Plurilingual Spanish course based on multiliteracies for the inclusion of young returnees in Mexico

Abstract

In the last fifteen years the number of migrant families returning to Mexico from the United States has reached unprecedented levels. In particular, generation 1.5 youth face administrative, social and linguistic challenges as they continue their schooling in the Mexican educational system. Their linguistic profile is particular: their dominant language is English and their heritage language is Spanish. In Mexico, there is no official program to support these students in the development of their academic linguistic competence in Spanish in order to continue their studies successfully. This article offers a Spanish as a second language course for return migrant students based on the plurilingual approach of language teaching and on the pedagogy of multiliteracies. This course aims to enhance return students’ bilingualism and to recognize their multicompetences.