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As a response to the migratory movements initiated at the end of the past century in Catalonia (Spain), its educational system aims to promote interculturality and multilingualism as a way to achieve social cohesion. For this purpose, it is important to improve our understanding of the linguistic acculturation preferences endorsed by local students toward students of immigrant origin -- a scarcely studied factor. One of the main factors for achieving these objectives, that has been scarcely studied, is the linguistic acculturation preferences endorsed by local students toward students of immigrant origin. The present study applied 349 questionnaires to analyze the determining factors and linguistic acculturation preferences of local high-school students regarding the linguistic acculturation profiles of their peers of Moroccan descent in Lleida (Catalonia, Spain). The main results showed that, in order of frequency, assimilation to Catalan, assimilation to Spanish-Catalan and multilingualism were the three linguistic preferences endorsed by local students. The multinomial logistic regression model found the following determining factors: attitudes toward minority languages, attitudes toward multilingualism, Spanish self-identification, Spanish use with teachers and Catalan use with classmates. These results highlight the importance and need to further promote the use and embracement of minority languages in school settings as a possible way to increase the construction of multilingual preferences, and deconstruct prejudices and stereotypes to ultimately achieve social cohesion.

This study explores integration and linguistic acculturation in Catalonia (Spain), a multilingual setting where a state and a regional language coexist with those of immigration. Using qualitative content analysis, we examined the linguistic acculturation profiles of 13 high-school students of immigrant background and the linguistic acculturation expectations of 15 autochthonous students, considering Spanish, Catalan and heritage languages. Then, we explored their understanding of what integration means and its relation to language. Public use of heritage languages was the main source of friction. Participants of immigrant origin with assimilation profiles only used heritage languages with family, while those in multilingual profiles also used them in the public domain. Autochthonous students condemned their use in public, although they supported their use at home. Students from immigrant backgrounds advocated for a more inclusive understanding of integration, particularly those in multilingual profiles, but autochthonous students equated integration to assimilation. Educational implications are discussed.

Inclusive behaviour management and the roles of the various stakeholders involved continues to be of concern in education. As paraprofessionals within mainstream classrooms, many teaching assistants (TAs) assist with managing disruptive behaviour. This article explores how TA and teacher teams manage disruptive behaviour situations in 14 inclusive urban schools in Catalonia. Behaviour cases were reported by 17 TAs and 12 teachers through semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis produced three main categories under which results are organised: roles; coordination; and behaviour management procedures. The experiences reported reflect the importance of having more than one adult in a classroom to manage quality, reciprocity and to avoid excessive responsibility delegation. Limits must be consensual, coherent, contextualised and consistent between all stakeholders involved in education, including the students themselves. Finally, teachers and TAs share proactive strategies for prevention and anticipation, and reactive strategies for de-escalating behaviours.

A critical aspect of inclusive policies and practices is the role that Teacher Assistants (TAs) are supposed to assume within mainstream classrooms. Despite the evidence, TAs are still linked to the most vulnerable children, especially those with severe afflictions. This exploratory mixed method of investigation analyses the differences between the job requirements standardised by the Catalan Government (Spain), the roles the TAs believed they had been hired to perform and the tasks they were really carrying out in their schools. It includes teacher and union representative experiences to obtain a more holistic view of current practices. This article provides TAs' experiences in the Catalan context as well as an analysis of the legal framework on the matter; to better understand these agents, putting emphasis on inclusive practices. According to standards, only one type of TA should give educational support, the others should merely assist. The findings highlight the importance of real and coherent inclusion-oriented TA roles. This places the TA as a key member of a support network maximising all learning opportunities.

Located in Catalonia (Spain), and based on the Acculturation Theory applied to the field of linguistics, the objectives of this article are: (i) to detect and study the linguistic acculturation strategies of young people; (ii) to analyse the effects of origin and linguistic acculturation profiles relating to self-identifications with Spain and Catalonia and; (iii) to explore the predictive power of these variables. The quantitative data belongs to a representative sample of teenagers aged 14-16 in the city of Lleida (n=571)--the second most populated province capital, after Barcelona, and a territory with a high percentage of immigrant population. The youth of Catalonia construct Catalan or Spanish linguistic acculturation strategies, but also a high percentage of integration strategies. Also, there are polarised identity constructions, but not in all of the strategies nor associated with all of the origins. These are observed most amongst natives and with non-integrationist strategies.

This article presents a mixed method analysis of the language attitudes held by secondary education students of Romanian origin, which are members of the second largest immigrant population living currently in Catalonia. The relevance of this data is based on the cardinal role played by attitudes in the success of any educational or linguistic policy (Lewis, E. Glyn. 1981. "Bilingualism and bilingual education." Oxford, UK: Pergamon.) -- a topic of special relevance in contexts with considerable migratory influxes, such as Catalonia, which aims to achieve social cohesiveness in a framework of interculturalism and multilingualism. The various initiatives implemented for this purpose include the heritage language maintenance programs, such as the "Romanian Language, Culture, and Civilization" (RLCC) program. The results showed that the young Romanians had the most favourable attitudes towards Spanish, followed closely by Romanian, and lastly Catalan, which was the least valued language. Furthermore, these attitudinal patterns were not determined by RLCC attendance. The insights provided by the in-depth interviews indicated various components and meanings associated with the attitudes towards the three languages. Namely, attitudes towards Spanish were primed by its international status and ease of learning, while attitudes towards Catalan were build on its integrative value and social status. Although esteemed for its emotional and symbolic bonds, Romanian seemed to be on a path towards invisibilization. Finally, the educational and social implications of these findings are discussed, emphasising the importance of involving and working with both the autochthonous and the Romanian immigrant population.

Following the arrival of a large number of immigrants in Catalonia (Spain), a series of language and educational policies focused on language uses, competences, and attitudes have been implemented with the aim to promote newcomers' social integration and to protect and maintain the regional language, Catalan. This study examines these key factors and how they relate to each other in the case of secondary education students of immigrant origin, also considering their L1 (Spanish or non-Spanish). Specifically, a comparison of the language attitudes, language uses, and competences in Catalan and Spanish of L1 Spanish and L1 non-Spanish participants revealed different patterns between the two groups, largely characterized by a preference for Spanish on the part of the former group. Furthermore, a moderated mediation model is proposed to explain how attitudes influence language competences through language use, as well as how these relationships vary depending on the L1.

We analyse the influence of attending or not attending classes of the language of origin in self-identification and in life-satisfaction. In addition, we analyse how these elements are related to the perception of integration of young immigrants of Romanian origin in a multilingual and multicultural context like that of Catalonia (Spain). We present a mixed method study. A total of 131 young people of Romanian origin (74 females and 57 males), aged between 12 and 18 years completed a questionnaire. We also carried out 34 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative results prove that attending or not RLCC courses does not have a significant influence on self-identifications. Results coincide in that young people self-identify more with their ethnical group of origin; however, a tendency towards hybridisation is revealed as the length of stay increases. Diversely, those who present more self-identification with Catalonia and less with their origin, felt more comfortable in the receiving country. Expectations perceived from these young people point mainly towards the need to assimilate and abandon who they are in order to feel more at ease, an element that may encompass stressful psychological factors, resulting in discomfort and conflict.

This study examines the relationship between language attitudes and language use from a social cognition perspective in the context of Catalonia, a culturally and linguistically diverse Spanish Autonomous Community that has been implementing social and educational measures to promote the use of its own language, Catalan. We examined how implicit and explicit measures of attitudes towards Catalan and Spanish predict self-reported language use and spontaneous language choice. Participants (N = 98) completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT), self-reports of language attitudes and use, and a spontaneous language choice. Although both implicit and explicit measures correlated with the behavioural measures, the results showed that the IAT had predictive and incremental validity. Moreover, a partial dissociation pattern of prediction was identified, underscoring the importance of including implicit measures of language attitudes, as they predict variance in behaviour above and beyond what is predicted by explicit measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores factors influencing school adjustment in immigrant students in Catalonia, Spain. Low school adjustment levels can lead to failure or dropout, particularly among immigrant students. The research analyzes acculturation strategies, intergroup contact, perceived discrimination, and origin's impact on school adjustment. Students from African, Latin American, and European backgrounds completed a questionnaire, revealing four acculturation strategies: marginalization, assimilation to Catalan culture, integration, and assimilation to Catalan and Spanish cultures. A k-means cluster analysis identified these patterns. Linear regression highlighted intergroup contact, integration vs. marginalization, and integration vs. assimilation to Catalan culture as significant predictors. Higher intergroup contact scores correlated with improved school adjustment, while adopting integration or assimilation to Catalan culture predicted better adjustment compared to marginalization. Understanding and addressing these factors is vital for enhancing immigrant students' educational experiences and reducing the risk of academic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early school leaving (ESL) is a serious concern for education authorities in many countries such as Spain. This investigation is aimed at identifying the weak points of educational support policies and making proposals to strengthen them. The article reviews more than 40 documents, including state-level and regional-level laws and regulations about educational support. The analysis of the legal framework was based on three relevant axes for the educational support configuration: support needs attribution, support strategies and agents of support. These three axes shed light on how education policies can prevent education systems from guaranteeing inclusive education. Findings show the need to de-assign the individual attribution of needs that remains directly or indirectly underpinned by Spanish regulations. Regarding support strategies, policies should foster learning acceleration rather than adaptive and low expectation strategies. Finally, more legal guidance is needed to scaffold support agents' real involvement. Despite having high rates of early schooling, Spain is not among those countries that have lower rates of early school leaving (ESL). The implementation of support measures is key to overcoming inequalities. This review of education policies found that the guidelines addressed to Spanish schools include statements that are ambiguous or contradict the inclusion principles. This article provides a useful framework for schools and policymakers to analyse policies and guidelines regarding educational support based on how these address students' needs, strategies and measures implemented, and all the people involved. The analysis of Spanish official documents shows a tendency to attribute learning difficulties to the students themselves, especially when they are diagnosed with any disability. Support policies are crucial to promote inclusive educational support. However, support guidelines are still influenced by clinical models, over reliance on curricular adaptation and student segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mass arrival of immigrants to Catalonia (Spain) in the last two decades has led to a change in the socio-demographic composition of a society which de facto is characteristically bilingual and bicultural. The acculturation process undergone by young descendants of migrants and how they identify in this context are essential in order to overcome the social challenges arising in different societies. We have carried out a mixed study in order to identify the acculturation profile of descendants of migrants in the context of Catalan schools, correlating these processes with identification by considering Catalan-Spanish group membership, identification with the culture, and identification with the language. A survey was completed by 212 young people of migrant origin (14–18 years old) in secondary education; as well as 9 life stories from them and 6 semi-structured interviews with teachers. These results suggest the development of complex acculturation strategies fitting a complex socio-cultural context where identification with Catalonia and Spain plays a key role in its construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]