Adult migrants learning minority languages in Europe : An introduction

Abstract

This introductory chapter establishes background definitions of key terms and presents themes that are developed in the later chapters of the book. First we introduce the concepts of ‘minority’ and ‘minoritised’ language. Then we turn our attention to political belonging, locating our concern at the intersection of minority language learning and immigration status. We ask how various social categories shape access to services and to language learning opportunities in language minoritised places in Europe. Then we sketch out our critical perspective on minority language education, explaining how adult migrant language education (AMLE) can be understood in contexts of linguistic and societal diversity, in language-minoritised areas. Finally, we introduce the individual chapters before drawing concluding thoughts.