Multilingualism & Multilingual Education in Friesland / Fryslân Alex RIEMERSMA Workshop Minority Languages and Multilingual Education European Centre for Modern Languages ECML Graz, Austria / Österreich, February 16, 2011 Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning

www.mercator-research.eu

Early Middle ages Late Middle ages

Fryslân in history

Today

Characteristics of Frisian

   Tsiis Tsjerke Kaai Cheese Church Key  twa skiep two sheep Kaas Kerk Sleutel twee schapen zwei Schäfe  Ik haw west / I have been Ik ben geweest / Ich bin gewesen Käse Kirche Schlüssel

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



640.00 inhabitants province of Fryslân:

   

94 % Understanding 74 % Speaking 65 % Reading 26 % Writing



54 % Frisian Mother tongue (350.000)

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 Frisian Language and Culture (2001-2010) between Dutch governement and province of Fryslân  Announcement of Frisian Language Act: “equal footing” of Dutch & Frisian

International recognition

 European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (ratified 1998) Frisian in part III: 48 undertakings

- education - judiciary - public authorities & services - media - cultural affairs - social life

 Framework Convention for National Minorities (ratified 2005) Frisians = ethnic minority

Implementation of Charter

 Programmatic versus static approach: key word “to protect & to promote”   Minimum Standards Application of the Common European   Framework of Reference (CEFR) Teaching time Teacher qualifications

Implementation of Charter Education  Teacher’s qualifications: - language proficiency  - didactic skills Inspectorate:  - assessment & evaluation of core goals Further comparative analysis: - media & cultural provisions

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

CEFR – further developments

 European Language Portfolio =  Documentation on individual level Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR):   - to apply to RMLs (L1, L2) Attainment target in terms of CEFR Result: common minimum standards

Frisian in education

 Pre-school (age 0- 4 year) (started 1989); now: 100 (out of 300)  Frisian medium / bilingual provisions Secondary education: 1948: optional subject 1970: optional exam subject 1993: obligatory subject in lower grades

Frisian in primary education

    1937: Optional subject 1980: Obligatory subject 1955: Optional medium of instruction 1985: Attainment targets similar to  Dutch 1986: English obligatory subject

Frisian in school practice

 At most schools Frisian as a

subject:

- only for 1 hour per week  - continuity in all classes Use of Frisian as

medium of instruction: -

mainly oral use development towards “Frisian (half)day  Concept of trilingual school: Dutch, English and Frisian both as

subject

and language of

instruction

Trilingual Schooling in Fryslân

 Language proficiency in three target languages: Dutch, Frisian, English   Research related to CEFR Challenges for the future: - bridging pre-school – primary - bridging primary – secondary school - teacher training

Project ‘Trijetalige Skoalle’

 Goal:

full bilingualism & biliteracy

as regards Frisian and Dutch and

basic

   

communicative competence

Start in 1997-1998 7 project schools in English Research results: 1997 – 2005 Ongoing research at Fryske Akademy

Trilingual education in Fryslân



Model used (with flexibility):

- 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



Concious and strictly separated use of languages: person / time / themes



Interactive language education

Trilingual education in Fryslân



Expected (& proved) 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

Research design

   7 project schools, > 90 pupils 10 control schools, >130 pupils Achievement tests Frisian, Dutch and  English Mother tongue taken into account in analyses

Research in grade 7 and 8

   Frisian  decoding, reading comprehension, spelling  language attitude Frisian (grade 8) Dutch  decoding, reading comprehension, spelling English  listening, reading comprehension, vocabulary  selfconfidence using English (grade 8)

Developments - 1

 More attention for implementation   English as language of instruction Introduction of Early English Introduction

native speakers

of English   as class room assistants Official Anglia-test for English Parallel test for Frisian

Developments - 2

 Network of Trilingual Primary Schools: - 2010: 40 participating schools - 2012: aiming at 50 schools = 10% of all primary schools in Fryslân  - 2020: aiming at 100 schools Certification of quality (periodical assessment)

Challenges

    Continuity of teaching and learning Bridging pre-school to primary Bridging primary to secondary school Quality of teacher’s: language  command, didactic behaviour and tools ICT methods

Bridging pre-school to primary

  Day care centres: age 0 – 4 years; full time Pjutteboartersplakken: age 2,5 – 4 / two half days per week   Certification of quality Training of practitioners

Bridging primary to secondary

 Project on trilingual secondary school: age 12 – 16 years  Actual situation: Frisian as a compulsory

subject

only in grade 1 / one lesson per week  Frisian as optional exam subject Development: English and Frisian as

medium of instruction

Teacher Training

 General training for primary school:  2 EC for English; 3 EC for Frisian Training for secondary school is

subject

 oriented Challenges: language command  language use as

medium of instruction

2011: Introduction Trilingual stream at teacher training

Mercator Research Centre at Fryske Akademy   2 Partners:

Media

: Aberystwyth &

Legislation

: Barcelona  1987-2006: EU funded Documentation & Information Centre 2007-2008: transition to Documentation and Research Funded by province of Fryslân and municipality of Ljouwert/Leeuwarden

Mercator Network

 2009-2011: EU funded      Mercator Ljouwert “ lead partner ” Aberystwyth – Barcelona – University of Wales Ciemen Boedapest – Hungarian Academy of Sciences Eskilstuna (Sweden) – M ä lardalen University

Mercator Research Centre at Fryske Akademy

       Scientific research & data collection Information centre & platform function Data base of experts Newsletter & website Network of Schools Q & A service Regional Dossiers

Regional Dossiers

    40 language descriptions Author = local expert Update every 5-7 years Online available

Research themes

 Minimum Standards of RML education  Added value of multilingualism  Trilingual Schooling

Report on Minimum Standards on Education in RMLs (2007)  On request of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE) of the Council of Europe  Recommendations to the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe

Themes of analysis

      Educational goals & models Time spent Teaching materials Teacher training Inspectorate Legal position

Member States & Languages         Austria: Slovenian, Croatian Germany: Sorbian Netherlands: Frisian Slovakia: Hungarian Slovenia: Italian Spain: Catalan Sweden: Sami United Kingdom: Welsh

Added Value of Multilingualism  Cooperation with the Ministry of Eduation of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC)   Focus on secondary school Focus on English as a third language

Trilingual primary schooling

 Inventory study on provisions of  trilingual primary education 10 case studies, a.o.: - Basque Country; Catalunya; - Finland (Vaasa); Italy (Ladin); - Luxembourg; - North-Frisia (Germany); - Frisian (the Netherlands):

Trilingual education in Fryslân



Model used (with flexibility):

- 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



Concious and strictly separated use of languages: person / time / themes



Interactive language education

    

Mercator Network of Schools

> 90 members > 30 language communities 15 EU member states News bulletins Website:

- teaching materials - projects

Kaart fan NOS

Partner in European Projects

 NPLD: Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (regional authorities)  MELT: Multilingual Early Language Transmission (= pre-school sector)  EUNoM: European Network of Universitites on Multilingualism   Language Rich Europe Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism

Intended

Network of Teacher Training Institutes   Aiming at: Strenghtening relationship between teacher training and primary /  secondfary education Teacher’s competences in  multilingualism Didactic methods

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