Language Policy Unit - DG II Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France wwww.coe.int Summing-up David Little Rapporteur

Three themes  three principles Language development and language learning in multilingual settings –“Language support will succeed to the extent that it follows children’s preferred acquisition or learning strategies” Developing “academic language” from primary to secondary education –“Educational success requires proficiency in academic language, which depends on all teachers of all subjects” Linguistic diversity as a resource for learning –“Schools and teachers should exploit children’s plurilingual repertoires as a resource for learning”

Principle 1 Language support will succeed to the extent that it follows children’s preferred acquisition or learning strategies Question 1: Features likely to support? Public service publishing (not subject to market pressure) Ways of validating/valorising teachers’ skills Availability of diagnostic tools Growing openness to cultural diversity

Principle 1 Language support will succeed to the extent that it follows children’s preferred acquisition or learning strategies Question 2: Features likely to undermine? Assumption that classrooms are monolingual Lack of teachers from migrant backgrounds Classes too large Questionable language skills of teachers Lack of impetus from above Lack of financial and other resources Surfeit of innovation

Principle 1 Language support will succeed to the extent that it follows children’s preferred acquisition or learning strategies Question 3: First step in innovation? More money and materials More diversity More research Emphasis on mainstream Raise awareness of teachers Introduce school language policy

Principle 2 Educational success requires proficiency in academic language, which depends on all teachers of all subjects Question 1: Features likely to support? Resources exist: models of in-service training, websites, networks Good practice at tertiary level might filter down to schools Curricula that allow for teacher autonomy and include the language dimension Förmig: complementarity between top-down and bottom-up

Principle 2 Educational success requires proficiency in academic language, which depends on all teachers of all subjects Question 2: Features likely to undermine? Lack of resources Managing diversity is still not central to many (most?) programmes of pre-service teacher education  teacher resistance Status problem for language of schooling as L2 Widespread belief: migrant pupils should speak the language of schooling at home

Principle 2 Educational success requires proficiency in academic language, which depends on all teachers of all subjects Question 3: First step in innovation? Include CoE tools in teacher education Include multicultural pedagogy in teacher education Give teachers the experience of learning content through L2 Take measures to develop coherence between European, national and local levels

Principle 3 “ Schools and teachers should exploit children’s plurilingual repertoires as a resource for learning” Question 1: Features likely to support? Growing awareness of the importance of plurilingualism Supportive curricula and training programmes Successful involvement of parents Special projects to recruit teachers from migrant backgrounds ELP and AIE already available and used in some contexts

Principle 3 “ Schools and teachers should exploit children’s plurilingual repertoires as a resource for learning” Question 2: Features likely to undermine? Society moves very slowly and the “mono-lingual habitus” is very persistent Migrant languages have low status Inappropriate emphases in teaching language of schooling as L2 Older students might mock teacher’s efforts to engage plurilingual repertoires Adolescent students (1518) pose a particular challenge Lack of continuity: educatiional levels/sectors, policy and financing

Principle 3 “ Schools and teachers should exploit children’s plurilingual repertoires as a resource for learning” Question 3: First step in innovation? Take the ELP more seriously Develop teachers’ understanding Open schools to migrant communities Help pupils to develop skills in their home languages

General question: In what ways can the Council of Europe help member states to respond to the challenges posed by multilingual classes? The “platform” already provides support of various kinds and could be used more widely to exchange materials, experience, etc. Continue to support the development of –key concepts and policy orientations –handbooks, guidelines, templates, tools, platforms (some work under way in Graz) Develop a common framework for the teaching of language of schooling as L2 and minority languages Develop support for assessing migrant pupils’ development in the language of schooling