Heritage Language Education in Greece and Cyprus, 2023
Amid the growing trend of preserving ethnic languages within diverse ethnolinguistic communities ... more Amid the growing trend of preserving ethnic languages within diverse ethnolinguistic communities in Greece and Cyprus, our understanding of heritage language education in these countries remains limited. The chapters in this collection undertake a thoughtful exploration of language education in the world’s two majority-Greek-speaking contexts. The volume brings together empirical studies that exhibit the array of heritage language education options available in Greece and Cyprus today, including community/complementary schools operating on weekends or after regular school hours, providing language and culture classes in a range of languages (e.g., Albanian, Czech, Armenian, Russian), day schools (such as Italian and Hebrew schools), and 'family language schools' developed within the UNICEF framework. Collectively, these chapters establish a novel evidence base describing the diversity of the heritage language education landscape, which could act as a catalyst for further research and potentially drive change in both policy and practice. Importantly, the volume renders heritage language education initiatives in Greece and Cyprus visible – mainly to scholars, but potentially also to practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders in this evolving social, educational, and linguistic domain.
Sidiropoulou, M (Ed.) Aspects of Meaning - Making through TranslationPublisher: Patakis, 2021
The diversification of the linguistic spectrum of urban spaces and the ever-increasing need for hu... more The diversification of the linguistic spectrum of urban spaces and the ever-increasing need for human interaction, across languages, stands as a major challenge to dominant ideologies of language and translation. From a certain perspective, it becomes clear that hybridity is contingent on translation since, similarly to hybridity, translation operates under the assumption of difference.
The Council of Europe has developed a toolkit to support member states in their efforts to respon... more The Council of Europe has developed a toolkit to support member states in their efforts to respond to the challenges posed by unprecedented migration flows, as part of the project Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants (LIAM). The main purpose of this study is to report from an informal implementation of aspects of the Toolkit for Language Support for Adult Refugees, for the language needs analysis of adult refugees and migrants in Greece. The findings show high diversity in terms of language competence, literacy, and linguistic backgrounds among the students and points to the necessity for new tools for course planning and materials design based on refugees’ and migrants’ needs analysis.
Τα τελευταία χρόνια εκδηλώθηκαν με τρόπο εκρηκτικό τα αδιέξοδα της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής για το με... more Τα τελευταία χρόνια εκδηλώθηκαν με τρόπο εκρηκτικό τα αδιέξοδα της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής για το μεταναστευτικό και το προσφυγικό ζήτημα. Η μαζική εισροή προσφύγων και μεταναστών σε ευρωπαϊκό έδαφος προκάλεσε μια αναδιοργάνωση της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής, η οποία ωστόσο παραμένει εγκλωβισμένη στο δίλημμα μεταξύ συνοριακής ασφάλειας και ανθρωπισμού. Αφουγκραζόμενοι/ες τις εκπαιδευτικές επιταγές αλλά και τις κοινωνικές συνθήκες γενικότερα στην νέα αυτή συγκυρία, στο Εργαστήρι Κοινωνικών και Μεταναστευτικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου Δυτικής Μακεδονίας, διοργανώσαμε τον Μάιο του 2018 διημερίδα με τίτλο «Αλισάχνες: το αποτύπωμα της προσφυγικής εμπειρίας». Στον συλλογικό αυτό τόμο συμπεριλάβαμε τις επιστημονικές ανακοινώσεις που εστιάζουν σε ζητήματα μετανάστευσης, ασύλου, ευρωπαϊκής νομοθεσίας, εκπαιδευτικών πολιτικών, γλωσσικής έκφρασης και παρουσίασης των επίμαχων θεμάτων στον Τύπο, αλλά και σε έρευνες πεδίου πάνω σε ζητήματα εκπαίδευσης προσφύγων σε δομές φιλοξενίας και σχολεία.
