Communication Policy at the Chalk Face in Scotland and Jamaica: Complexity as a New Paradigm for Understanding Language Policy Interpretation and Implementation

Abstract

This article examines teachers classroom interaction with upper primary pupils and the implications for the implementation of stated language policy aims in two contexts where there are tensions between local community languages and the recognised language of the global marketplace, namely Scotland and Jamaica. Following Wertsch and Smolka (1993) the article argues that it is often in very subtle ways that teachers either encourage or restrict the amount of dialogue and exchange there can be in their classroom. Informal exchanges within the classroom can be vital for children to work through their own strategies for navigating their multi-lingual context. The article also illustrates that the metaphor of fractals derived from complexity sciences (Wolfram Research, 2003) can form a more sensitive and appropriate framework for discourse analysis.