Multilingualism & Multilingual Education in Friesland / Fryslân

Alex RIEMERSMAWorkshop 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

Today

Fryslân in history

Characteristics of Frisian

Tsiis Cheese Kaas Käse

Tsjerke Church Kerk Kirche

Kaai Key Sleutel Schlüssel

twa skiep two sheep twee schapen zwei Schäfe

Ik haw west / I have been

Ik ben geweest / Ich bin gewesen

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2000

Fries Nederlands

Frisian as First Language

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 in English

Start in 1997-1998 7 project schools 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 weekFrisian 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 Centreat Fryske Akademy

1987-2006: EU fundedDocumentation & Information Centre

2 Partners: Media: Aberystwyth & Legislation: Barcelona

2007-2008: transition to Documentation and ResearchFunded by province of Fryslân and municipality of Ljouwert/Leeuwarden

Mercator Network 2009-2011: EU funded

Mercator Ljouwert “lead partner” Aberystwyth – University of Wales Barcelona – Ciemen Boedapest – Hungarian Academy of

Sciences Eskilstuna (Sweden) – Mälardalen University

Mercator Research Centreat Fryske Akademy

Scientific research & data collection

Information centre & platform function

Data base of experts

Newsletter & website

Network of Schools

Q & A service

Regional Dossiers

40 language descriptions

Author = local expert

Update every 5-7 years

Online available

Regional Dossiers

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

Foto fan bern

Leafst bern yn de klasse

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Tankewol

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