Minority Languages, National State Languages, and English in Europe: Multilingual Education in the Basque Country and Friesland

This article focuses on minority languages in education in Europe in contexts where they are in contact with national state languages and English. Teaching minority language implies bilingual education because it is not about replacing the majority language, but to come ‘alongside’ or at ‘equal footing’. The cases of Basque and Frisian, comparing and contrasting their similarities and differences, are analyzed. Schools in these regions desire to go beyond bilingualism and to promote multilingualism as an important aim in education. The contribution of Ofelia García’s work to research in these contexts is discussed