Multilingual Early Language Transmission MELT Project Mercator European

Multilingual Early Language Transmission MELT Project Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning Fryske Akademy dr. Alex Riemersma Aberystwyth, 8 -9 October, 2009

MELT project (2009 -2011) • Grant by European Commission! • • • Research activities Development schemes & materials Seminar & evaluation workshop Local events Closing conference (Brussels, 2011)

MELT project partners • Mercator / Fryske Akademy (Fryslân, Netherlands) • Folkhalsen (Finland) • Welsh Language Board (Wales, UK) • Conseil Régional de Bretagne (Brittany, France)

MELT affiliated project partners • Project partner co-operate with affiliated partners in carrying various tasks, including local events: - half day event for parents - one day event for practitioners • Financing by sub-contracting for special tasks

MELT Associate partners • All NPLD members c. q. partners linked to NPLD through their regional authorities and NGO’s • Associate partners will be invited for: - expert seminar (Fryslân, april 2010) - conference (Brussels, october 2011)

MELT Goals • Goals (quoted from the EU application) • 1) Development of teaching methodology and language transmission process • 2) Raise of parents’ awareness about multilingualism • 3) Encouraging practitioners on how to foster language learning • 4) Raise policy awareness across Europe

MELT further goals • Language is not merely a tool of communication, but also a value • Mother tongue and Father tongue are of equal value for the child. • Ultimate goals of immersion / multilingual education: EITHER: “full bilingualism, full biliterate” (Joshua Fishman) / additive bilingualism = command of two languages at mother-tongue level; OR: subtractive bilingualism (oral bilingualism, monoliterate).

MELT Research 1 (Mercator) • Summary of relevant scientific research on early language acquisition: “state of the art” regarding bi- and plurilingual language acquisition at an early age. • Summary of theories on sequential language acquisition versus bilingualism at the same time, and the critical period of second language awareness and acquisition.

MELT Research 2 (Mercator) • Summary of definitions applied to “pre-school provisions” in the various regions, including age groups (0 -7 years) and duration of the stay of the children (full day, sessional stay, frequency) • Inventory of teaching methods applied in the various pre-school sectors: total immersion, various bilingual approaches, … • Inventory of teachers training schemes (initial training, in-service training) and qualifications (and certification) • Inventory of qualification / certification systems of day care provisions, and strategies towards the improvement of the quality.

MELT Pedagogical materials 1 (Folkhalsen) • Toolkit for practitioners full of “best practices” – to start with extending the best practices in the book of Lillemor Gammelgard, Language Strategy. NB: stress on “learning through playing”; • Topics of special interest: - visibility of the language in the rooms, - songs and music, dance; - thematic work; - exposure to rich language expressions of good quality.

MELT Pedagogical materials 2 (Folkhalsen) • Information for parents in mixed-language families. • Toolkit for practitioners how to cope with every new generation of parents and their concerns. • Toolkit for practitioners and the teachers & school board of primary school together, aimed at the “informed choice” • Training schemes

MELT Quality Plan & Dissemination (Welsh Language Board) • “Marketing” of the general concept of multilingual early language transmission; c. q. various models of early immersion / bilingual teaching • Dissemination by means of the project flyer, NPLD website, conferences, publications in scientific journals and pedagogical journals like “Parents Today”, “Journal of Bilingual Families”, …)

MELT Expert seminar (Mercator, 15 -16 April 2010) • Including visit to day care centres and primary schools • Themes: models of teaching • Preparation of toolkits: - practitoners’ own work - parents’ “informed choice” - enhancing parents’ support for the child’s development linguistically

MELT Awareness Raising & Closing Conference (Conseil Régional de Bretagne) • Conference (Brussels, october 2011) hopefully in co-operation with the Platform Civil Society on Multilingualism

• Eskerrik asko Tankewol Köszönöm • Grazia • Mercé plan • Dankscheen • Graciis • Kiitos • Diolch • Dz'akuju so • Hvala • Trugarez • Spassi Ba • Mange Takk • Multumesc