Languages of origin and education in Europe: A systematic review

European education policies have tended to cultivate linguistic hegemony and preserve cultural uniformity, which has made it difficult for schools to support different cultural backgrounds. This has contributed to the promotion of artificial monolingual interactions that reinforce linguistic decapitalisation processes. The aim of the review on which this article reports was to investigate the treatment and education of languages of origin in Europe. We present findings from a systematic review of scientific articles published during the period 2010–2020. The main findings indicate that language and nationality are equated in European discourses and that public policies are promoted accordingly. These articulations draw on models that alternate between assimilationism and multiculturalism. Both assimilationist and multiculturalist approaches are detrimental to the supposed objective: that of promoting multilingualism. Thus, it is urgent that a consensus be reached, and certain public policies and educational practices promoted which are respectful of linguistic diversity, since the future social cohesion of our multicultural societies depends on this.