Minority language education: Reconciling the tensions of language revitalisation and the benefits of bilingualism

Citation

Peace‐Hughes T (2022) Minority language education: Reconciling the tensions of language revitalisation and the benefits of bilingualism. Children & Society, 36 (3), pp. 336-353. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12537

Abstract
Research has highlighted the significance of the family and community in minority language revitalisation, whilst raising concern for efforts solely focused at the school level. This article draws upon research with children in Gaelic Medium Education, in Scotland, to explore their experiences and perceptions of their language use. The findings illustrate the dominance of English language across multiple aspects of children's lives and highlight the opportunities/threats of recent revitalisation efforts to push the bilingual benefits of language learning. The findings suggest the need for a more considered approach, such as translanguaging pedagogies, in order to effectively revitalise Gaelic language.

Keywords
bilingual education; child bilingualism; minority language education; minority languages; translanguaging

Journal
Children & Society: Volume 36, Issue 3