Minority Language Maintenance and Identity Formation in the Context of Complementary Schools in Greece

The simultaneous development of minority language education as a field and the growth of interest in identity and language learning has increased scholars’ interest in relation to complementary schools (Leeman 2015). Provided that a ‘flexible bilingual’ approach is adopted in complementary schools, these schools can encourage students’ multilingual and cultural identities and they can be considered safe learning and teaching spaces (Creese et al. 2006). The present study focuses on thirty-eight complementary schools that operate in several areas of Greece and offer language courses for second or third generation children with an immigrant biography. The data analysis is based on interviews with complementary schools’ headteachers. Data analysis aims at shedding light on how minority language maintenance is ensured in the context of complementary schools and what the aims of these schools are regarding students’ identity formation.