Frisian in Friesland (Netherlands): a ‘cool’ example of multilingualism Alex M.J. Riemersma Lector Frisian & Multilingualism in Education Donostia (BAC, Spain), 24 October, 2012
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Transcript Frisian in Friesland (Netherlands): a ‘cool’ example of multilingualism Alex M.J. Riemersma Lector Frisian & Multilingualism in Education Donostia (BAC, Spain), 24 October, 2012
Frisian in Friesland (Netherlands):
a ‘cool’ example of multilingualism
Alex M.J. Riemersma
Lector Frisian & Multilingualism in Education
Donostia (BAC, Spain), 24 October, 2012
Frisian is spoken
in one province (of 12)
of the Netherlands:
Fryslân
Languages across the North Sea
Dia mei taartdiagram ferhâldingen
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma
Characteristics of Frisian
Frysk
Tsiis
Tsjerke
Kaai
English
Cheese
Church
Key
Dutch
Kaas
Kerk
Sleutel
twa skiep
two sheep
twee schapen zwei Schafe
Ik haw west / I have been
Ik ben geweest / Ich bin gewesen
German
Käse
Kirche
Schlüssel
Frysk in Fryslân (Netherlands)
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Autochthonous minority language
Western Germanic language
Fryslân has 640,000 inhabitants
55% has Frisian as mother tongue (= 350.000 speakers)
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BUT: Frisian is successful as second language:
65% can read Frisian;
74% can speak Frisian;
94% comprehends Frisian.
Frisian Language Command
100
94
74
75
65
50
25
0
17
understand
speak
read
write
Evolution of Frisian
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First mentioned in 12 BC by Tacitus
802: Lex Frisionum by Charlemagne
12th – 15th centuries: legal texts
16th - 19th centuries: neglected as
farmer’s language
• 20th century: steady development from
dialect-status to recognised language
Evolution of Frisian
• First literature in Renaissance:
Gysbert Japicx (1603-1666)
• Revival in Romantic period:
19th centuries: folk tales & songs, and
‘cabaret’: oral culture
• 20th century: steady spread in all
domains of cultural and social life
Status of Frisian
• Unique minority language, strong in oral
use in homogeneous linguistic area
• No recognition in Dutch Constitution
• Language Bill (2012) not yet enacted,
but Covenant (1989; 1993; 2001)
• Recognised in the European Charter –
part III + 48 undertakings (1996)
• National Minority in the FCNM (2005)
Language Planning
• Status Planning: steady process of
recognition & legislation in 20th century
• Corpus Planning:
1879-1980: Standardisation process on
orthography & grammar
• Various Dictionaries Frisian-Dutch;
also: Frisian-English
2008: Frisian-Frisian
• ? : Google Translate
Fryske Akademy
Language Planning
• Frisian in Education:
1907: permitted extra curriculum
1937: permitted for reading
1955: permitted as medium of instruction
1980: obligatory school subject in p.e.
1993: obligatory school subject in s.e.
1989: first Frisian medium pre-schools
• Strengthening of language will (attitude) by
cultural affairs, media and key - icons
Etnicity & Language Attitude
• 76% of Frisian mother tongue speakers
consider themselves firstly “Frisians”
– 22% “Dutch”
• 54% of non-Frisian speakers consider
themselves firstly “Frisians”
- 20% “Dutch” / - 27% as “non-Frisian”
• “Frisian language and culture belongs to
our common heritage.”
Language Attitude
• 84% of all inhabitants is in favour of
language maintenance (and use of its own
language) in the united Europe
• However, nobody is mono-lingual
• No: either – or
• But: and – and > personal plurilingualism
and multilingual society
Old theory / ferâldere ideeën
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Frisian Language Birth - Bag
Language bag
for new borns
–
Aim to
strengthen the
awareness for
conscious
(multilingual)
upbringing
Parents’ “informed choice”
MELT - EU funded project (2009 - 2011)
Brochure for parents & Guide for
pre-school practitioners (0- 4 years)
Brochure aiming at
“informed choice”
in eight languages :
• Frisian-Dutch
• Welsh-English
• Swedish-Finnish
• Breton-French
• Translations planned into: German,
Niederdeutsch, Corsican, Bildtsk.
MELT Guide for pre-school practitioners
Tomke
Dewin
Telling story's with concrete
materials
Goals of those activities:
• Identification
• Methodology of story telling
• Immersion
• Interaction
• Increase vocabulary
Playing games
Frisian in pre-school and
Primary Education
• Pre-school provisions:
100 (out of 350): Frisian medium or
bilingual Dutch-Frisian
• Primary school: Obligatory subject
100 schools (out of 450) use Frisian as
a medium for one day or half day
45 schools (= 10%) trilingual model
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 bilingual schools: Dutch and English medium and
Frisian as a subject only
• 3 trilingual schools: Dutch, English and Frisian both as a
subject and a medium
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma
Multilingual Higher Education
in Friesland
• Trilingual stream at Teacher Training
(for primary schooling) in Ljouwert
• Minor Multilingualism (30 ects)
• Master Multilingualism (60 ects)
• Lectureship > research and quality on
continuity of teaching & learning
•
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)
School Language Policies
• Clear goals and Continuity
• Integration (“buidling bridges between”)
of subjects & languages
• Well-thought model aiming at (Fishman):
“multilingual / multi-literate”
• Investment in time, materials, schooling
and parents’ & students’ support
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
Frisian in other domains
• Public authorities: oral use mainly
• Media: radio full day; tv 2 hrs + re run
• Theater: 1 professional company;
100 amateur theater groups
• Literature and childrens’ literature
• Music: all genres, choires, cd’s
Europe and Fryslân
• Fitting in EU policy towards:
- linguistic diversity
- mother tongue + 2 more languages
• Frisian as a good example in Europe:
- multilingualism of the individual citizen
and of the society
• Pupils feel at ease:
at home, at school, in society, in Europe
Mercator Network of Schools
• 94
schools
• 33
Regions
• 18
member
states
Frisian Culture to Europe
• 2001 European Year of Languages
> Frisian poem “Bitterswiet” translated into
82 languages; permanent attention at the
radio broadcasting of Omrop Fryslân
• 1990 Frisian Song Contest “Liet”
> From 2002: Liet International for
European regional & minority languages:
Ljouwert – Östersund – Luleå – L‘orient –
Chichon
European Partnerships
• Mercator European Network: 5 partners:
Abrysthwyth, Barcelona, Budapest,
Ljouwert, Stockholm
• Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity:
11 regional authorities:
BAC, Navarra, Brittany, Catalunya,
Corsica, Estonia, Swedish Finland,
Fryslân, Galicia, Ireland, Wales.
+ 19 NGO’s
Cultural Capital of Europe
• Dankuwel
• Köszönöm
• Dankscheen
Tankewol
Tankewol
• Eskerrik asko
• Mercé plan
• Graciis
• Kiitos
• Multimesc
• Hvala
• Trugarez
• Mange Takk
• Diolch
Tankewol
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