Assessing the Potential of Minority Ethnic Teachers from a Transnational Perspective—‘Multilingualism Is My Capital’

Abstract

Germany is a country whose society is deeply affected by migration and transmigration. As a consequence, multilingualism is a social reality. In contrast to this, the education system sets the premise of the nation-state—one nation, one language—which is based on monolingualism. This has been called the ‘monolingual habitus’ of the German school system. This contradiction is becoming even clearer when set against today's increasingly transnational lifestyles. The German school system is supposed to offer multilingualism to its students. Minority ethnic teachers are seen in this context as beacons of hope, since they are invariably bilingual and have a positive attitude towards multilingualism. However, the opportunities for them to use their multilingualism in the school system are restricted. This article examines the case of a teacher, from a Spanish migrant background, and how she deals with multilingualism in multicultural and multilingual classes. The article aims to understand better how and to what extent she succeeds in providing alternatives to ‘the monolingual habitus’ of the German school system and what role her transnational perspective played in this.