Transcript Dia 1 - Mercator Research

Multilingualism for all:
How to implement European
Language Policy Developments
through Universities and Teacher Training
Alex RIEMERSMA
Ljouwert / 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 languages
hundreds 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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