There is a gap between EU multilingual policies and language policies
for migrants. In this context, migration is not seen as an asset. Rather
it is a problem to be solved through assimilation. Migrants’
multilingualism is, likewise, not considered an asset for society as a
whole. In this context, research into the transmission of multiple
languages within families is relevant for better understanding the
processes under examination.
“Nationally mixed people,” that is to say
people with parents born in two different countries, one country usually
being the country of residence, have sufficient knowledge of the
language of the country of residence. We think of people in plural
language systems as having language issues. However, mixed families
should be regarded as a social group allowing for the transmission of at
least two languages. Are all mixed people bi- or multilingual? The
explanatory factors of language transmission in mixed families, and
especially the role of public policies and institutions on family
language transmission have been under researched. However, a recent
study has shown that since public policies and discourses affect both
the migration and integration paths of the parents, they also indirectly
influence the foreign language proficiencies of nationally mixed
people.
http://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/31407