"Bilingualism and Multiculturalism in Greek Education investigates the factors affecting language... more "Bilingualism and Multiculturalism in Greek Education investigates the factors affecting language maintenance/shift among second-generation Albanian and Egyptian migrant pupils in Athens. Using a combined quantitative and qualitative methodology, it explores the influence of three sets of variables on language maintenance. These are a) ethnolinguistic vitality, defined by the demography, status and institutional support of each group in Greece, as well as migrant and Greek pupils’ perceptions regarding these factors; b) migrant parents’ attitudes to language maintenance and their role in language transmission in the home; and c) the attitudes of teachers and the institutional approaches of mainstream Greek education to linguistic and cultural diversity. Results indicate that:
• knowledge of Greek is common among today’s children of Albanian and Egyptian immigrants and preference for that language is dominant;
• bilingualism varies slightly between Albanian and Egyptian second-generation pupils with Egyptians being more dominant in the parental language, due to their higher degree of identification with their ethnic group in comparison to the Albanian pupils;
• the school context plays a significant role in the ability of second-generation youths to achieve and maintain bilingual fluency.
Acquiring Citizenship through Naturalization in Greece: A Sisyphean Struggle for Immigrants, 2023
The article delves into the experiences of immigrants in Greece who have been residing in the cou... more The article delves into the experiences of immigrants in Greece who have been residing in the country for an extended period but face difficulties in obtaining Greek citizenship. This study is based on in-depth interviews conducted with 10 immigrants whose applications for Greek citizenship were rejected in the summer of 2022. Through these interviews, the research investigates the motivations that drive immigrants to seek citizenship and their perceptions of the new, more restrictive naturalization law in Greece. The findings offer significant insights into the personal struggles and perspectives of these individuals, providing a clearer understanding of their desires to integrate into Greek society. The participants' viewpoints reveal a complex picture of naturalization, influenced by a combination of pragmatic considerations, such as access to rights and economic opportunities, and deep emotional connections to Greek culture and society. Moreover, this research sheds light on the implications of the new citizenship law, which emphasizes economic criteria, on immigrants' aspirations for obtaining citizenship. By comprehending the participants' attitudes and aspirations, this study can contribute to the development of more inclusive approaches to future naturalization legislation in Greece. Additionally, it offers valuable insights into immigrant identity and political engagement within the country.
Against the backdrop of ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northern Europe the present... more Against the backdrop of ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northern Europe the present chapter explores the language ideologies, practices and management of migrant Greek families in Luxembourg by reporting on a comparative case study between an ‘established’ Greek family and a ‘new’ crisis-led migrant family. While the two families differ in terms of migration trajectory and settlement patterns in Luxembourg, there is a convergence with regard to their language ideologies, which inform their family language policies. These are shaped primarily by parental aspirations and expectations for their children’s future and parents hold market-oriented, utilitarian attitudes to language learning. Big, hegemonic languages such as French, German and English seem to be at the forefront of family language planning while maintenance of Greek is not seen as a priority.
Inklusion und Bildung in Migrationsgesellschaften, 2019
The financial crisis in Greece has resulted in a new wave of emigration since 2008. Luxembourg is... more The financial crisis in Greece has resulted in a new wave of emigration since 2008. Luxembourg is a small yet superdiverse state with three official languages and with foreign residents making up almost half of its population. It is a popular destination for new Greek migrants. The present chapter reports on a case study of two crisis-led, highly skilled migrant families from Greece living in Luxembourg. Both families migrated to Luxembourg in 2013. The chapter draws on an earlier study on Family Language Policies among Greek migrants in Luxembourg, for which data were collected from October 2014 to June 2015. A follow-up study on the above-mentioned families took place in February and March 2017. The study findings indicate that the two families have opposing worldviews, different motives for migration and different experiences, all of which account for differences with regard to their degree of global competence.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northwestern Europe, th... more Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northwestern Europe, the present paper reports on a case study of two families who have recently migrated from Greece to Luxembourg. Luxembourg has a trilingual education system and many pupils of migrant background face difficulties on this account. Drawing on the framework of Family Language Policy, this paper explores the language ideologies and management strategies of two families as well as factors influencing their policies. This qualitative study was based on interviews, observations, and videos recorded by one of the families. The findings show that the families have contrasting language ideologies and management strategies that are informed by their differing transnational experiences, competences and worldviews. This study can contribute to a better understanding of the ways in which migrant families use their language resources in their new country.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2020
Complementary schools are an important research area of Second Language Acquisition study, involv... more Complementary schools are an important research area of Second Language Acquisition study, involving issues of identity, linguistic socialization, second language acquisition, linguistic hegemony, ...
