Language education as a site for identity negotiation: The practice of new immigrant language instruction in Taiwan

Since the early 2000s, Taiwanese government has been increasingly employing multiculturalism as a frame for imagining nationhood political and economic strategy, aiming at strengthening ties with Southeast Asian countries. In recent years, official imaginary of multicultural Taiwan taken new direction to include previously neglected groups minorities, such immigrants from 2019, seven languages were introduced into national curriculum. While this reflects government’s desire immigrants’ cultures in formal curriculum promote vision identity, it also potentially creates avenue negotiate their identities school classrooms. Through two case studies conducted primary schools New Taipei City, study explores interaction local immigrant teachers identity discourses. Evaluating language education critical perspective, we argue that minority instruction could be catalyst raising status speakers these society, but only so far signifies genuine inclusion knowledge construction process.