Multilingualism for all: How to implement European

Language Policy Developments through Universities and Teacher Training

Alex RIEMERSMALjouwert / Leeuwarden, November 18, 2010

Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and

Language Learning

www.mercator-research.eu

Overview of presentation

Scope of European Language Policies

Research Agenda:

- “mother tongue”

- Language Vitality

- Language Programmes

- Teacher Training

Linguistic Diversity

Globe: 6,000 languages

Council of Europe (47 member states):6 working languageshundreds of languages

European Union (27 member states):23 official languages> 60 RMLs

EU Language Policy

EU shall respect … linguistic diversity

Mother tongue + 2

Linguistic diversity: all languages are equal and equally treated

European Charter RMLs entry exam for new EU member states (2004)

Doctrine of “subsidiarity”

Unesco Language Vitality Index

Language Vitality factors (6)

Intergenerational transmission

Absolute number of speakers

Proportion of speakers within total population

Trends in existing domains

Response to new domains & media

Marerials for Education and Literacy

Language Vitality factors (3)

Governmental and Institutional Language Attitudes & Politics

Community Member’s Attitudes towards their own languages

Documentation (& corpus planning)

Language Vitality (additional)

Attractiveness for second language acquisition

Holistic approach regarding Language Programmes, including: - language learning

- teaching materials

- language nests

Relative Position Frisian

Unesco Language Vitality scale (2003): unsafe, but not threatened by extinction

Euromosaïc (1996): nr. 14 out of 48

Intergenerational language transmission - decline of 10% per generation

Language policy: - attitude & use

Domains of Frisian language use Strong oral language, weak in writing Strong community language Media:

radio full day service; tv 2 hours per day (with re-run)

Culture: amateur theatre & choir singing Social & economic life:

strong oral (= informal) use

Legal position Frisian No mention in Netherlands’ constitution

Covenant Frisiqan Language and Culture (2001-2010) between Dutch governement and province of Fryslân

Announcement of Frisian Language Act: “equal footing” of Dutch & Frisian

Research Agenda

Mother tongue > father tongue; language of birth

Mother tongue + 2 other languages >>> 2 first tongues + 2 other languages

Media >>> Social media

Literacy

Visibility + linguistic landscape

Application of instruments

Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML)

Implementation of Charter

Programmatic versus static approach: - key words “to protect & to promote”

Development of Minimum Standards

Application of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

Minimum Standards Education

Report Minimum Standards in Education of & in RMLs (2007)

Analysis & Recommendations:- Educational goals- Teaching time (subject & medium) - Teaching materials- Teacher training- Inspectorate

Teacher Training

Subject & medium

Continuity from pre-school to primary &from primary to secondary schooling

Schools as centres of excellence

Master on Multilingualism and multilingual education

Research themes

Research into school- and teacher characteristics

Monitoring longitudinal language proficiency in all three target languages:

in accordance with the 6 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

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