European Charter ETS 148 Language Learning and Multilingual

European Charter (ETS 148) Language Learning and Multilingual Education Alex Riemersma www. mercator-research. eu Moscow, 25 January 2010

Introduction · Personal introduction · Charter / art. 8 Education · Bilingual and multilingual education: · Theoretical backgrounds · Models, results & developments in Pre-primary, secondary education and teacher training 2

European Charter on RMLs · Charter of the Council of Europe (1998) · Autochthonous Regional and Minority Languages · No dialects; no immigrant languages · Part II: principles and objectives (non-discrimination; state obligations and education rights) 3

European Charter on RMLs · Part III: undertakings in domains art. 8: Education art. 9: Judicial authorities art. 10: Administration & public services art. 11: Media art. 12: Cultural affairs art. 13: Economic & social life art. 14: Transfrontier exchanges 4

Charter for language planning · Charter key words: “to protect & to promote” / “to safeguard & to encourage” · Language planning key words: State: Citizen: Capacity Command Opportunities Use Desire / Plan Will 5

Charter characteristics · Inclusive approach (all domains) · Common responsibility of state and language community · Template or menu-system > tailor made approach · Monitoring system · International comparison & cooperation 6

Monitoring system · Consulting body according art. 7. 4 · Periodical reports by treaty parties · Com. Ex / on-the-spot visits · Bi-annual report Secr. -General to Assembly of Council of Europe · > Recommendations to treaty parties 7

Theoretical Aspects of Bilingual Education · Definitions Mother-tongue & L 2 · Why bilingual / trilingual education? · Models of bilingual / trilingual education · Didactic approaches 8

“Mother tongue” · “Mother tongue” = state language = language of education · L 2 = second language > bilingualism · Foreign languages > multilingualism · Mother tongue & father tongue 9

Old theory 10

New Theory 11

BIC & CALP · Language learning through “contextualized language” input or: Basic Interpersonal Communication · Students need also decontextualised language in classroom discourse: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency 12

Definitions · Bilingual / Trilingual Eduction: two or more languages taught as a subject and used as medium of instruction · Immersion: use of minority (or: lesser used language) as only medium of instruction – the dominant language taught as a subject · Monolingual education: dominant language only > submersion 13

Benefits of bilingual education for the child / student · Right on education in mother-tongue · Pedagogical approach · Cognitive development · Social integration · Cultural participation 14

Various aims & student profiles of bilingual education · Transition (shift) to dominant language > passive knowledge of home language (understanding, reading) · Cultural heritage maintenance > limited command of home language · Language maintenance > full bilingual / biliterate command of state language & home language 15

Various aims & models of bilingual education · Transition (shift) to dominant language > “stepping stone” only in early years · Cultural heritage maintenance > minority language as subject only · Language maintenance / revitalisation > “corner stone” - continuous subject teaching & medium of instruction 16

Teacher competencies for multilingual education · Transitional (shift) model > some language command required · Cultural heritage maintenance > knowledge of home culture desirable · Language maintenance model > full language command (C 2) in target languages required 17

Teacher Training for Language Maintenance · Competences: Language Command at level C 2 (Common European Framework of Reference) in target languages · Theory and school practice of multilingual didactics · Teaching OF and teaching IN · Pre-service and inservice training 18

Basic conditions of bilingual education · Systematic split of time · Systematic split of subjects · One person / one language · NOT: split of classes 19

Well developed examples · Strong Bilingual education: Finland: Swedish immersion Wales: Welsh immersion · Trilingual education (home language, state language & English) Basque country (Spain) Catalonia (Spain) Friesland (Netherlands) 20

Frisian as minority language · Regional cultural language: 350. 000 mother tongue speakers = 55% of population of province · Recognition in the Charter part III: 48 undertakings · Obligatory school subject in primary and lower grades secondary education 21

Model of Trilingual Education · · · Time used: · · grade 1 -6 (age 4 -10): 50% Frisian, 50% Dutch grade 7 -8 (age 10 -12): 40% Frisian, 40% Dutch, & 20% English Systematic use of Frisian, Dutch and English as medium of instruction Interactive language education 22

Results of Trilingual Education · Good quality of Frisian · Results of Dutch at the same level at the end of grade 8 as all other pupils in the Nederlands · Results for English slightly better & self conciousness in English better 23

Developments of Trilingual Education · Growth of bilingual provisions for pre-primary children (age 2 -4) · Growth from 30 to 50 schools in 2012 · Trilingual stream in secondary education (medium for other subjects) · Trilingual stream at teacher training (theory & practice) 24

Common European Standards · Core goals in language command · Time investment · Teaching OF and teaching IN · Continuity of teaching & learning · Teaching materials · Teacher training and qualification · Independant inspectorate 25

CEFR · Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): 5 fields of language command: listening, reading, speaking, conversation, writing 6 levels of language command: (A 1 – A 2 – B 1 - B 2 – C 1 – C 2) · Developed foreign language learning · Applicable for second language learning 26

European Language Portfolio · Document portfolio for the individual student: - assessments - certificates - own experiences 27

Kaart fan NOS 28

Mercator Research Centre · Research on: * Added Value of Multilingualism * Language Command * Application of CEFR · Network of bi- / tri-lingual Schools · Network of Teacher Training Institutes 29

Regional Dossiers • Series > 40 • Update every 5 year • Online available 30

Bibliography · Colin BAKER, Foundations of Bilingual Education and · · Bilingualism (2006) Jasone CENOZ & Fred GENESEE, Beyond Bilingualism (1998) Jim CUMMINS+M. SWAIN, Bilingualism in Education: Aspects of Theory, Research and Practice (1986) François GRIN, Language Policy Evaluation and the Charter for Reg+Min Languages (2003) Ofelia GARCIA, Bilingual education in the 21 st century (2009) 31

• Dankscheen • Bedankt • Köszönöm Spasibo • Mercé plan • Eskerrik asko • Grazia • Graciis • Kiitos • Diolch • Hvala • Trugarez • Tige tank • Thank you • Mange Takk 32