Trilingual Education in Friesland: a cool example of multilingualism

Alex M.J. Riemersma Lector Frisian & Multilingualism in Education

Meppel (International week) 25 April, 2012

Frisian is spoken in one province (of 12) of the Netherlands: Fryslân

Frisian in Fryslân (Netherlands)

• Autochthonous minority language• Western Germanic language• Fryslân has 640,000 inhabitants • 55% has Frisian as mother tongue (= 350.000 speakers)

• BUT: Frisian is successful as second language:• 65% can read Frisian; • 74% can speak Frisian; • 94% comprehends Frisian.

Languages across the North Sea

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Dia mei taartdiagram ferhâldingen

Characteristics of Frisian

· Frysk English Dutch German· Tsiis Cheese Kaas Käse· Tsjerke Church Kerk Kirche· Kaai Key Sleutel Schlüssel

· twa skiep two sheep twee schapen zwei Schafe

· Ik haw west / I have been

Ik ben geweest / Ich bin gewesen

6

Old theory / ferâldere ideeën

7

New theory / nij ynsjoch

Ice berg by Jim Cummins

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en opvoeding

Why multilingual education?• Mother tongue development• Cultural heritage maintenance• Cognitive developments• Social participation• Easier third language acquisition• Language maintenance

European Policies

• EU (27 member states / 23 languages): mother tongue + 2 other languages

• Multilingualism as an asset • Mother tongue / father tongue• Linguistic Diversity • Life Long Learning Program >

Erasmus for All = E4A

European Policies

• Council of Europe (47 member states):Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

• Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (to protect & to promote)

• Centre for Modern Languages (Graz): access and quality of language teaching

Mercator Network of Schools

• 94 schools

• 33 Regions

• 18 member states

Terminology

• Transitional bilingualism• Subtractive bilingualism

• Sustainable bi - / multilingualism / full bilingualism, biliteracy

• Additive bi- / multilingualism

Models of multilingual education

• One person / one language > identification with ‘native speaker’

• Split of time > language rich input • Division of subjects > task specific &

Content & language integrated learning• Immersion

Immersion versus CLIL• Immersion:• from (pre-)school onwards• more than 50% teaching time• native speakers as teachers• CLIL:• Mainly in secondary education• Less than 50% of teaching time• Non-native speakers as teachers

Actors for multilingual education

• Educational authorities (national, regional, local school board)

• School principals & management• Class room teachers• Parents & students• Social and cultural environemnt

Actors at Macro + Meso level• Macro (national and international):

conflicting policies • National: stress on national language only

– discouraging regional and migrant languages• International: EU-/ CoE-policy: mother tongue + 2• Meso (school level): reflects conflicting policies• Concept of Multilingual Education (ME) fits better

to EU- & CoE-policy CLIL & Immersion

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Micro (school & class room)• Teamwork of teachers of subjects and medium of

instruction > integral approach• Common descriptors of language command in the

target languages > CEFR • Comparable testing methods > student

monitoring system• Learning strategies of pupils based on

translanguaging and language use

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Multilingual Primary Education in Friesland

• Main stream primary education (500 schools): Limited multilingual education: mainly Dutch + English as a subject; very limited use of Frisian as a medium (orally – schooltelevision )

• Trilingual primary education (about 45 schools): - Dutch, Frisian and English as subject and medium - aiming at integrated language learning

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Trilingual education in Fryslân

· Model: Frisian, Dutch and English as subject & medium of instruction- Grade 1-6: 50 % Frisian, 50 % Dutch- Grade 7-8: 40 % Frisian, 40 % Dutch, 20% English

· Early start English

· Conciously separated use of languages: person / time / themes

Trilingual education in Fryslân

• Developments:(a) 2012 > 50 primary trilingual schools (= 10%) (b) 100 schools: semi-multilingual education: mainly Dutch + English as a subject; Frisian medium for (half) school day

Continuity to secondary education:2012: 3 pilot schools with the concept of multilingual clil (= medium of instruction)

Multilingual Secondary Education in Friesland

• Main stream Secondary education: - Dutch dominant- English and Frisian as a subject only- Limited use of Frisian as medium in oral use only

• Experiments in progress:• 3 TTO-schools: Dutch and English medium and Frisian as

a subject only• 3 ME-schools: Dutch, English and Frisian both as a

subject and a medium

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Multilingual Higher Education

• Trilingual stream at PABO Ljouwert• Minor Multilingualism (30 ects)• Master Multilingualism (60 ects)• Lectureship > research and quality on

continuity of teaching & learning

Synergy of multilingual education?

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en Opvoeding

Problem 1: in theory, pupils are expected to acquire more languages simultaneously in context of the CUP-model / ice mountain (Cummins), but in school practice the watershed is persistent.

Problem 2: comparability of different target languages with regard to levels of command and the measurement.

Task/ambition of lector• Continuity of ME from primary to secondary

education; adequate teacher training• Two targets:

Didactic approach for teacher training:- effective & integrated learning- aiming at results

• Development of measurement tool for comparable results of language command;Reference levels: CEFR, DFR and Anglia

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

CEFR & Anglia

Comparative levels

Levels DFR & CEFR, Anglia & Frisia

DFR   1F 2F 3F 4F

 

 

CEFR A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

Anglia   Junior Intermediate      

Frisia Start Stap 1 Stap 2 Stap 3    

Conclusion• Comparability of achievable levels of language

command is related to:(a) the mother tongue of the student(b) complexity of target language(c) language rich input / quality of education

• Registration of progress of language command:(a) language portfolio of student(b) student monitoring system (c) language portfolio of teacher & school (d) class / school monitoring system

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

•

30

• Eskerrik asko

• Mange Takk

• Diolch

Tankewol

• Trugarez

• Grazia

• Graciis

• Dankscheen

• Mercé plan

• Kiitos

• Köszönöm

• Multimesc

Thank you

• Hvala

• Dankuwel

TankewolTankewol