ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the two ideologies of multilingualism: fixed vs. flexible multilingualism. It begins with a brief look at US language policy; this is only as a contrast to EU policy, and Europe. The chapter presents two case studies; the first one is Luxembourg, which has been officially bi- or trilingual since its creation in the first half of the nineteenth century, though there has recently been a shift towards a stronger perception of itself as monolingual. Then Spain has moved in the opposite direction: from the monolingualism of General Franco's dictatorship to an awareness of itself as a multilingual state. The chapter also focuses on the language situation in Catalonia and the Basque Country. It analyses the education systems of these states or regions, and argue that Luxembourg and Catalonia have more in common in this respect than the Basque Country. The chapter discusses of the main features distinguishing fixed and flexible multilingual school systems.