Journal of International Migration and Integration / Revue De L'integration Et De La Migration Internationale, 2010
Post-1990 Albanian migration—mainly to Italy and Greece—has been one of Europe’s most remarkable ... more Post-1990 Albanian migration—mainly to Italy and Greece—has been one of Europe’s most remarkable and still-evolving migration episodes of recent years. Albania has the highest migratory flow in Europe which is five times higher than the average flow of emigration in most other developing countries (Barjaba 2004). Despite its scale and intensity, Albanian migration remains relatively underresearched. King and Mai’s book
In this article we discuss the concept of translanguaging in relation to the theory of linguistic... more In this article we discuss the concept of translanguaging in relation to the theory of linguistic landscape in the Greek context in times of economic and political crisis. In particular, we look at instances in Greek public spaces where there is a combination of linguistic resources. The instances used in this paper have a political and ideological meaning that is strongly related with the current economic and political situation in Greece, while these instances also show a creative dimension of different linguistic forms and resources. Public translanguaging instances in today‟s multilingual Greece is a research area that has not been examined yet in the relevant literature. Thus, the aim of the present paper is to show the dynamics that translanguaging has taken over the past years in the multilingual context of the Greek society.
Heritage Language Education in Greece and Cyprus, 2023
Amid the growing trend of preserving ethnic languages within diverse ethnolinguistic communities ... more Amid the growing trend of preserving ethnic languages within diverse ethnolinguistic communities in Greece and Cyprus, our understanding of heritage language education in these countries remains limited. The chapters in this collection undertake a thoughtful exploration of language education in the world’s two majority-Greek-speaking contexts. The volume brings together empirical studies that exhibit the array of heritage language education options available in Greece and Cyprus today, including community/complementary schools operating on weekends or after regular school hours, providing language and culture classes in a range of languages (e.g., Albanian, Czech, Armenian, Russian), day schools (such as Italian and Hebrew schools), and 'family language schools' developed within the UNICEF framework. Collectively, these chapters establish a novel evidence base describing the diversity of the heritage language education landscape, which could act as a catalyst for further research and potentially drive change in both policy and practice. Importantly, the volume renders heritage language education initiatives in Greece and Cyprus visible – mainly to scholars, but potentially also to practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders in this evolving social, educational, and linguistic domain.
Sidiropoulou, M (Ed.) Aspects of Meaning - Making through TranslationPublisher: Patakis, 2021
The diversification of the linguistic spectrum of urban spaces and the ever-increasing need for hu... more The diversification of the linguistic spectrum of urban spaces and the ever-increasing need for human interaction, across languages, stands as a major challenge to dominant ideologies of language and translation. From a certain perspective, it becomes clear that hybridity is contingent on translation since, similarly to hybridity, translation operates under the assumption of difference.
The Council of Europe has developed a toolkit to support member states in their efforts to respon... more The Council of Europe has developed a toolkit to support member states in their efforts to respond to the challenges posed by unprecedented migration flows, as part of the project Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants (LIAM). The main purpose of this study is to report from an informal implementation of aspects of the Toolkit for Language Support for Adult Refugees, for the language needs analysis of adult refugees and migrants in Greece. The findings show high diversity in terms of language competence, literacy, and linguistic backgrounds among the students and points to the necessity for new tools for course planning and materials design based on refugees’ and migrants’ needs analysis.
Τα τελευταία χρόνια εκδηλώθηκαν με τρόπο εκρηκτικό τα αδιέξοδα της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής για το με... more Τα τελευταία χρόνια εκδηλώθηκαν με τρόπο εκρηκτικό τα αδιέξοδα της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής για το μεταναστευτικό και το προσφυγικό ζήτημα. Η μαζική εισροή προσφύγων και μεταναστών σε ευρωπαϊκό έδαφος προκάλεσε μια αναδιοργάνωση της ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής, η οποία ωστόσο παραμένει εγκλωβισμένη στο δίλημμα μεταξύ συνοριακής ασφάλειας και ανθρωπισμού. Αφουγκραζόμενοι/ες τις εκπαιδευτικές επιταγές αλλά και τις κοινωνικές συνθήκες γενικότερα στην νέα αυτή συγκυρία, στο Εργαστήρι Κοινωνικών και Μεταναστευτικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου Δυτικής Μακεδονίας, διοργανώσαμε τον Μάιο του 2018 διημερίδα με τίτλο «Αλισάχνες: το αποτύπωμα της προσφυγικής εμπειρίας». Στον συλλογικό αυτό τόμο συμπεριλάβαμε τις επιστημονικές ανακοινώσεις που εστιάζουν σε ζητήματα μετανάστευσης, ασύλου, ευρωπαϊκής νομοθεσίας, εκπαιδευτικών πολιτικών, γλωσσικής έκφρασης και παρουσίασης των επίμαχων θεμάτων στον Τύπο, αλλά και σε έρευνες πεδίου πάνω σε ζητήματα εκπαίδευσης προσφύγων σε δομές φιλοξενίας και σχολεία.
