Linguistic diversity is a key feature of European Union but the management of linguistic diversity in member states does not always adhere to European Union legislation and principles. In line with the aims of this symposium (S109), I will discuss the differences between European Union policies and the national practices in various European countries.
In line with the aims of this symposium (S109), I will discuss the differences between European Union policies and the national practices in various European countries. Linguistic diversity is a key feature of European Union but the management of linguistic diversity in member states does not always adhere to European Union legislation and principles. In various recommendations, suggestions and communications from the Council of Europe and European Union, multilingualism is identified as an asset for Europe. The European Union motto for multilingualism is ‘communication in mother tongue plus two languages’. Mother tongue is mostly defined as the first language learned and used in the home context, while the two other languages usually refer to ‘one foreign language’ (mostly English) and ‘a neighbouring language.’ Strategy for multilingualism in the EU includes regional / minority languages, immigrant languages, dialects, major world languages and sign languages. In this respect, the EU has a unique approach to language diversity. While the EU and Council of Europe point out the value of multilingualism, the national policy and practice might vary to a certain extent in line with the national and local circumstances. This variation is inevitable as legal and constitutional priorities differ from one national context to the other. Regarding the recognition and practice of multilingualism in the European context, data were collected in 18 European countries. In this presentation, comparative evidence on the management of linguistic diversity in 18 different countries is presented. This includes the recognition and facilitation of multilingual practices in the pre-primary and primary school classrooms by teachers. The findings show a strong deviation between European policies and national practices in pre-primary and primary schools.
