A Research Agenda for a Multilingual Education Policy in Immigratory Contexts

The goal of this paper is to introduce a new topic into the public policy debate, i.e., the policy implications of multicultural and multilingual education, which have been largely neglected by public policy and administration scholars, despite the multiple interesting research perspectives implied. Discussing the numerous aspects of multilingual education is all the more important in light of the super-diversity generated by migratory waves as well as the role played by immigrants in the socioeconomic fabric of their host countries. After introducing the subject by framing it within the political and policy debate, the article presents the different angles from which the multilingual education issue should be tackled, starting with an overview of the social, economic, and human right/legal aspects involved and proceeding with a proposal of investigation of the implications for public policy and administration, with a focus on teachers as street-level bureaucrats delivering policies in close contact with target groups.