Europe is going through a period of sustained and extensive social, political and economic transition, with language playing a pivotal role in this complex process. The papers in this volume address key issues including: nature and extent of multilingualism and multiculturalism; the role of English in the Europe Union; language, languages and democracy; and language and literacy development in emerging contexts.

Diversity - social, cultural, linguistic and ethnic - poses a challenge to all educational systems. Some authorities, schools and teachers look upon it as a problem, an obstacle to the achievement of national educational goals, while for others it offers new opportunities. Successive PISA reports have laid bare the relative lack of success in addressing the needs of diverse school populations and helping children develop the competences they need to succeed in society. The book is divided into three parts that deal in turn with policy and its implications, pedagogical practice, and responses to the challenge of diversity that go beyond the language of schooling. This volume features the latest research from eight different countries, and will appeal to anyone involved in the educational integration of immigrant children and adolescents.

In this volume a range of authors from different international contexts argue that the notion of communicative competence in English, hitherto largely referenced to metropolitan native-speaker norms, has to be expanded to take account of diverse contexts of use for a variety of purposes. It also discusses the popular belief that language and literacy should simply be regarded as a technical 'skill' which confers universal benefits and that it should be replaced with a social practice view that recognises situated variations and diversity. This volume, we believe, provides a reference point for extended research and practice in these areas that will be of interest to wide range of people engaged in language and literacy education.

Since it was first established in the 1970's the Applied Linguistics and Language Study series has become a major force in the study of practical problems in human communication and language education. Drawing extensively on empirical research and theoretical work in linguistics, sociology, psychology and education, the series explores key issues in language acquisition and language use. English as a Second Language learners are now a considerable and increasing part of the mainstream of urban schools in English-speaking countries. Beyond the learning of English, this development raises broader questions of language as a medium of education in a multilingual, multicultural environment. Drawing on their experience as researchers and educators in Australia, Canada and England, the authors of English as a Second Language in the Mainstream present an up-to-date account of advances in theory and practice. Their analysis of system-wide provision however, suggests that a truly responsive educational vision is lacking: government policy is inadequate, educational practices for ESL students are either underdeveloped or poorly coordinated with practices for other students, and the rhetoric of reform fails to engage significantly with issues of teaching and resources. The authors argue towards a more comprehensive vision which can acknowledge the relation between issues concerning ESL students and issues concerning the educational system as a whole, which can coordinate reforms in ESL education with general reforms, which can explicitly and systematically integrate language learning and content learning, and which can build more positively on the multilingual and multicultural nature of modern education for all students.

Drawing on their experience as researchers and educators in Australia, Canada and England, the authors present an up-to-date account of advances in theory and practice and argue for a more comprehensive vision.

Moving beyond current theories on literacy practices, this edited collection sheds new light on the complexities inherent to the social, cultural, and ideological contexts in which literacy practices are realized. Building on Brian V. Street's scholarship, contributors discuss literacy as intrinsically social and ideological, and examine how the theorizing of literacy practices has evolved in recognition of the diverse contexts in which written language is used. Breaking new intellectual and theoretical ground, this book brings together leading literacy scholars to re-examine how educational and sociocultural contexts frame and define literacy events and practices. Drawing from the richness of Brian V. Street's work, this volume offers insights into fractures, tensions, and developments in literacy for scholars, students, and researchers.

Moving beyond current theories on literacy practices, this edited collection sheds new light on the complexities inherent to the social, cultural, and ideological contexts in which literacy practices are realized. Building on Brian V. Street's scholarship, contributors discuss literacy as intrinsically social and ideological, and examine how the theorizing of literacy practices has evolved in recognition of the diverse contexts in which written language is used. Breaking new intellectual and theoretical ground, this book brings together leading literacy scholars to re-examine how educational and sociocultural contexts frame and define literacy events and practices. Drawing from the richness of Brian V. Street's work, this volume offers insights into fractures, tensions, and developments in literacy for scholars, students, and researchers.

This book explores and builds on the extraordinary work of Professor Paul Black across assessment and pedagogy across the curriculum, including STEM, humanities and social science subjects. This book explores the influence that Black has had within educational settings, focusing on interpretations of the work and scholarship he has achieved across a range of settings and on the ways that scholars, who have worked with him or been influenced by his ideas, have developed their research and teaching. The contributions are presented under three thematic sections, each of which reflects a set of shared educational concerns and values drawing on the natural and social sciences as well as developments in public policy. These concerns and values, with their emphasis on teacher assessment, provide a basis for a strategic, informed and coherent response to challenges in education, such as the cancellation of public examinations in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.