Abstract
This contribution examines the intersection of language educational policies and family experiences through an ethnographic study of educational transitions. Focusing on the context of South Tyrol (Italy), the study explores how families negotiate language policies and practices as their children transition from early childhood education to primary schooling. Border regions such as South Tyrol are ideal sites to investigate the interplay between languages and educational systems, as policies are commonly designed to foster effective language teaching. In South Tyrol, education is built on three monolingual schooling systems (i.e., Italian, German, and Ladin), separated following the concept of “mother tongue” (Wand, 2023). This system is based on the protection of minority languages (German and Ladin), which implies the right for each linguistic group to access education in their own language. Previous research revealed that speakers of Italian and heritage languages are minoritized and thus disadvantaged (Thoma, 2022) especially as compared to the dominant German group. At school, students speaking these non-dominant languages face additional challenges, which become evident during transitions (Plöger & Barakos, 2021).
Indeed, the preschool to school transition has been described as a “key issue” (Huf, 2013: 61) and a “significant milestone” (Jose et al., 2022: 21) which constitutes “one of the key life events” (Turunen, 2014: 145) for children and their families. Upon entering primary schools, children are socialized into formal learning environments, and student-teacher-relationships are constructed anew (Miller-Lewis et al., 2014). This process, however, starts long before the first day of school, and involves other significant moments such as preliminary teacher-parent meetings, school choice, and enrollment. Transition is therefore a multifaceted and “dynamic process of continuity and change” (Dockett & Perry, 2015: 124), co-constructed in the interactions occurring between children, parents, and professionals.
The presentation draws from an ongoing multi-sited ethnography (Marcus, 1995) involving participant observation and interviews with families speaking non-dominant and minoritized languages. More specifically, we will focus on the case of a family speaking Amharic as a heritage language and navigating the German-speaking system. By highlighting the strategies employed to enroll their children in the desired school, the presentation intends to offer insights into the dynamics through which the educational system constructs children (and their families) as minoritized. Family experiences illustrate that while the system aims to establish a cohesive educational transition, their lived reality often requires adaptation and negotiation, leading to a reconfiguration of language practices at home. These processes demand not only a harmonization of formal school practices with family language practices but also a more inclusive approach that acknowledges the multiplicity of voices in the linguistic environment of South Tyrol. The research underscores the significant role families play in negotiating school-related language policies, both in preparation to and during the interactions with educators.