Multilingualism in Europe often contrasts with a seemingly monolingual society. This tension can present obstacles, especially in terms of education and advancement (e.g. Gogolin 1997). Despite the undeniable growth of multilingualism caused by migration movements and its continued existence, monolingualism dominates educational structures. According to Peleman (2023), this is "reinforced by feelings of alienation and dislocation and the fear of losing a national identity in response to the growing complexity of diversity within the society". Regardless to that, several studies have noted the advantages of multilingualism, such as those conducted by acknowledging multilingualism as an advantage rather than a disadvantage can prove particularly beneficial, particularly in the field of education (see Ağırdağ 2014 and Bialystok 2018).

Dirim & Khakpour (2018) attribute the ralation between the multilingual society and the monolingual institutions as a power asymmetry among languages, where certain languages are considered legitimate while others are seen as illegitimate. Consequently,this  reproduces power relations, which will be discussed in this symposium by focusing on, how do these power relations affect educational contexts, especially  with regard to so-called heritage languages?

In order to discuss this question, the symposium first thematises general structures and organisational forms of heritage language education (in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden). Furthermore will be argued, that a tight interdisciplinary collaboration between all teachers will improve the standing of HL teachers as well as the HL in the school hierarchy (for exclusion of HLE teachers in Germany, see Ayten & Atanasoska 2020).

In a second step, we look how Translanguaging can be used as an empowering tool for students and in teaching, in order to enhance multilingualism for the individual and in the school settings.

Thirdly, in the last section we will discuss the predominance of research on Chinese as a heritage language originating from English-speaking regions, which cannot be directly applied to the European context.

In the symposium, we present various perspectives on didactics, including those at the level of teachers and students' literacy, as well as translanguaging. We examine the hierarchical position of Home Language Education (HLE) in the school system of languages, particularly with regard to second language development. Finally, we broaden the understanding of HLE in Europe by discussing the situation of one of the recently migrated languages. In conclusion, considering multiple perspectives can aid in moving away from a monolingual stance. Monolingualism does not reflect the reality of school or society. Embracing multilingualism as the norm from a broad perspective is crucial for social prosperity in Europe.

Ağırdağ, O. (2014). The Long-Term Effects of Bilingualism on Children of Immigration: Student Bilingualism and Future Earnings. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 17(4), 449-464. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2013.816264 Ayten, A. & Atanasoska, T. (2020). Turkish is a Stepchild”. A Case Study of Language Policies in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Heritage Language Journal 17(2), 156-178. DOI: 10.46538/hlj.17.2.3 Bialystok, E. (2018). Bilingual Education for Young Children: Review of the Effects and Consequences. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 21(6), 666-679. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2016.1203859 Dirim, İ. & Khakpour, N. (2018): Migrationsgesellschaftliche Mehrsprachigkeit in der Schule. In İ. Dirim & P. Mecheril (eds.), Heterogenität, Sprache(n), Bildung (pp. 201-225). UTB. Gogolin, I. (1997). Der monolinguale Habitus der multilingualen Schule. Waxmann. Peleman, B. (2023). Unsilencing multilingualism : supporting professionals in early childhood education and care. Ghent University. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent, Belgium.