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Europe’s Multilingualism Agenda:

Educational Quality, Globalization, and Linguistic

JusticeWorkshop on the European, International, Intercultural and Pluri-Linguistic Component of Quality in Education: A “Generational” Right to Education

University of TrentoSeptember 2015

Rosemary SalomoneSt. John’s University School of Law (USA)

“The Home Language As a Resource And Not As a Deficit” in the Knowledge

Economy

Maintaining the quality of the education program

Responding to the demands of globalization, including the rise of English as the world lingua franca 

Assuring a just and equitable education for the least advantaged

Schooling and Language

Mission of state-run schools

Communicative and symbolic aspects of language

“Super diversity” in Europe

Language and identity European National Minority language speakers

Linguistic Landscape of European Union

24 official languages among 28 member states

60 regional or minority languages with approximately 46 million speakers

More than 175 migrant languages

Roots of Europe’s Language Problems

Pervasive fears over immigration’s effects on national identity European Union calls to establish an integrated European

identity Regional demands for linguistic and cultural recognition Lingering effects of colonialism Historical shifts in national boundaries in the aftermath of war Rise in non-western languages, like Arabic and Turkish Demands of globalization Massive influx of refugees and asylum seekers from the

Middle East and Africa

Dominant Forces on European Language

Policies

Rhetoric of repeated calls from EU institutions promoting multilingualism (“mother tongue plus two”)

Reality of English fast becoming the common language of world communication

Wavering EU Discourse on Multilingualism

Cultural-political objectives promoting intercultural understanding for European integration

Economic objectives fostering opportunity and job mobility to meet the demands of the global economy

Related Questions on Consequences

1. Marginalized Stakeholders

Regional language speakers

Students from immigrant families

Newly arrived refugee children

Economically disadvantaged students

2. Educational Opportunity and Language Rights

EU’s Multilingualism Agenda

1992: Maastricht Treaty

1995: Commission White Paper on Teaching and Learning

2004: Commission Action Plan

2005: Commission’s first Communication on Multilingualism

2005: Commission forms High Level Group on Multilingualism

2007: High Level Group Final Report

2008: Commission Communication on Multilingualism: An Asset for Europe and a Shared Commitment

2009: European Charter of Fundamental Rights incorporated into Lisbon Treaty

2009: Commission convenes Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism

2012: Commission “Working Document” on Language Competencies

2012 European Commission “Working

Document”

Proposed that by 2020:

At least 50 % of 15 year-olds should attain the level of “independent user” of a second language.

At least 75 % of lower secondary school students should study at least a third language.

EU Commission 2012 Survey on Adult Multilingualism

54 % - could hold a conversation in at least one additional language

English - most commonly spoken foreign language (38 %)

67 % - English as one of two most important languages to learn

98 % - mastering other foreign languages useful for children’s future

EUROPEAN COMM’N, EUROPEANS AND THEIR LANGUAGES, SPECIAL EUROBAROMETER REPORT 5-7 (2012)

European ParliamentSupport for Minority

Languages

2005 Draft Report: Called on Commission to issue a “clear statement” on the “role of languages within the multilingualism proposals”

2006 Resolution: “Proposals for multilingualism should not be limited to the main official/Member State languages”

2009 Resolution: “Importance of multilingualism” not just for its “economic and social aspects” but also for the “role played by language in shaping and strengthening identity”

2009 Response to Commission: Recognized importance of “classes taught to migrant students in their native languages” as a way of preserving their cultural heritage

Foreign Language Learning

81.7 % of primary school students studying one foreign language (2013)

50.6 % of secondary school students studying two or more foreign languages (2012)

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES: ENGLISH CLEARLY DOMINANT, EUROSTAT NEWS RELEASE, (SEPT. 24, 2015); FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING STATISTICS, EUROSTAT (JUNE 2015)

Country Variations in Programs

Minimum annual teaching time for foreign languages as a compulsory subject

Duration of first foreign language learning

Percentage of students learning two or more foreign languages

Competence in Simple Conversation by End of

Secondary School

54,000 students in 14 countries Overall - 42 % in first foreign language Overall - 25 % in second foreign language France - 14 % in first foreign language United Kingdom - 9 % in first foreign language English - second and sole additional language

for vast majority of studentsEUROPEAN COMM’N, FIRST EUROPEAN SURVEY ON LANGUAGES COMPETENCES (2012)

English Language Learning (2009-2010)

English was the first mandatory second language - 14 EU countries or regions within countries

Over 90 % of lower secondary students (up to 95.6 % in 2013) in EU countries were learning English

English learners self-rated higher than learners of other languages

More than 80 % (except in France) reported English “important for their future education and work”

KEY DATA ON TEACHING LANGUAGES AT SCHOOL IN EUROPE 25 (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, P9 Eurydice and Policy Support 2012); EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES: ENGLISH CLEARLY DOMINANT, EUROSTAT NEWS RELEASE (Sept. 24, 2015)

Compulsory English Classes

Primary grades – 8 European countries or regions, including Denmark, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands

Secondary grades – 7 European countries or regions, including Denmark, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands

LANGUAGE RICH EUROPE 41, 51 tbls. 14 & 27 (Guus Extra & Kutlay Yagmur eds., 2012)

English is Not EnoughLanguages for Jobs

(2011)

“In large parts of Europe and beyond, English is already considered more as a basic skill than a foreign language. Speaking like a native speaker is becoming less relevant as English becomes a component of basic education in many countries. Against this background, the need to maintain the advantage by moving beyond English will be felt more acutely.” THEMATIC WORKING GRP., LANGUAGES FOR JOBS: PROVIDING MULTILINGUAL COMMUNICATION FOR THE LABOR MARKET 15

Shift in Education Discourse

Accountability, productivity, and competition Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) “The ongoing economic crisis has only

increased the urgency of investing in the acquisition and development of citizens skills – both through the education system and in the workplace.”

OECD, PISA 2012 RESULTS: WHAT STUDENTS KNOW AND CAN DO 3 (2014)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION WARNING

2012 EU Commission “Communication” – learning outcomes, assessment, and competitiveness

Attached “Working Document” – additional language for “mobility and employability”

Warning – potential inequities

Leveling the playing field

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Rethinking Education: Investing in Skills for Better Socio-Economic Outcomes, COM (2012) 669 final (Nov. 20, 2012)

Multiple Challenges

Academically talented vs. average student

Immigrant students Heritage language speakers Regional language speakers Refugee children Language, identity, and social capital

Guidance on English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents

U. S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice (January 2015)

English Learner Tool Kit for State and Local Education Agencies

U.S. Department of Education (September 2015)

Identifying English learners Delivering quality core and extra-curricular programs Evaluating the effectiveness of programs Preventing unnecessary segregation Providing qualified staff Assuring access for students with disabilities Exiting students from programs at the appropriate time Monitoring student progress Providing support for limited English-proficient parentshttp://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-el-201501.pdf; http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/english-learner-toolkit/index.html

Different Solutions?U.S. vs. Europe

U.S. – two languages (English plus home language)

Europe – three languages (national language, home language, and English)

Different Solution – weight afforded each language and timing for introduction

Variations Among Students

Proficiency in the language of the receiving country

Literacy in the native language

Proficiency in English

Years of prior schooling in the home country

Age upon entering school in the receiving country

Possible Weight and Timing of Languages for Some

Students in EU

Initial immersion in the language of schooling

Gradual introduction to English

Literacy in the home or “heritage language” in secondary grades

Overarching Concept

The Home Language As a Resource And Not

As a Deficit