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Interest in the outcomes of a society’s most able learners is a recurrent feature in educational discourse. ‘Giftedness’ however is a ‘contested construct’ which is heavily context-dependent and where meanings are individually shaped rather than collectively understood. This research examines the complexity of construals of giftedness for secondary school Modern Language teachers in the light of pedagogic and linguistic theorists and English government policymakers. These four perspectives play a role in understanding ‘giftedness’ within the subject domain, yet have not been previously considered in combination. The context of school-based second language learning in England is significant as the subject has undergone changes of curriculum status and purpose, possibly failing to meet the needs of gifted pupils. The context for MFL teachers in this research is further shaped by the ambient professional framework, which is influenced by instable and internally inconsistent policy construals of ‘giftedness’ and a tension between excellence and equity. Questionnaires and interviews are used to examine MFL teachers’ beliefs surrounding ‘giftedness’ both generally and within their subject specialism, and the reported impact of working within the framework of externally imposed construals. Teachers’ reactions to being asked to make public judgements about giftedness reveal uncertainties about identifying gifted linguists and their underlying views about the enactment of ‘giftedness’ policy. The findings are used to propose a more detailed model of the characteristics of gifted linguists, which distinguishes between ‘enabling’ features (which support the development of linguistic potential) and those which are ‘core’, and which lie at the heart of ‘giftedness’ within MFL. Findings also indicate the importance of agreeing terminology and listening to teachers, when seeking to impose external constructs in this contested arena. By understanding the complexity and instability of the construal, it is argued that MFL teachers may be better equipped to recognise and support gifted learners.

The present inquiry sets out to explore the self as an expatriate eacher working in international schools, through the lens of ositioning. To better understand complex phenomena such as the self and its episodic encounters in the social arena, this study uses positioning theory as an analytical framework. The self is followed as it moves from its private sphere to the social milieu where it takes on its multiplicity, as a social being. The dynamics of positioning is illustrated by the mutually determined triad. Hence, the self is looked at in one of its main social engagements: the recruitment where the social episode is mutually framed by the storylines of the participants, the social force and the position taken on. Illustrations are given to exemplify and extend the use of positioning theory in an international school context. The implications brought up by the results of the present inquiry are applicable not only to the expatriate teacher but also to the wider expatriate community.

The aim of this study originated with my role as a teacher wanting to research the impact of the European Language Portfolio, ELP, (2001) on a small group of minority language students, in Brussels’ Flemish region. In this exploratory case study, the European Language Portfolio (Spanish model) was administered to a small group of forty-five primary school students from the Bicultural Foyer Project in Brussels. In spite of the students’ positive attitudes towards this portfolio, the results suggest that the ELP has no validity for them because the Brussels’ Flemish educational community does not offer the appropriate conditions for a possible broader use of this portfolio. Belgium’s language policy environment, including its language policies, is the fundamental reason for the non-implementation of the European Language Portfolio.

Ever since its establishment, Israel’s educational system has instituted ceremonies comprising multimodal representation: the school is perceived as an ‘agent’ of national memory (Lomsky-Feder 2003). In view of the impassioned public debate swirling around the issue of national identity in contemporary Israeli society, and as a result of structural changes in the education system, this study proposes a reexamination of the attributes of a distinct group of visual texts in the classroom. As Lomsky-Feder wonders (in relation to her research, 2003): ‘Will a diverse, stimulating and relevant interpretative discipline comprised of strong canonical foundations and innovatory, conflicting elements be revealed? Will it be possible to discern the ‘negotiating for a national identity, characterised by dialectics between "different voices" stemming from civilian society and the cooptation of the hegemony? (ibid.). The research focused on visual representations in context and examined the origins of displays containing visual representations of national symbols in elementary schools in the Israeli education system, the way in which these displays have been created, their tacit and explicit meanings and the dialogue that the pupils and the teachers have with these meanings. The research is focused on two aims: (1) To discover which factors were responsible for the decision to establish areas containing visual displays of national emblems in state primary schools in Israel’s education system. (2) To identify and explain the significance of the messages relayed through visual displays of these emblems to their viewers and for their designers. The research design consisted of collecting visual and verbal data via photographs, interviews, observations and questionnaires.