Including Non-Dominant Languages in Educational Policy Change: Key Actors and Agency (Bilingual Education & Bilingualism): 158 - Softcover

Kimmo Kosonen; Carol Benson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1836684045 ISBN 13: 9781836684046

Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2026

Synopsis

Presents a move from static descriptions of policy hierarchies to a dynamic model of actor interaction, a genuinely original analytical lens within the field.
This edited volume discusses the actions of key agents in educational policy change, focusing on shifts towards greater use of non-dominant languages in multilingual contexts. It uses Kosonen and Benson’s (2021) language-in-education policy change framework to consider actors, actions and agency at three levels: change from above, below and the side.
Chapter authors expand on and critique this framework, applying it to a wide-range of low- and middle-income countries in the Global South and considering a diverse selection of actors including academics, NGOs, advocacy groups, teachers, communities and local governments. Taking a critical look at policymaking in multilingual settings, this book explores policy timelines, trajectories of change and implications for sustainable implementation of multilingual education.
This volume will be of particular interest to researchers and practitioners working in the fields of international and comparative education and language policy and planning.
This book is open access under a CC BY NC ND licence.

About this title

About the Authors

Kimmo Kosonen has worked in the Asia-Pacific region as a consultant on multilingual education with SIL Global for over 26 years. His research focuses on language-in-education policies, the role of non-dominant languages in education, and multilingual education in low-income countries. He is currently Head of Literacy and Education at the Finnish Bible Society and Global Literacy Strategist at the United Bible Societies.

Carol Benson is founder and current co-director of MLE International, a non-profit organization providing research, networking and technical support to implementers of bi/multilingual education in low-income countries and contexts. She is an experienced development practitioner, researcher and academic who has worked in MLE teacher professional development, learner assessment and program evaluation in multilingual countries of Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions.

Edition details

• Publisher: Multilingual Matters
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1836684045
• ISBN 13: 9781836684046
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 322