Abstract
This chapter has a twofold focus. Firstly, it presents the language views and practices of 19 bilingual students of Albanian immigrant background attending a Greek primary school and kindergarten. The data are derived from an ethnographic study which investigated the children’s, their teachers’ and parents’ language views and practices in order to ultimately give voice to the children’s perspectives on bilingualism. The children’s voices reveal that bilingualism is their way of life. Secondly, we present My First Book on Bilingualism: Between the Greek and Arab Worlds, one of the products of our ‘Greek-Arabic Project’. Inspired by the aforementioned research into the active bilingualism expressed by the students, the project was developed by the ‘Polydromo’ group. Its aim is to make visible the ‘invisible bilingualism’ of the children through the use of their voices and narrations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Anagnostoloulou, D. (2007). Literary intake in preschool and primary education. Athens: Patakis.
Archakis, A. (2014). Immigrant voices in students’ essay texts: Between assimilation and pride. Discourse Society, 25(3), 297–314.
Archakis, A., & Kondylli, M. (2002). Isagogi se zitimata kinonioglossologias [Introduction to issues of sociolinguistics]. Athens: Nisos.
Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (Eds.). (2000). Multiliteracies – Literacy learning and the design of social futures. London/New York: Routledge.
Cummins, J., & Early, M. (2011). Introduction. In J. Cummins & M. Early (Eds.), Identity texts: The collaborative creation of power in multilingual schools (pp. 3–19). UK & Sterling: Trentham Books.
Damanakis, M. (1997). I ekpedefsi ton palinostoundon ke alodapon mathiton stin Elada. Diapolitismiki prosegisi [The education of repatriated and foreign pupils in Greece. An intercultural approach]. Athens: Gutenberg.
European Union. (2013). Study on educational support for newly arrived migrant children: Final report. Luxemburg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Forbes, C. A. (2008). Agency, identity and power: Bilingual Mexican American children and their teachers talk about learning English in school. PhD thesis, University of California.
Frangoudaki, A., & Dragona, Th. (Eds.). (1997). Ti in ’I patrida mas?’ Ethnokentrismos stin ekpedefsi [‘What is our country?’ Ethnocentrism in education]. Athens: Alexandreia.
Gavriilidis, S. (n.d.). Multicultural children’s literature. Available from: http://www.polydromo.gr/httpdocs/files/Epistimoniko/epistimonikh_vivliografia/Multicultural_Children's_Literature_Gavriilidis%20Sofia-2011.pdf. Accessed 10 Apr 2015.
Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York: Basic Books.
Georgakopoulou, A., & Goutsos, D. (1999). Text and communication. Athens: Ellinika Grammata.
Gkaintartzi, A. (2009). Teaching practices for the development of intercultural and bilingual awareness. Polydromo, 2, 52–56.
Gkaintartzi, A. (2012). Zitimata diglossias se pedia sholikis kai prosholikis ilikias: Kinonikes kai ekpedeftikes diastasis [Issues of bilingualism in pre-school and early primary school children: Social and educational dimensions]. PhD thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Gkaintartzi, A., & Tsokalidou, R. (2011). “She is a very good child but she doesn’t speak”: The invisibility of children’s bilingualism and teacher ideology. Journal of Pragmatics, 43, 588–601.
Gkaintartzi, A., Markou, E., & Tsokalidou, R. (2012). Communication with immigrant parents: When is it feasible and effective? Polydromo, 5, 13–16.
Gkaintartzi, A., Chatzidaki, A., & Tsokalidou, R. (2014a). Albanian parents and the Greek educational context: Who is willing to fight for the home language? International Multilingual Research Journal, 8(4), 291–308.
Gkaintartzi, A., Kiliari, A., & Tsokalidou, R. (2014b). “Invisible” bilingualism – “Invisible” language ideologies: Greek teachers’ attitudes towards immigrant students’ heritage languages’. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 17(3), 111–123.
Gogonas, N. (2007). Ethnolinguistic vitality and language maintenance in second-generation migrants: A study of Albanian and Egyptian pupils in Athens. PhD thesis, University of Sussex.
Heller, M. (1999). Alternative ideologies of La Francophonie. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 3(3), 336–359.
Helot, C., & Young, A. S. (2005). The notion of diversity in language education: Policy and practice at primary level in France. Journal of Language, Culture and Curriculum, 18(3), 242–257.
IMEPO (Instituto Metanasteftikis Politikis). (2008). Ektimisi tou ogkou ton allodapon pou diamenoun paranoma stin Ellada [An estimate of the volume of aliens that dwell illegally in Greece]. Athens: Hellenic Ministry of Interior.
