Multilingualism for all: European Language Policy Developments & Challenges “Language(s) as Cultural Asset” University of Applied Sciences, Campus Urstein Salzburg / Austria – Österreich, March 17, 2011 Alex RIEMERSMA Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning

Overview of presentation  Scope of European Language Policies  - Language Vitality  - Language Programmes  - Teacher Training

Linguistic Diversity  Globe: 6,000 languages  Council of Europe (47 member states): 6 working languages hundreds of state, cross border / minority languages  European Union (27 member states): 23 official languages > 60 Regional and Minority Languages

Kaart fan NOS

RML citizens in EU  10% of EU population =  45 – 50 million plurilingual people  Present in all member states =  Multilingual societies >>>  Co-responsibility for language planning  of EU/CoE, national and regional level

Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (CoE / 1998)  To protect and to promote  Non-discrimination  Domains: education / justice / public services / media / culture / social life However:  25 ratifications (< 47 CoE member states)  13 ratifications (< 27 EU member states)

EU Language Policy  EU shall respect … linguistic diversity  Linguistic diversity: all languages are equal and equally treated  Lisbon (2002): Mother tongue + 2  Maalouf (2008): Adoptive language  European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages of CoE (1998) entry exam for new EU member states (2004)

EU Language Policy However:  Mother tongue = state language  Principle of “subsidiarity”  Process of mainstreaming prevents EU Language Policy & discourages vitality of RMLs

Unesco Language Vitality (2003)

Language Vitality factors (6)  Intergenerational transmission  Absolute number of speakers  Proportion of speakers within total population  Trends in existing domains  Response to new domains & media  Materials for Education and Literacy

Language Vitality factors (3)  Governmental and Institutional Language Attitudes & Politics  Community Member’s Attitudes towards their own languages  Documentation (& corpus planning)

Language Vitality Planning  Balance of community language will and infrastructure / programmes on:  Corpus planning / standardisation  Status planning / legislation  Language transmission / learning

Frisian Language Vitality  Language command of all inhabitants province of Fryslân:  94 % Understanding  74 % Speaking  65 % Reading  26 % Writing  54 % Frisian Mother tongue ( )

Language Planning Australia  National Survey 2005: 250 known indigenous languages; 145 still in use of which 110 endangered; 18 strong enough to survive  National Action Programme 2009:  - language learning centres & nests  - language documentation and research

EU Parliament Resolutions  1981 Arfé > EBLUL 1982 – 2006  1983 Jaak Vandenmeulenbroecke) > earmarked budget line € 1,2 million  1987 Willy Kuijpers > Mercator project ( ) 3 partners (80 % funding)  2004 Michael Ebner > EU Agency on Linguistic Diversity (failed)

EU Commission Actions  Budget line for EBLUL 1982 – 2006;  Budget line for Mercator project ( ) 3 partners  Action Programme ( )  2001: European Year of Languages  2005: Feasibility Study > Networks

EU Commission Actions  2007: High Level Group Multilingualism + on line consultation  2008: EU Communication  2008: Amin Maalouf Report A Rewarding Challenge (adoptive language)  2011: Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism

EU funded Networks  : Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (NPLD): 11 regional authorities & 16 NGO’s  : Mercator Network  : RML2future  : European Network of Universities on Multilingualism (EUNoM)

Coherent EU Language Policy  Legal base / treaty partner to European Charter for RML  Vitality & empowerment of all languages  Co-responsibility in stead of “subsidiarity”  Incentive to inclusiveness of RML / IML  Partnership to permanent networks of stakeholders for regular strategic review

EU fitting Programmes  Linguistic Diversity as a priority  Lowering of thresholds for grants for smaller language communities  National EU Agencies to raise awareness and assist endangered language communities to apply

Research Agenda  Eurobarometer on Languages to include: Mother tongue + father tongue / Language of preference  Multilingual education: continuity  Media >>> Social media  Plurilingual Literacy  Electronic dictionaries

Application of CoE instruments  Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): - can do – statements for L1, L2, Lf - parallel assessments of L1, L2, Lf  European Language Portfolio: - electronic - plurilingual approach

Common Standards Education  Mercator Analysis & Recommendations (2007): - Informed choice & guaranteed access - Educational goals - Teaching time (subject & medium) - Teaching materials - Teacher training - Inspectorate

Plurilingual Teacher Training  Subject & medium  Continuity of teaching & learning  School as centres of excellence  Plurilingual language pedagogy  Master on Multilingualism and multilingual education

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