Multilingual learners in London mainstream schools: Policy, practice and professional development

Abstract

This paper is a summary of a report section produced for LUCIDE (Languages in Urban Contexts: Integration and Diversity in Europe) project and network, funded by the EU Commission Lifelong learning programme 2011–2014, based on the collected primary and secondary data. This summary focuses on multilingualism in mainstream education. The full report addresses multilingualism in several other areas: public, economic, private sphere and urban spaces. It is available on: www.urbanlanguages.eu. Considering the size, population and complexity of London, our specific focus is on one local authority (out of an existing 33): the City of Westminster, geographically the heart of this metropolis. Westminster is in many ways representative of London language trends. It shows some of the most prominent features of multilingualism in London: an extraordinary linguistic variety with a wide distribution of languages, where no one language is dominant. The aim of this research is to gain insights into experiences of multilingual learners in London in regards to: education practice and relevant policies. Primary data was collected by a team of four researchers who consulted 82 professionals relevant to the identified spheres of practice. The methods used were interviews and questionnaires. The sampling was purposive in terms of relevant professions: education, social work, public services, police and finance and business sector professionals. The theoretical framework used to develop our approach is the typology of language use, which distinguishes: symbolic, pragmatic and authoritative language use.