‘In this country my children are learning two of the most important languages in Europe’: ideologies of language as a commodity among Greek migrant families in Luxembourg

in International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (2016)

This paper explores the language ideologies of three middle-class migrant Greek families in Luxembourg, one ‘established’ family and two ‘new’ crisis-led migrant families, all of whose children attend ... [more ▼]

This paper explores the language ideologies of three middle-class migrant Greek families in Luxembourg, one ‘established’ family and two ‘new’ crisis-led migrant families, all of whose children attend Luxembourgish state schools. While the families differ in terms of migration trajectory, their language ideologies converge. The findings of this ethnographic study show that all parents view multilingualism as an asset and relate it to culture, identity and job opportunities. The parents’ ideologies are shaped both by their desire to improve their social standing and by societal discourses on the values of languages in the job market and in the Higher Education. Luxembourg’s official trilingualism is seen as a symbol of national cohesion and it is viewed as a commodity on the job market. Thus, the development of children’s multilingualism in French, German and English is seen as a ‘commodity’ which, they hope, will enable children to compete in the new globalised, transnational and post-industrial/services market. [less ▲]

Albanian Immigrants' Perceptions of Citizenship, Ethnicity and Social Inclusion. Results from an Empirical Study

in Palaiologou, Nektaria; Dietz, Gunther (Eds.) Mapping the Broad field of Intercultural Education Worldwide (2012)

Religion as a Core Value in Language Maintenance: Arabic Speakers in Greece

in International Migration (2011)

This paper presents the findings of research investigating language maintenance ⁄ shift among second-generation Arabic speakers in Athens using adolescents of mainly Egyptian origin and their parents as ... [more ▼]

This paper presents the findings of research investigating language maintenance ⁄ shift among second-generation Arabic speakers in Athens using adolescents of mainly Egyptian origin and their parents as informants. Quantitative data on language competence and on patterns of language use within Egyptian households indicate language shift in adolescents of the Coptic religion. In contrast, Muslim informants emerge as language maintainers. Qualitative results originating from interviews with parents indicate that the significance of religious practice leads Muslims and Copts to view Arabic and Coptic respectively as core values for their identity. This distinction leads to a differentiation in patterns of Arabic language transmission between Muslim and Coptic Egyptian parents, reflecting both the different internal dynamics of these sub-communities, and their different relationships to the host society. [less ▲]

Bilingualism and Multiculturalism in Greek Education: Investigating Ethnic Language Maintenance among Albanian and Egyptian pupils in Athens

Book published by Cambdridge Scholars (2010)

"Bilingualism and Multiculturalism in Greek Education investigates the factors affecting language maintenance/shift among second-generation Albanian and Egyptian migrant pupils in Athens. Using a combined ... [more ▼]

"Bilingualism and Multiculturalism in Greek Education investigates the factors affecting language maintenance/shift among second-generation Albanian and Egyptian migrant pupils in Athens. Using a combined quantitative and qualitative methodology, it explores the influence of three sets of variables on language maintenance. These are a) ethnolinguistic vitality, defined by the demography, status and institutional support of each group in Greece, as well as migrant and Greek pupils’ perceptions regarding these factors; b) migrant parents’ attitudes to language maintenance and their role in language transmission in the home; and c) the attitudes of teachers and the institutional approaches of mainstream Greek education to linguistic and cultural diversity. Results indicate that: • knowledge of Greek is common among today’s children of Albanian and Egyptian immigrants and preference for that language is dominant; • bilingualism varies slightly between Albanian and Egyptian second-generation pupils with Egyptians being more dominant in the parental language, due to their higher degree of identification with their ethnic group in comparison to the Albanian pupils; • the school context plays a significant role in the ability of second-generation youths to achieve and maintain bilingual fluency. [less ▲]

Pse po e humb gjujen amtare brezi i ri imigranteve Shqiptare ne Greqi? Diskriminimi dhe Krize Identiteti

in Perpjekja (2010)

Attitudes towards migrant pupils’ mother-tongue maintenance: a pilot study of secondary school teachers in Attica,Greece.

in Intercultural Education: Paideia,Polity, Demoi. Cd-rom Proceedings of the International Conference coorganized by the International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE) and the Hellenic Migration Policy Institute (IMEPO), under the aegis of Unesco.ISBN (2009)

Ethnolinguistic vitality perceptions among immigrant and indigenous pupils in Greece.

in Journal of Mediterranean Studies (2007)