Migration, multilingualism and schooling in Southern Europe

Abstract

Migration, Multilingualism and Schooling, edited by Sandro Caruana, Liliana Coposescu and Stefania Scaglione, deals with highly current topic in Europe today, namely migration in Southern European countries and its impact on children in primary schooling. The volume deals with migration both through the contribution of experts in the field and also through the results of an EU-funded project, MERIDIUM, which spanned over three years and touched on a number of topical issues. Studies included in the volume are mainly set in six countries, traditionally known for outbound rather than inbound migration, and they examine how recent waves of migration are affecting language use, linguistic attitudes and perception towards language diversity. Some of the questions addressed in the various chapters of the volume are: How has migration in Southern Europe altered the demographic composition of some regions? How do children in schools, and their parents, react to the presence of different languages and to different cultures in educational institutions? Do educational authorities, school directors and teachers feel adequately equipped to face the challenges that these demographic changes are bringing about? Is there adequate planning and are there sufficient language policies in order to provide the necessary framework which could lead to better integration of migrants in schools?