Children of migrants, uncertain actors in new pedagogical scenographies

Abstract

This article examines the difficulties of learning French as a second language for migrant children in France. The notion of learning scenographies is discussed, based on observations from various fields around the world. The appropriation of the French classroom space by pupils integrating the UPE2A (Unités pédagogiques pour élèves allophones nouvellement arrivés) is then investigated. The host educational establishment, in its very organization, its logic for implementing learning, may constitute one of the little-considered sources of obstacles. Finally, this article highlights the role of the social environment, teacher mobility and differentiated treatment of learning in the success of migrant pupils.