The intersection of migration and language education in the 21st century: Traditional views and new perspectives
Abstract
Current times are characterized by extreme human mobility across the globe, spurred by many different and complex intertwined causes, including the unequal distribution of economic opportunities, displacement caused by civil conflict, the changing climate, and personal preferences, among others (International Organization for Migration, 2018). Migration has been - and will continue to be - a major influence on the world, as large numbers of people relocate to countries other than their native places with intentions of temporary or permanent settlement.
This brings with it a host of issues for the migrants as well as the host societies that are accommodating them. Individualistic and socio-psychological considerations weight heavily in migratory behavior, and disentangling the different factors that lead people to choose new homes for themselves and their families are crucial for understanding migration patterns (Freeman, 1986; Lapshyna & Duvell, 2015).
Questions of political, economic, geographic, and cultural attractors play important roles in the study of migration, and science has strongly focussed on push- and pull-factors in explaining migrants' choices of host countries (van Hear, Bakewell, & Long, 2018). Undoubtedly, globalization in the 21st century has accelerated transnational mobility and super-diversity (Blommaert, 2010; Boccagni, 2014) and has created new educational opportunities and challenges.
