@inproceedings{7090520,
  abstract     = {{This paper critically questions traditional language policy views insisting on language proficiency in a single ‘national’, ’legitimate’ language as the touchstone of social cohesion and integration. In addressing this question, we zoom in on the day to day practices of service providers working with multilingual immigrants in an urban area in Belgium. Closely collaborating with practitioners and policymakers,  we analyzed 74 video recorded conversations between public service providers and immigrant mothers, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The project was financed by Kruispunt Migratie-Integratie, an independent organization, subsidized by the Flemish government to develop expertise on migration, integration and ethno-cultural diversity; the data collection was done by Kind & Gezin, the organization that monitors childcare for the Flemish authorities in Belgium;  the filmed excerpts were coded and systematically incorporated into Nvivo software.  While analyzing the filmed data, we also relied on interviews with policymakers and practitioners, observation and document analysis. 

In presenting the findings of our research, we focus on two principal themes:  First, we demonstrate what the language requirements enshrined in Belgium’s language policies entail for the day to day practices of service providers working with multilingual clients. Secondly, we argue that, in superdiverse contexts of commodified languages and social identities, the growing need is towards delegitimizing the use of the national language in public service encounters.}},
  author       = {{Van Praet, Ellen and De Wilde, July and Rillof, Pascal}},
  booktitle    = {{Multilingual perspectives on professional discourse in Europe, Abstracts}},
  keywords     = {{superdiversity,linguistic ethnography,Community interpreting,digital communication}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{Ghent, Belgium}},
  title        = {{Contesting the monolingual mindset: practice versus policy: the case of Belgium}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}