Languages,cultural capital and school choice: distinction and second-language immersion programmes |
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| Authors: | Simone Smala Jesus Bergas Paz Bob Lingard |
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| Institution: | School of Education, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia |
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| Abstract: | This paper argues that languages, increasingly marginalised in schools in English-speaking countries, are gaining ‘elitist’ ground as part of the ‘value-added’ marketisation of schools and parents’ desire for their children to gain ‘positional goods’ through schooling. In arguing our case, the paper draws on survey and other data derived from second-language immersion programmes in two Queensland secondary schools, where key learning areas such as mathematics and science are taught through the medium of another language. As a corollary, we also argue that some schools – in our case, government schools – are using their immersion programmes as markers of distinction in a period of post-comprehensive schooling and emerging school markets, which includes both government and non-government schools. There is also a global policy context to such programmes in respect of countries such as Spain, China and Germany supporting the teaching of their respective languages in nations around the world. |
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| Keywords: | school choice distinction cultural capital languages school markets external government agencies |
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