Rapporteur: Alex RIEMERSMA Fryske Akademy, Mercator Research Centre with the support of: Symposium 1 “Higher Education and Research on Multilingualism: Challenge or Opportunity?”

2 Symposium data Venue: Leeuwarden/Ljouwert, Fryslân/Friesland, Netherlands Dates: November, 2010 Attendance: 49 participants from 14 countries Topic: Higher Education and Research on Multilingualism

3 Background rationale Language Education is changing: permanent education; use of multimedia; interculturality Universities develop comprehensive language policies both for their own students, staff and exchange students Research faces questions on the interaction between the regional and the global level within a plurilingual context, including minority and migrant languages

4 Main speakers 10 presentations: Jochen REHBEIN (Ankara): the HELIX for multilingual communication in society Alastair WALKER (Kiel): the scientist’s role as researcher and adviser in the minority language community Mitja ZAGAR (Ljubljana): diversity management for inclusive collective identities

5 Main speakers Jeroen DARQUENNES (Namen/Namur): language as an object of transdisciplinary study, towards awareness raising and implementation of linguistic diversity Rita TEMMERMAN (Brussels): plurilingualism and cultural diversity as competitive advantages Alex RIEMERSMA (Ljouwert/Leeuwarden): concept(s) of multilingual education: common standards, continuity, distant learning methods

6 Main speakers Irina CHONGAROVA (Plovdiv): language competencies for international academic staff mobility Robert DUNBAR (Skye): SMO the unilingual minority language college in a multilingual university UHIMI (Scotland) Cecilia SERRA (Geneva & Lausanne): plurilingualism in Lugano university compared to Biel/Bienne university

7 Main speakers Heidi RONTU (Helsingfors/Helsinki): university language policies and their practical implications for the endorsement of multilingualism – good example of the AALTO university in Helsingfors

8 Publication 4 presentations have been published in the European Journal of Language Policy / Revue européenne de politique linguistique 3.2 (2011): Jeroen Darquennes Rita Temmerman Alastair Walker Robert Dunbar

9 Main stakeholders Group discussion themes: Relation between the regional and global level; impact on multilingual society Contribution to the language policy at European level (EU and CoE) Language policy at the institutional level of the university

10 Main outcomes (1) Conclusions: Need for common definition of ‘Multilingualism’ / ‘Plurilingualism’ Need for extended descriptions of various aspects of ‘Multilingualism’ at education-policy and institutional level Need for Observatory on EU linguistic and cultural diversity

11 Additional Information (1) Thematic issue on “Language and the International University” (IJSL 2012, 216) > Comparison of Lleida, BAC and Cardiff. “Against the main stream”: Sami, respectively Faeroer university -  Language Choice between global policies and local norms  Attracting international students through the web “English the new Latin of Academia”

12 Additional Information (2) Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (Welsh Medium University Consortium for 6 locations across Wales) > Support “Welsh Medium Premium” for: students participation, teachers’ quality institutional development > Publishing research of international standard in Wales

13 Additional Information (2) University of Groningen & NHL university of applied sciences Ljouwert: Master on Multilingualism (one year / 60 ECTS) : Frisian as a language laboratory, a case for: language ecology language description and documentation language and media multilingual education the acquisition of foreign languages testing and evaluation Funded by provincial government for

14 Main outcomes (2 ) Recommendations: Universities: Research on added values of multilingualism: benefits and costs, profits at cultural and cognitive level Authorities: encouraging of language learning and language use towards intercultural education EU institutions: protect and promote linguistic and cultural diversity towards equality of languages and cultures, including migrant’s and autochthonous minorities’ languages and cultures

Cultural Capital of Europe

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