Germany and Ireland both have diverse populations and face challenges related to multilingualism and multiculturalism, but they approach these issues differently due to their unique historical, social, and political contexts. The study focuses on language policies, the role assigned to heritage languages, and the interplay of heritage and autochthone languages, as it emerges from a discourse analysis of documents retrieved from governmental websites. They were selected with the search term ‘heritage languages’. The context in which the selected word is used has been investigated to gain a deeper understanding of the role assigned to heritage languages in official documents that describe or spread language policies at the state and local levels. Texts have been explored focussing on the Van Leeuwen framework (1996), particularly on the interplay between social actors and social actions. The preliminary analysis of the German documents shows that languages of origin and German do not have the same status. The German language plays a key role in the process of integration and its acquisition has to be promoted and funded, whereas heritage languages are seen as an aid to improve learning processes, for example, reading comprehension. Their use is recommended for helping learning activities and not proposed as a further learning opportunity for all learners, i.e. those with migration backgrounds as well as Germans. Although documents focus on policies aimed at increasing integration, the way texts have been conceived could raise in their reader, on the contrary, the idea of an ideological polarization of the German Society. Namely, the analysis has shown that texts present on one side German institutions, precisely named, which play an active role by supporting language learning, and on the other, the general group of people with a migration background who receive support and play a passive role.
- The interplay between heritage and official languages in post-migrant societies: instances of multilingual education in Ireland and Germany / Bandini, Amelia; Zollo, SOLE ALBA. - (2023). (Intervento presentato al convegno Kritische Zeiten tenutosi a Universität Wien nel 3-5 luglio 2023).
- The interplay between heritage and official languages in post-migrant societies: instances of multilingual education in Ireland and Germany
Amelia BandiniCo-primo
;Sole Alba Zollo
Co-primo
2023
Abstract
Germany and Ireland both have diverse populations and face challenges related to multilingualism and multiculturalism, but they approach these issues differently due to their unique historical, social, and political contexts. The study focuses on language policies, the role assigned to heritage languages, and the interplay of heritage and autochthone languages, as it emerges from a discourse analysis of documents retrieved from governmental websites. They were selected with the search term ‘heritage languages’. The context in which the selected word is used has been investigated to gain a deeper understanding of the role assigned to heritage languages in official documents that describe or spread language policies at the state and local levels. Texts have been explored focussing on the Van Leeuwen framework (1996), particularly on the interplay between social actors and social actions. The preliminary analysis of the German documents shows that languages of origin and German do not have the same status. The German language plays a key role in the process of integration and its acquisition has to be promoted and funded, whereas heritage languages are seen as an aid to improve learning processes, for example, reading comprehension. Their use is recommended for helping learning activities and not proposed as a further learning opportunity for all learners, i.e. those with migration backgrounds as well as Germans. Although documents focus on policies aimed at increasing integration, the way texts have been conceived could raise in their reader, on the contrary, the idea of an ideological polarization of the German Society. Namely, the analysis has shown that texts present on one side German institutions, precisely named, which play an active role by supporting language learning, and on the other, the general group of people with a migration background who receive support and play a passive role.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
