Linguistic practices in migration models of integration, language policies and establishment of social hierarchy of languages

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to focus on the actions and players from the countries of emigration which support or do not support the maintenance of native languages of migrants in Europe. For this, links need to be discovered which exist between European languages and languages of origin. Firstly, all languages are not important. A social hierarchy exists which depends on the context of elocution. Multilingualism was gradually developed during the 20th century but all bilingualisms are not considered as a resource. Bilingualism related to immigration is often synonymous with handicap and deficit of integration which justifies a certain essentialisation of the language. However, language learning depends partly on its social value in the host country and the country of origin. This social recognition rests for example on the fact that it concerns an oral or written language; a religious language, an international language, etc. This article thus aims at understanding the European and national language policies set up to support the mobility of individuals and their entry into new territories.