Language competition and challenges in pluralingual education

The case of a Hakka school in Taiwan

Abstract

The Council of Europe and Taiwan are both promoting plurilingual and intercultural education for all students from various social groups. This paper aims to challenge the assumption that language learning can be expected to benefit all students equally. A Taiwanese socio-cultural study on junior high school students' (aged 13) English language learning processes was employed as an example for discussion. Findings from the Hakka School, which is the focus of this paper, revealed an issue of emerging inequality arising from enforcement of mother-tongue education policy in Taiwan. Language competition and identity clashes create a new and worrying divide threatening to widen existing gulfs not only between urban and rural regions but also among other social groups within Taiwanese society. This study leads to several conclusions which highlight some implications for first, second, or English language teachers, educationists, as well as policy makers in countries like Europe and Taiwan.