Project Title:
Gestió de l’Acollida Lingüística dels Nouvinguts en una Institució Pública i una Institució No Governamental (Management of the Linguistic Reception of Newcomers in a Public Institution and a Non Governmental Institution)
Project Reference:
2007ARAFI 00018
Participants:
A group of eleven researchers: principal investigator Melissa G. Moyer, Eva Codó , Melinda Dooly, Sònia Oliver, Dolores Ruiz Lozano, Gabriele Budach, Alexandre Duchêne and Monica Heller. Research Assistants: Maria Rosa Garrido, Maria Sabaté Dalmau and Katia Yago.
Project Summary:
Management of the Linguistic Reception of Newcomers in a Public Institution and a Non Governmental Institution
Catalan society is going through a period of significant socioeconomic changes. The range of globalizing phenomena which we are experiencing at present is characterized by a service based economy, the new consumerist society, the internationalization of communication systems, the movement of economic capitals and above all, migration movements and global interconnection. From the mid-1990s, and especially with the arrival of the 21st century, Catalonia has become the recipient of people originating from developing countries, economic (im)migrants. New migrations have challenged key aspects in relation to equality policies in addition to cultural and linguistic heterogeneity, especially in the field of education and in language planning for integrative policies. The public bodies from the Catalan administration which manage migration are also facing the challenge to integrate newcomers through the present Catalan model of social integration and inclusion. A new Catalonia is emerging so it is necessary to prepare institutions and citizens for the changes in order to prevent these new migrations from creating new social divisions.
The objective of this research group is to investigate the role of languages, including immigrant languages and international linguae francae (English in particular) in addition to the two local languages, in the reception and incorporation process of foreign citizens in Catalonia. We propose a study of two sites, public health provision and non formal adult reception education, which are in control of the management of linguistic diversity, the key to prevent social exclusion.