Language Education in Multilingual Colombia: Critical Perspectives and Voices from the Field

This collection brings together cutting-edge research and theoretical discussions on the linguistic, cultural, and political forces that shape multilingual Colombia, highlighting the country’s unique sociolinguistic landscape and offering new insights into multilingualism in the Global South.

The volume outlines the changing dynamics of multilingualism in Colombia, where Spanish, Spanish-based and English-based Creoles, the linguistic and cultural heritages of Indigenous communities and migrant groups, and the prevalence of English in language education policy intersect. The chapters explore the implications of policy making on language policy discourse and especially on language teacher education for those working on the margins in urban and rural areas. They also explore existing understandings of interculturality and the work of academics and local communities in minority language revitalization efforts.

Problematizing essentialized views of language and culture and raising awareness around the complex relationship between language, identity, and interculturality in the Global South, this book will be of interest to scholars in multilingualism, sociolinguistics, language education, teacher education, and applied linguistics.

Norbella Miranda is Assistant Professor in the School of Language Sciences at Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia. She holds a PhD in Educational Sciences from Universidad del Quindiìo, Armenia, Colombia. Her research and publications focus on educational language policies, bi/multilingualism and curriculum development for language education. She is a member of the EILA research group (Equipo de Investigación en Lingüística Aplicada) of Universidad del Valle. Her publications include: Appropriation of Colombian ELT policy in a targeted school: The creation of an ＂elite＂ yet still needy school in the public education system (book chapter, Routledge, 2021).

Anne-Marie de Mejía is Professor in the area of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education at the School of Education at Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá. She holds a Ph.D in Linguistics from Lancaster University, U.K. Her research interests include teacher empowerment, interculturality, language and education policy, and bilingual teacher development.

Silvia Valencia Giraldo is Professor in the area of Sociolinguistics and Bilingualism in the School of Education at Universidad del Quindiìo, Armenia, Colombia. She received her Ph.D from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK., in the area of bilingualism. Her research interests include bilingual classroom interaction, language policy, and literacy.