiden University