Τhe design of modern Greek language teaching and use in neomigrant families
Koutsogiannis, D., Konstantinidis, A., Rothoni, A. & Antonopoulou, S.
In recent years there has been an interesting discussion in literature attempting to frame language education issues within a post-national, rapidly changing and superdiverse context (e.g., Kramsh, 2014). Within this literature, however, the emphasis on less widely spoken languages is rare, as well as the use of extended research data to explore issues of language and education in this new global context. This presentation aims to fill this gap by making use of data from 40 interviews with children (aged 10-15) and one of their parents, who left Greece during the period of the financial crisis (2008-2018) and settled in Australia and Germany. The basic question to be answered is: how do these social protagonists understand Modern Greek language teaching and use in this new global context and why?
The analysis of the data reveals that children, but especially parents, are active designers in making the best choices for Greek language teaching and use. In this design (here Kress’s notion is adapted), a multi-layered reality is reflected (Blommaert, 2010), which is constructed by making use of a variety of resources derived mainly from: (1) Local practices and traditions regarding the teaching of Greek, as they apply in each country (Australia, Germany), (2) The views they (parents mainly) acquired, as far as the teaching of languages is concerned, during the years they spent in Greece, (3) The connection between the Greek language and the types of identities children aim to construct, (4) The opportunities provided by digital media, and (5) The new reality created by globalization in the language market. The emphasis will be put on the last factor and the discussion will be on the way the design is linked to personality, children’s agency but also sociocultural variables.
References:
Blommaert, J. (2010). The sociolinguistics of globalization. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.
Kramsch, C. (2014). Teaching Foreign Languages in an Era of Globalization: Introduction. The Modern Language Journal, 98, 296-311.
