Language labels, language practices: a multiple case study of parents with children enrolled in Dutch-medium education in Brussels

Abstract

In this dissertation, we looked into the language practices and language-related representations (or labels) of parents from different (linguistic) backgrounds in multilingual Brussels. Applying a social rather than linguistic approach to bilingualism, we conducted semi-directed interviews and collected spoken data from five couples, which were analyzed through a critical discourse analytic approach. The main aims of the study were threefold: (1) to investigate how the parents themselves relate to a number of common sociolinguistic labels used in policymaking, research and general discourse on language and identity in Brussels; (2) to look into the language practices these parents engage in and the ways in which these practices resonate with the labels used; (3) to examine whether and how having a child in Dutch-medium education in Brussels both informs these parents’ language practices and the way they describe themselves.

Date of Award	24 Jan 2014
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Namur
Supervisor	Laurence Mettewie (Supervisor), Elisabeth Leijnse (President), Jeroen Darquennes (Jury), Christine HELOT (Jury), Patricia Lamarre (Jury) & Rudi Janssens (Jury)