"Bilingualism and Multiculturalism in Greek Education investigates the factors affecting language... more "Bilingualism and Multiculturalism in Greek Education investigates the factors affecting language maintenance/shift among second-generation Albanian and Egyptian migrant pupils in Athens. Using a combined quantitative and qualitative methodology, it explores the influence of three sets of variables on language maintenance. These are a) ethnolinguistic vitality, defined by the demography, status and institutional support of each group in Greece, as well as migrant and Greek pupils’ perceptions regarding these factors; b) migrant parents’ attitudes to language maintenance and their role in language transmission in the home; and c) the attitudes of teachers and the institutional approaches of mainstream Greek education to linguistic and cultural diversity. Results indicate that:
• knowledge of Greek is common among today’s children of Albanian and Egyptian immigrants and preference for that language is dominant;
• bilingualism varies slightly between Albanian and Egyptian second-generation pupils with Egyptians being more dominant in the parental language, due to their higher degree of identification with their ethnic group in comparison to the Albanian pupils;
• the school context plays a significant role in the ability of second-generation youths to achieve and maintain bilingual fluency.
Acquiring Citizenship through Naturalization in Greece: A Sisyphean Struggle for Immigrants, 2023
The article delves into the experiences of immigrants in Greece who have been residing in the cou... more The article delves into the experiences of immigrants in Greece who have been residing in the country for an extended period but face difficulties in obtaining Greek citizenship. This study is based on in-depth interviews conducted with 10 immigrants whose applications for Greek citizenship were rejected in the summer of 2022. Through these interviews, the research investigates the motivations that drive immigrants to seek citizenship and their perceptions of the new, more restrictive naturalization law in Greece. The findings offer significant insights into the personal struggles and perspectives of these individuals, providing a clearer understanding of their desires to integrate into Greek society. The participants' viewpoints reveal a complex picture of naturalization, influenced by a combination of pragmatic considerations, such as access to rights and economic opportunities, and deep emotional connections to Greek culture and society. Moreover, this research sheds light on the implications of the new citizenship law, which emphasizes economic criteria, on immigrants' aspirations for obtaining citizenship. By comprehending the participants' attitudes and aspirations, this study can contribute to the development of more inclusive approaches to future naturalization legislation in Greece. Additionally, it offers valuable insights into immigrant identity and political engagement within the country.
Against the backdrop of ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northern Europe the present... more Against the backdrop of ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northern Europe the present chapter explores the language ideologies, practices and management of migrant Greek families in Luxembourg by reporting on a comparative case study between an ‘established’ Greek family and a ‘new’ crisis-led migrant family. While the two families differ in terms of migration trajectory and settlement patterns in Luxembourg, there is a convergence with regard to their language ideologies, which inform their family language policies. These are shaped primarily by parental aspirations and expectations for their children’s future and parents hold market-oriented, utilitarian attitudes to language learning. Big, hegemonic languages such as French, German and English seem to be at the forefront of family language planning while maintenance of Greek is not seen as a priority.
