Devising Effective Multilingual Education Policies in Migrant Hosting Countries

• In Event: Critical Approaches to the Study of the Crisis in Politics and Policymaking

Abstract

Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) emerged in the 1980s as a major research approach in the field of education policy. One of its main strengths consists in a methodological architecture allowing for the identification of what should be done in practice by starting from theoretical points of departure while conceptualizing the citizen as a national polity subject as well as a policy target. In addition, the CPA method implies a quest for policy inconsistencies vis-à-vis power relationships as well as the goals stated within the public discourse of the examined political system. All these features make CPA particularly suitable for the analysis that will be undertaken in this article, which draws upon in-depth multidisciplinary theoretical and empirical studies to define the viable practical options of a multilingual education policy in migrant hosting countries, with a special focus on Europe. In doing so, the article employs CPA within its original birthplace – i.e. education policy – while at the same time contributing to the public policy literature with a novel topic, which has already gained the attention of many sociolinguists but not yet of public policy scholars.
The subject is topical since the salience of immigration is at the core of contemporary issues such as socioeconomic inequality – not to mention the rise of populism. In this context, education can be regarded as a crucial instrument to face these challenges, provided that we reflect on the practical implications of multicultural (re-)arrangements, which is the aim that this paper will pursue by means of CPA. Indeed, the use and promotion of languages imply adherence to theories of political systems, always have social implications and are linked to identity and power issues in a particular society. Moreover, political rhetoric and theories often imply consequences on the linguistic level, usually in the sense of reaffirming the superiority of the dominant language and standard varieties over minority languages and varieties different from the standard ones. Historically, European countries have interpreted the relationship between language and nation by building their own identity on the traditional connection between language and nation unity. However, the European identity is de facto largely determined by its cultural and linguistic diversity, not only at a continental level but also within each State. Such diversity was accentuated by the more recent migratory waves, to the point of configuring what has been called super- or hyper-diversity. In light of this, dynamics linked to the superiority of certain languages as well as on unilateral integration as a millstone (exclusively) around migrants’ necks do not pass the test of sustainability in the long run, nor are they consistent with a large body of empirical findings and theoretical assumptions regarding the desiderata of societies.
The study underlying this paper is therefore divided into three main steps: a) contextualization of the problem, which draws heavily not only on political science literature but also on contributions from the fields of sociolinguistics and pedagogy, necessary for framing the issues at stake correctly; b) recognition of the main relevant policies and their features as well as of the lack of multilingual education policies in many migrant hosting countries; c) identification of the main criticalities, difficulties, and lessons learnt in order to provide policymakers and education professionals with resources to design and implement multilingual education policies effectively.
The sources of this study are policy documents, policy papers and academic contributions, within the context of an unprecedented in-depth, multidisciplinary study of multilingualism in education. Through the lenses of the CPA method, this particular study aims at deriving practical guidelines from a theoretical framework that sees integration as a bidirectional rather than unidirectional phenomenon, from scientific findings showing the value of multilingualism at school especially in migrant hosting contexts, as well as from documented policy practices.
The results of this study will therefore be of interest for decision-makers, professionals and scholars who are interested in education policy as well as in public policy in general, since the CPA approach, born in the education field, can well find applications outside its birthplace.

Author

• Anna Malandrino, University of Bologna