Transcript Dia 1 - KNAW

The Mercator Research Centre,
Research and Activities
Cor van der Meer
Mercator European Research Centre on
Multilingualism and Language Learning
Fryske Akademy
Overview
• Fryslân
• Language & education
• Mercator European Research Centre on
Multilingualism and Language Learning
• Research
Fryslân in history
Early
Middle ages
Today
Late
Middle ages
Well-known outside Fryslân
Frisian as First Language
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2000
Fries
Nederlands
Frisian Language Command
• 54 % Mother tongue
• 94 % Understanding
• 74 % Speaking
• 65 % Reading
• 26 % Writing
Trilingual education in Fryslân (1)
• Model used:
- Group 1-6: 50 % Frisian, 50 % Dutch
- Group 7-8: 40 % Frisian, 40 % Dutch, 20% English
• Systematic use of Frisian, Dutch and English as
a medium of instruction.
• Interactive language education
Trilingual education in Fryslân (2)
• Results:
- Good quality of Frisian
- Results of Dutch at the same level at the end of
grade 8 as all other pupils in the Netherlands
- Results for English slightly better, but not
significantly
- Self consciousness in English better, but not
significantly
Mercator Research Centre
1987-2006:
• Documentation and Information Centre.
• Funded by the European Union.
2007-2008: transition into:
• Information and Research Centre.
• Funded by the Province of Fryslân and the
municipality of Ljouwert/Leeuwarden.
Fryske Akademy
Mercator Research Centre
Objectives
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Scientific research
Information centre
Platform function
Goals: creation, dissemination and
application of knowledge
• Education
Mercator’s activities
• Research
• Publications & databases
• Network of Schools
• Network of Teacher Trainings Institutes
• Conferences & seminars
• Q&A service
Publications
• Research reports
• Articles
• Newsletters
• Regional dossiers series
- 40 language descriptions
- Update every 5-7 years
- Online available
Structured content
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1
Introduction
2
Pre-school education
3
Primary education
4
Secondary education
5
Vocational education
6
Higher education
7
Adult education
8
Educational research
9
Prospects
10
Summary of statistics
Education System in ….
References and further reading
Useful addresses
Publications
• Development of Minimum Standards for
language education
• Use of the CEFR and ELP in education
• Comparative studies
• Study on the devolvement of legislative
power to regional authorities
• Trilingual Education in Europe (due 2010)
www.networkofschools.eu
Network of Schools
• > 90 members
• > 30 language communities
• 15 EU member states
• News bulletins
• Website:
- teaching materials
- projects
• Mercator Research Centre - “lead partner”
4 Partner institutes:
• Aberystwyth – University of Wales
• Barcelona – Ciemen
• Budapest – Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• Eskilstuna (Zweden) – Mälardalen University
Conferences in 2010
• 18-20 May: Mercator Network conference: “Media
Convergence and Linguistic Diversity: How can the
creative industries contribute to language vitality in
a multiplatform environment?”, Aberystwyth
• 3-4 June: “Added Value of Multilingualism and
Multilingual Education”, Ljouwert, organised in
cooperation with the Basque Ministry of Education.
• 18-19 November: conference of European
Universities Network on Multilingualism (EUNoM),
Ljouwert.
Fields of research
• Added value of multilingualism and
multilingual education
• Informal learning and promotion of
reading in families & households.
• Effectiveness of educational policy in
Fryslân (‘Boppeslach’)
• Language acquisition
Added Value of Multilingualism and
multilingual education
A comparative study of the Basque
Autonomous Community and Fryslân
University of the Basque Country / Ikerbasque, Donostia
Mercator Research Centre / Fryske Akademy, Ljouwert
Objectives
Aims:
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Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a
resource for the individual and societý
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Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a
resource at school
(Planned) steps:
1) in-depth comparison of the Basque Country and
Fryslân
2) Try to apply a model of use and non-use values.
3) Investigate interaction between different languages
in the curriculum and language learning strategies.
