Master thesis : "Managing migration-induced multilingualism in German and Belgian primary schools through preparatory programmes"

Abstract

This thesis examines how newly arrived children are schooled in Berlin and the Wallonia- Brussels Federation through the establishment of preparatory programmes. These programmes aim to provide children with tailored support in the acquisition of the language of instruction to facilitate their integration into the mainstream education system. However, the organisation of these programmes is not always conducive to achieving their declared aims. This thesis is dedicated to analyse these structural tensions. It is claimed that schools in both contexts must undergo a restructuring process and adapt to their multilingual student body instead of adhering to historically constructed monolingual ideologies. Based on theoretical and empirical evidence, the translanguaging approach is presented as a powerful tool to challenge these monolingual ideal conceptions. Moreover, its implementation enables pupilcentred language support, as it builds on observable multilingual practices. Encouraging newly arrived students to make use of their whole linguistic repertoire can thus also support them in the acquisition of the language of instruction.