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Programme: accepted abstracts

Abstract ID: 804

Part of Session 176: Re-thinking language policy and practice in urban education (Other abstracts in this session)

French language policies and biliteracy activities of Turkish migrant background second generation bilingual teenagers in France

Authors: AKINCI, Mehmet-Ali
Submitted by: Akinci, Mehmet-Ali (Dynamique du Langage (CNRS - Université Lyon 2), France)

Bilingualism cannot be examined solely in relation to language itself, but must always be viewed within the wider societal context and with a specific understanding of the particular circumstances of the language communities in question (Baker, 2001). This presentation aims to investigate the relationship between French language policies concerning ethnic minorities and biliteracy activities of Turkish migrant background second generation bilingual teenagers in France. As regards the management of the ethnic variety of migrants, two opposite policies is used to be distinguished: an assimilationist one, and a pluralist one. Even if French policies concerning ethnic minorities are considerably different in many respects to other West European countries, nation-state ideology and maintenance of nationhood rooted in a commonly shared notion of cultural unity (Archibald, 2002; Abou, 2006). Rather than promoting pluralism, French policies explicitly opted for integration and linguistic assimilation of migrants. In order to transform immigrants or their descendants into French nationals, a Commission on Nationality was set up in 1987. This commission took a number of measures to set up the legal framework for achieving the assimilation of immigrants into the mainstream society (Schnapper, 1988: 9). Mastery of French was seen to be the most fundamental aspect of the acculturation process. This process affects particularly young people of second generation, “who cannot divide any more their world into two sectors as did their parents. From early childhood, they are subdued in two different cultural codes - at school that of the global society, at home that of the family - they have to interiorize them and also interiorize the conflict which results from their interferences” (Abou, 2006: 84). Given the circumstances, one would hardly expect first language maintenance among younger second generation descendants. However, the linguistic and cultural assimilation of second generation of Turkish immigrants is shown to be very low in France (Rollan & Sourou, 2006; Tribalat, 1995; Yagmur & Akinci, 2003; Akinci & Yağmur, 2011). In order to study biliteracy activities, a questionnaire was elaborated. The results of this questionnaire constitute a critical source of information on demographic variables and biliteracy-related activities in and outside subjects’ homes. The questionnaire included three sections on: background characteristics (demographic information), language use-choice (only for bilinguals), and literacy-related activities (watching TV, listening radio, using computer, reading newspapers and journals, reading books, using materials for homework, writing activities and extra-curricular activities). A total of 120 participants in four age groups (students from grade school, junior school, and high school) were asked to fill out the questionnaire. On the basis of descriptive statistics, analyses yielded significant differences with regard to reading and writing activities. These findings aim to help in the development of social structures and pedagogical approaches targeted at improving bilinguals’ motivation to engage in conventional literacy activities, thus contributing to their success beyond schooling.