2008-2010 (1)
Data collection secondary school pupils (3rd/4th year):
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Reports on school-visits
Questionnaires
Written essays in three languages
Classroom observations
Interviews with teachers
Photographs of the linguistic landscape in the schools
2008-2010 (2)
Step 1: monograph: ‘Languages and language education in
Fryslân’ + comparative report on ‘Frisian and Basque
multilingual education: A comparison of the province of
Fryslân and the Basque Autonomous Community’
Step 2: short report about advantages / disadvantages of
multilingualism
Step 3: (in progress) report with outcomes of
questionnaires, cross linguistic influences in written
essays, classroom observations and linguistic landscape
2010-2011
Verify hypothesis with focus on English (dual approach):
1) Qualitative part: ´Ethnography of language in education´
by means of classroom observations, focus group
discussions with students, in-depth interviews with
English teachers and directors, out-of-school use and
experience with English, (digital) literacy practices
2) Quantitative part: testing and language use
questionnaires. Dependent variables related to
competence in and use of English
Informal learning and promotion of reading in families & households
More languages, more opportunities
PhD study of Nienke Boomstra
A
N
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Papiamentu
– Dutch language
k
development
project
e
B
o
o
m
s
t
r
Implementation
• Training language coaches
• Recruitment of participants by language
coaches
- target group: Antillean children between 20 and
30 months at the start of the project, and their
primary caretakers (mostly mothers)
• Duration of two years
- Every two weeks home visits, every two weeks
group gatherings
Tomke in ‘More languages,
more opportunities’
• In co-operation with Afûk
- 12 books (in Papiamentu and Dutch)
- Web page
- Finger puppets, games
Language coaches teach
parents how to use the
materials during home visits.
Research questions
• Will the infliction of this project promote
the bilingual development in Papiamentu
and Dutch?
• Will it promote a better socio-emotional
development in Antillean toddlers?
• Will it promote a more positive interaction
between mother and child?
Child language acquisition and
code-switching - 1
PhD study of Mirjam van der Meij
• Topic: childhood acquisition of two languages
and organisation of two languages in the brain
• Languages: Frisian as L1 and Dutch as L2,
possibly English as L3
• Approach: psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic
• Subjects: Frisian primary school pupils
• Goal: to gain insight in the language acquisition
process of Frisian primary school pupils
Child language acquisition and
code-switching - 2
• Main question: how are Frisian and Dutch
organised in the brain of a Frisian
bilingual?
• Sub-questions:
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How is this expressed in the speech production?
How is the mental lexicon organised?
Which forms of interference do arise?
Are some words code-switched faster than
others?
Effectiveness of Language Policy
Project co-ordinator Dr. E. Klinkenberg, Department of Social Sciences
Study in 2004:
– Pupils behind in maths and language
– Didactic skills
– Care for pupils
– Amount of time available
– Frisian no factor
Policy of Provincial Government
– Improvement quality education
– Language and quality schools
– Yearly tests
– Monitoring by the Fryske Akademy
Research
• Aspects:
– Longitudinal (yearly test moments)
– Multiple levels
• Pupils (test results)
• Class (teacher information)
• School (school leader information)
– 86 participating schools
Communicative skills
PhD. study of M. Jansma MSc, Department of Social Sciences
• Results Trilingual school:
– Dutch: same results
– Frisian: better
– English: better results (ability and confidence to hold
a short story)
• Influence of a bilingual school system on speaking
ability
• Link with personality (confidence)
• Expectation:
– Students at a Trilingual school speak more in English
and with more confidence
Bilingual language development of
the young Frisian child
PhD-study of Jelske Dijkstra, Department of Social Sciences
• Language dominance – language input
• Cross-linguistic interference
Research
• 70-100 toddlers (2,5-4 yrs)
• 22 preschools in Friesland, of which 50%
Frisian-medium or bilingual preschools
• Home language: only Frisian or only Dutch
(parents to child)
• Language outside home/family situation:
mainly Frisian, bilingual, mainly Dutch
(questionnaires)
Research
• Language development Dutch & Frisian
– Vocabulary: passive & active
– Samples of spontaneous speech
– One person – one language
• 3 measuring periods – each period Dutch
and Frisian (6 measurements)
– 2,5 - 3 yrs
– 3 - 3,5 yrs
– 3,5 - 4 yrs
Expectations
• Language input determines language
dominance and language skills
– Input L1 > L2 → L1 dominant
• Cross-linguistic interference from
dominant language to weaker language
www.mercator-research.eu
[email protected]
Diolch
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Rak-Mit
Thank you
Dzãczi
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Hvala
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Ful toank