The Mercator Research Centre, Research and Activities Cor van der Meer Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning Fryske Akademy

Overview Fryslân Language & education Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning Research

Early Middle ages Late Middle ages Today Fryslân in history

Well-known outside Fryslân

Frisian as First Language

Frisian Language Command 54 % Mother tongue 94 % Understanding 74 % Speaking 65 % Reading 26 % Writing

Trilingual education in Fryslân (1) Model used: - Group 1-6: 50 % Frisian, 50 % Dutch - Group 7-8: 40 % Frisian, 40 % Dutch, 20% English Systematic use of Frisian, Dutch and English as a medium of instruction. Interactive language education

Trilingual education in Fryslân (2) Results: - Good quality of Frisian - Results of Dutch at the same level at the end of grade 8 as all other pupils in the Netherlands - Results for English slightly better, but not significantly - Self consciousness in English better, but not significantly

Mercator Research Centre : Documentation and Information Centre. Funded by the European Union : transition into: Information and Research Centre. Funded by the Province of Fryslân and the municipality of Ljouwert/Leeuwarden.

Fryske Akademy

Mercator Research Centre Objectives Scientific research Information centre Platform function Goals: creation, dissemination and application of knowledge Education

Mercator’s activities Research Publications & databases Network of Schools Network of Teacher Trainings Institutes Conferences & seminars Q&A service

Research reports Articles Newsletters Regional dossiers series - 40 language descriptions - Update every 5-7 years - Online available Publications

Structured content 1Introduction 2Pre-school education 3Primary education 4Secondary education 5Vocational education 6Higher education 7Adult education 8Educational research 9Prospects 10Summary of statistics Education System in …. References and further reading Useful addresses

Publications Development of Minimum Standards for language education Use of the CEFR and ELP in education Comparative studies Study on the devolvement of legislative power to regional authorities Trilingual Education in Europe (due 2010)

Network of Schools > 90 members > 30 language communities 15 EU member states News bulletins Website: - teaching materials - projects

Mercator Research Centre - “lead partner” 4 Partner institutes: Aberystwyth – University of Wales Barcelona – Ciemen Budapest – Hungarian Academy of Sciences Eskilstuna (Zweden) – Mälardalen University

18-20 May: Mercator Network conference: “Media Convergence and Linguistic Diversity: How can the creative industries contribute to language vitality in a multiplatform environment?”, Aberystwyth 3-4 June: “Added Value of Multilingualism and Multilingual Education”, Ljouwert, organised in cooperation with the Basque Ministry of Education November: conference of European Universities Network on Multilingualism (EUNoM), Ljouwert. Conferences in 2010

Fields of research Added value of multilingualism and multilingual education Informal learning and promotion of reading in families & households. Effectiveness of educational policy in Fryslân (‘Boppeslach’) Language acquisition

Added Value of Multilingualism and multilingual education A comparative study of the Basque Autonomous Community and Fryslân University of the Basque Country / Ikerbasque, Donostia Mercator Research Centre / Fryske Akademy, Ljouwert

Aims: Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource for the individual and societý Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource at school (Planned) steps: 1)in-depth comparison of the Basque Country and Fryslân 2)Try to apply a model of use and non-use values. 3)Investigate interaction between different languages in the curriculum and language learning strategies. Objectives

(1) Data collection secondary school pupils (3 rd /4 th year): Reports on school-visits Questionnaires Written essays in three languages Classroom observations Interviews with teachers Photographs of the linguistic landscape in the schools

(2) Step 1: monograph: ‘Languages and language education in Fryslân’ + comparative report on ‘Frisian and Basque multilingual education: A comparison of the province of Fryslân and the Basque Autonomous Community’ Step 2: short report about advantages / disadvantages of multilingualism Step 3: (in progress) report with outcomes of questionnaires, cross linguistic influences in written essays, classroom observations and linguistic landscape

Verify hypothesis with focus on English (dual approach): 1) Qualitative part: ´Ethnography of language in education´ by means of classroom observations, focus group discussions with students, in-depth interviews with English teachers and directors, out-of-school use and experience with English, (digital) literacy practices 2) Quantitative part: testing and language use questionnaires. Dependent variables related to competence in and use of English

Informal learning and promotion of reading in families & households More languages, more opportunities A Papiamentu – Dutch language development project Nienke BoomstraNienke Boomstra PhD study of Nienke Boomstra

Implementation Training language coaches Recruitment of participants by language coaches - target group: Antillean children between 20 and 30 months at the start of the project, and their primary caretakers (mostly mothers) Duration of two years - Every two weeks home visits, every two weeks group gatherings

Tomke in ‘More languages, more opportunities’ In co-operation with Afûk - 12 books (in Papiamentu and Dutch) - Web page - Finger puppets, games Language coaches teach parents how to use the materials during home visits.

Research questions Will the infliction of this project promote the bilingual development in Papiamentu and Dutch? Will it promote a better socio-emotional development in Antillean toddlers? Will it promote a more positive interaction between mother and child?

Child language acquisition and code-switching - 1 Topic: childhood acquisition of two languages and organisation of two languages in the brain Languages: Frisian as L1 and Dutch as L2, possibly English as L3 Approach: psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic Subjects: Frisian primary school pupils Goal: to gain insight in the language acquisition process of Frisian primary school pupils PhD study of Mirjam van der Meij

Child language acquisition and code-switching - 2 Main question: how are Frisian and Dutch organised in the brain of a Frisian bilingual? Sub-questions: -How is this expressed in the speech production? -How is the mental lexicon organised? -Which forms of interference do arise? -Are some words code-switched faster than others?

Effectiveness of Language Policy Study in 2004: –Pupils behind in maths and language –Didactic skills –Care for pupils –Amount of time available –Frisian no factor Project co-ordinator Dr. E. Klinkenberg, Department of Social Sciences

Policy of Provincial Government –Improvement quality education –Language and quality schools –Yearly tests –Monitoring by the Fryske Akademy

Research Aspects: –Longitudinal (yearly test moments) –Multiple levels Pupils(test results) Class(teacher information) School(school leader information) –86 participating schools

Communicative skills Results Trilingual school: –Dutch: same results –Frisian: better –English: better results (ability and confidence to hold a short story)  Influence of a bilingual school system on speaking ability Link with personality (confidence) Expectation: –Students at a Trilingual school speak more in English and with more confidence PhD. study of M. Jansma MSc, Department of Social Sciences

Bilingual language development of the young Frisian child Language dominance – language input Cross-linguistic interference PhD-study of Jelske Dijkstra, Department of Social Sciences

Research toddlers (2,5-4 yrs) 22 preschools in Friesland, of which 50% Frisian-medium or bilingual preschools Home language: only Frisian or only Dutch (parents to child) Language outside home/family situation: mainly Frisian, bilingual, mainly Dutch (questionnaires)

Research Language development Dutch & Frisian –Vocabulary: passive & active –Samples of spontaneous speech –One person – one language 3 measuring periods – each period Dutch and Frisian (6 measurements) –2,5 - 3 yrs –3 - 3,5 yrs –3,5 - 4 yrs

Expectations Language input determines language dominance and language skills –Input L1 > L2 → L1 dominant Cross-linguistic interference from dominant language to weaker language

Köszönöm Haristo Mersi dit Mange Tak Danke Hvala Teşekkür ederim Dzãczi Thank you Tige tank Ful toank Diolch Rak-Mit