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
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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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