To establish sustainable and inclusive education (IE), it is imperative to “overcome barriers limiting the presence, participation and achievement of learners” (UNESCO, 2017, p. 7). Realization of this objective requires a concerted effort from education policy and practice stakeholders to identify and address barriers that impede students’ access to quality education and opportunities (Alexiadou & Essex, 2016). Given the proliferation of migration and refugee movements worldwide, there has been a notable increase in linguistic diversity (European Commission/Eacea/Eurydice, 2019). As a result, the need for school inclusion of students with migration biography and refugee experience has been identified as a crucial objective of educational policy and practice (European Commission/Eacea/Eurydice, 2019).

While the presence of linguistic diversity in schools is not a new phenomenon and has been extensively documented for many years (UNHCR, 2023), numerous countries in Europe and beyond continue to adhere to a monolingual approach by separating students based on their language proficiency (Herzog-Punzenberger et al. 2020). Specifically, according to a report by the European Commission, EACEA, and Eurydice (2019), in 24 of the 27 countries within the European Union, students who have recently arrived in a new country and do not yet speak the language of instruction are temporarily placed in pull-out language support or preparatory classes. This separation of students with beginning or emergent skills in the language of instruction, which follows the structured immersion approach, is often presented as a means of promoting their overall academic and linguistic growth. However, international comparative studies have consistently revealed significant disparities in achievement between students with and without migration biography or refugee experience (OECD, 2018). Moreover, research suggests that the conventional approach of segregating students based on their language proficiency levels does not align with the most effective language support practices employed by skilled teachers during mainstream classes (Erling et al., 2022).

Despite ongoing challenges in achieving educational equity caused by the continued use of segregated language support in various European nations, this symposium aims to provide a transnational perspective on current approaches and practices related to addressing linguistic diversity. It will feature insights from those closely engaged in the task of professional language instruction. The symposium reveals a common thread among the three represented countries - they all implement some form of a segregated approach when integrating newly arrived children and young people (European Commission/Eacea/Eurydice, 2019). Furthermore, each contribution emphasizes unique aspects pertinent to addressing linguistic diversity in educational institutions. Specifically, contribution one examines the language ideologies of educators in Austria, contribution two analyzes the practical application of inclusive teaching methods for newly arrived immigrant students in Germany, and contribution three explores the creation of strategies to assist teachers in instructing linguistically diverse classrooms in Finland.

The first contribution provides a thorough examination of the elements that Austrian educators deem beneficial to their students' linguistic growth in the language of instruction. It delves into the significance that teachers place on their students' linguistic repertoire and investigates how they incorporate it into their daily teaching practices. The second contribution intends to analyze the inclusive approaches that educators in Germany adopt to address the diverse requirements of students who have fled from Ukraine. Finally, the third contribution utilizes information gathered from Finnish teachers in preparatory and mainstream classrooms, focusing on their approaches to multilingualism in the classroom. Based on this data, an educational game has been developed to assist teachers in recognizing and meeting the needs of all students, regardless of their linguistic prerequisites. Overall, the results presented in this symposium contribute to the expansion of knowledge in the field of language sensitive instruction.

Alexiadou, N., & Essex, J. (2016). Teacher education for inclusive practice - responding to policy. European Journal of Teacher Education, 39(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2015.1031338 Erling, E. J., Gitschthaler, M., & Schwab, S. (2022). Is segregated language support fit for purpose? Insights from German language support classes in Austria. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(1), 573–586. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.11.1.573 European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice. (2019). Integrating students from migrant backgrounds into schools in Europe: National policies and measures. Eurydice report. Publications Office of the European Union. Herzog-Punzenberger, B., Altrichter, H., Brown, M., Burns, D., Nortvedt, G. A., Skedsmo, G., Wiese, E., Nayir, F., Fellner, M., McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2020). Teachers responding to cultural diversity: Case studies on assessment practices, challenges and experiences In secondary schools in Austria, Ireland, Norway and Turkey. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 32(3), 395–424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-020-09330-y United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2017). A guide for ensuring inclusion and equity in education. UNESCO. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002482/248254e.pdf United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (2023). Global trends. Forced displacement in 2022. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics