Problematising the Absence of Heritage Languages in CLIL schools: The case of Moroccan Arabic in Spain

Abstract

In line with heritage language studies and bilingualism (Cummins, 2015; Bethele & Lambelet, 2017), this study analyses the possibility of implementing a heritage language proposal in Spanish bilingual education/CLIL. This work focuses on the problematization of the absence of the heritage language studies and data in the Spanish context, focusing specifically on Moroccan Arabic as the main point of interest. In order to accomplish the objectives, the present study has three points of interest: (a) the introduction of a heritage language focus in Spanish CLIL, (b) the description of the use of Moroccan Arabic and its place as a heritage language in Spain, (c) a proposal of a feasible programme for heritage language inclusion in public CLIL schools. To carry out this study, an exploratory quantitative analysis through a self-rating language scale was conducted together with a qualitative analysis taken from policy documents and testimonies of Moroccan heritage language speakers. The results of this study are concluded with a proposal for implementing these languages in the schooling environment opening thus the field for future research in this area.