Marginalisation: non-dominant language learning and teaching from a comparative perspective

ABSTRACT

This article interrogates the meaning of marginalisation by comparing two non-dominant language communities in Europe, and in particular their language education and teachers. An interdisciplinary exploration of the marginalisation leads the authors to identify key aspects and expressions of the concept. The authors illuminate these broad expressions of marginalisation in both the case of the Moldavian Csángó in Romania and the Võro in Estonia. The article foregrounds the contours and expressions of the marginalisation of language education through a thematic, comparative view of qualitative data, particularly focused on teachers. In both cases, expressions of marginalisation intersect powerfully to endanger instruction in the language and the place of the language in schools. The compounded experience of these various expressions contributes to a persistence in marginalisation over time. Despite the fragility and uncertainty resulting from this marginalisation, the margins can also serve as sites of possibility for language revitalisation and survival.

KEYWORDS:

• Margins
• marginalisation
• language education
• teachers
• Romania
• Estonia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author’s contributions

Laihonen has retained the approval of his university for his research; Brown has retained the approval of her university. Both authors are in possession of written informed consents by the interviewed teachers. All the names mentioned in the article of the villages or schools and kindergartens are pseudonyms. In the case of Romania, the schools did not have separate names, therefore, they are not indicated in the analysis. Both authors contributed equally to this article.

Additional information

Funding

Laihonen’s work was supported by the Academy of Finland under grant 299133. Brown’s work was supported by the Spencer Foundation.