IPODE (Institouto Pedias Omogenon ke Diapolitismikis Ekpedefsis). (2009). Statistika stichia gia tin katanomi palinostoundon ke alodapon mathiton [Statistical data on the distribution of repatriated Greek and foreign students in Greece]. Available from: http://www.ipode.gr. Accessed 23 Jan 2011.
Katsikas, C., & Politou, E. (1999). Ektos taksis to diaforetiko? Tsigani, mionotiki, palinostoundes ke alodapi mathites stin eliniki ekpedefsi [Is “Difference” out of “Order/the Classroom”? Roma, minority, repatriated and immigrant students in Greek education]. Athens: Gutenberg.
Kiliari, A. (2005). Poliglossia kai glossiki ekpedefsi, mia kinonioglossiki prosegisi [Miltilingualism and language education, a sociolinguistic approach]. Thessaloniki: Vanias.
Kiliari, A. (2014). Mathites alvanikis katagogis ke alvaniki glossa: stasis, deksiotites, epithimies [Students of Albanian background and Albanian language: Stances, skills, wishes]. In A. Gkaintartzi, S. Kamaroudis, V. Hystuna, & M. Viskadouraki (Eds.), Crossroads of languages and cultures: The Greek-Albanian contact: Proceedings of the Second International Conference ‘Crossroads of Languages and Cultures (pp. 39–45). Thessaloniki: Polydromo & School of Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Kompiadou, E. (2013). Educational exploitation of linguistic and cultural diversity in kindergarten. Masters thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Kompiadou, E., & Tsokalidou, R. (2014). Identity texts. Polydromo, 7, 43–47.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge/New York: Cambridge University Press.
Law 2413. (1996, July 17). I elliniki pedia sto exoteriko, I diapolitismiki ekpedefsi ke alles diataxeis [The Greek Education Abroad, the Intercultural Education and other arrangements]. Gazette, 124, 2437–2469.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1986). But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 30, 73–84.
Markou, E. (2015). Real principals in real multiethnic schools: The (im)possibilities for inclusive principal practice. PhD thesis, UCL Institute of Education, London.
Marvakis, A., Parsanoglou, D., & Pavlou, M. (Eds.). (2001). Metanastes stin Ellada [Immigrants in Greece], Athens: Ellinika Grammata.
Mitakidou, S., Tressou, E., & Daniilidou, E. (2007). Cross-cultural education. A challenge or a problem? International Journal of Educational Policy, Research & Practice: Reconceptualizing Childhood Studies, 8(1), 67–81.
Nikolaou, G. (2005). Intercultural didactics: The new environment, basic principles [Diapolitismiki Didaktiki: To neo perivallon, vasikes arches]. Athens: Ellinika Grammata.
Skourtou, E. (2011). I diglosia sto sholio [Bilingualism at the School]. Athens: Gutenberg.
Skourtou, E., Kourtis Kazoullis, V., & Cummins, J. (2006). Designing virtual learning environments for academic language development. In J. Weiss, J. Nolan, & P. Trifonas (Eds.), International handbook of virtual learning environments (pp. 441–467). Norwell: Springer.
Tsokalidou, R. (2005). Raising “bilingual awareness” in Greek primary schools’. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 8(1), 48–61.
Tsokalidou, R. (2012). Horos gia dio: Themata diglosias kai ekpedefsis [Place for two: Issues of bilingualim and education]. Thessaloniki: Zigos.
UNESCO. (2005). Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring access to education for all. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
van Dijk, T. A. (1993). Principles of critical discourse analysis. Discourse & Society, 4(2), 249–283.
van Dijk, T. A. (1998). Ideology: A multidisciplinary approach. London: Sage.
van Lier, L. (1988). The classroom and the language learner. London: Longman.
Watson-Gegeo, Κ. Α. (1988). Ethnography in ESL: Defining the essentials. TESOL Quarterly, 22(4), 575–592.
Watson-Gegeo, K. A. (2002). Mind, language and epistemology: Toward a language socialization paradigm for SLA. The Modern Language Journal, 88(3), 331–350.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gkaintartzi, A., Tsokalidou, R., Kompiadou, E., Markou, E. (2018). Children’s Bilingualism: An Inspiration for Multilingual Educational Practices. In: Van Avermaet, P., Slembrouck, S., Van Gorp, K., Sierens, S., Maryns, K. (eds) The Multilingual Edge of Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54856-6_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54856-6_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-54855-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-54856-6
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)