Inklusion und Bildung in Migrationsgesellschaften, 2019
The financial crisis in Greece has resulted in a new wave of emigration since 2008. Luxembourg is... more The financial crisis in Greece has resulted in a new wave of emigration since 2008. Luxembourg is a small yet superdiverse state with three official languages and with foreign residents making up almost half of its population. It is a popular destination for new Greek migrants. The present chapter reports on a case study of two crisis-led, highly skilled migrant families from Greece living in Luxembourg. Both families migrated to Luxembourg in 2013. The chapter draws on an earlier study on Family Language Policies among Greek migrants in Luxembourg, for which data were collected from October 2014 to June 2015. A follow-up study on the above-mentioned families took place in February and March 2017. The study findings indicate that the two families have opposing worldviews, different motives for migration and different experiences, all of which account for differences with regard to their degree of global competence.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northwestern Europe, th... more Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis-led migration from Southern to Northwestern Europe, the present paper reports on a case study of two families who have recently migrated from Greece to Luxembourg. Luxembourg has a trilingual education system and many pupils of migrant background face difficulties on this account. Drawing on the framework of Family Language Policy, this paper explores the language ideologies and management strategies of two families as well as factors influencing their policies. This qualitative study was based on interviews, observations, and videos recorded by one of the families. The findings show that the families have contrasting language ideologies and management strategies that are informed by their differing transnational experiences, competences and worldviews. This study can contribute to a better understanding of the ways in which migrant families use their language resources in their new country.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2020
Complementary schools are an important research area of Second Language Acquisition study, involv... more Complementary schools are an important research area of Second Language Acquisition study, involving issues of identity, linguistic socialization, second language acquisition, linguistic hegemony, ...
Journal of International Migration and Integration / Revue De L'integration Et De La Migration Internationale, 2010
Post-1990 Albanian migration—mainly to Italy and Greece—has been one of Europe’s most remarkable ... more Post-1990 Albanian migration—mainly to Italy and Greece—has been one of Europe’s most remarkable and still-evolving migration episodes of recent years. Albania has the highest migratory flow in Europe which is five times higher than the average flow of emigration in most other developing countries (Barjaba 2004). Despite its scale and intensity, Albanian migration remains relatively underresearched. King and Mai’s book
In this article we discuss the concept of translanguaging in relation to the theory of linguistic... more In this article we discuss the concept of translanguaging in relation to the theory of linguistic landscape in the Greek context in times of economic and political crisis. In particular, we look at instances in Greek public spaces where there is a combination of linguistic resources. The instances used in this paper have a political and ideological meaning that is strongly related with the current economic and political situation in Greece, while these instances also show a creative dimension of different linguistic forms and resources. Public translanguaging instances in today‟s multilingual Greece is a research area that has not been examined yet in the relevant literature. Thus, the aim of the present paper is to show the dynamics that translanguaging has taken over the past years in the multilingual context of the Greek society.
Conference: Selected Papers on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics from 24th ISTAL, Thessaloniki 2-4 October 2020, 2023
The Council of Europe (CoE) has developed a toolkit to support member states in their efforts to ... more The Council of Europe (CoE) has developed a toolkit to support member states in their efforts to respond to the challenges posed by unprecedented migration flows, as part of the project Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants (LIAM). The main purpose of this study is to assess language needs of adult refugees and migrants through the implementation of the aforementioned CoE Toolkit relevant needs analysis tools and to present tailor-made thematic units, that would cater for the language needs traced. More specifically, domains, language use situations and communication themes were identified so as to become eventually L2 learning materials. The findings show high diversity in terms of language competence, literacy, and linguistic backgrounds among the students and interestingly necessities prevailed the wants (see Nation & Macalister 2010) as the thematic units designed by the teachers were not all based on the subjective needs but on the objective needs of the learners (as perceived by the teachers).
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• knowledge of Greek is common among today’s children of Albanian and Egyptian immigrants and preference for that language is dominant;
• bilingualism varies slightly between Albanian and Egyptian second-generation pupils with Egyptians being more dominant in the parental language, due to their higher degree of identification with their ethnic group in comparison to the Albanian pupils;
• the school context plays a significant role in the ability of second-generation youths to achieve and maintain bilingual fluency.
"
• knowledge of Greek is common among today’s children of Albanian and Egyptian immigrants and preference for that language is dominant;
• bilingualism varies slightly between Albanian and Egyptian second-generation pupils with Egyptians being more dominant in the parental language, due to their higher degree of identification with their ethnic group in comparison to the Albanian pupils;
• the school context plays a significant role in the ability of second-generation youths to achieve and maintain bilingual fluency.
"