European Language Policies EU & Council of Europe Language Planning Instruments: ECRML & FCNM Donostia, October 26, 2012 Alex RIEMERSMA Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning

European Policies: EU  European Union (1957) Seat: Brussels / EU Parliament also Strasbourg  Structure:  Council of (national) Prime Ministers  Councils of national subject Ministers  European Commission (= Executive)  European Parliament (> 700 seats)  Offi cial EU poli cy:  Mot her tong ue + 2 othe r lang uag es  Mult iling uali sm as an ass et  Life Lon g Lea rnin g Pro gra m > Era smu s for All = E4A

EU Languages  27 member states /  23 official working languages (Letzeburgish treaty language only)  But in practice 3, 2 or 1 working language(s)  and some co-official languages (in the EP) Basque, Catalan, Galician, Welsh.  > 60 Regional and Minority Languages  > 175 Immigrant Languages

EU Language Policies  Mother tongue + 2 other languages  Multilingualism as an asset  Lifelong Learning Program > Erasmus for All

European Policies: EU  European Treaty: “EU respects the religious, cultural and linguistic diversity.”  Definition “Mother tongue” = state language  Principle of “subsidiarity” is in favour of national languages  “All languages are equal” > “mainstreaming” is in fact in favour of English (only) !

EU Parliament Resolutions 1981 Arfé > EBLUL 1982 – 2006; 1983 Vandenmeulenbroecke > earmarked budget € 1,2 million (> 2006) 1987 Kuijpers > Mercator project ( ) 3 partners: Aberysthwyth (media), Barcelona (legislation), Ljouwert / Leeuwarden (education)

Follow up EBLUL extinct, followed up by Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (NPLD): 11 regional authorities & 19 NGOs Mercator Network continued, re-gained EU funding from 2009, new Mercator partners: Budapest Stockholm

EU Parliament Resolutions 2004 Michael EBNER > EU Agency for Linguistic Diversity, but not accepted by EU Commission  2005: Feasibility Study > Networks  2012 François ALFONSI > ?

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

EU funded projects & networks Euromosaic Smile DYLAN SUS-DIV Linee EUNoM RML2future MELT NPLD

EU Agenda 2020

European Policies: CoE  Council of Europe (1949, Strasbourg) (47 member states; 800 million people)  Parliamentary Assemblee  Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE)

CoE relevant institutions  Language Policy Division (Strasbourg): a.o.: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)  Centre for Modern Languages (Graz): projects for the access to and quality of language teaching

CoE relevant instruments  Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (to protect & to promote) (ETS 148)  Framework Convention on the Protection of national Minorities (FCNM) (ETS 157)

Charter for language planning Charter key words: “to protect & to promote” / “to safeguard & to encourage” Language planning key words: State:Citizen: CapacityCommand OpportunitiesUse Desire / PlanWill

16 European Charter on RMLs  Charter of the Council of Europe (1998) 25 ratifications (< 47 CoE member states) 13 ratifications (< 27 EU member states)  Autochthonous Regional and Minority Languages  No dialects; no immigrant languages  Part II: principles and objectives (non-discrimination; state obligations and education rights)

17 European Charter on RMLs  Part III: undertakings in domains art. 8: Education art. 9: Judicial authorities art. 10: Administration & public services art. 11: Media art. 12: Cultural affairs art. 13: Economic & social life art. 14: Transfrontier exchanges

18 Charter characteristics  Inclusive approach (all domains)  Common responsibility of state and language community  Template or menu-system > tailor made approach  Monitoring system  International comparison & cooperation

Charter menu system  Article 8: Education  Pre-school provisions  Primary Education  Secondary Education  Vocational Training  Higher Education  Adult Education 19

Charter menu system  Article 8: Education  Level i: obligatory  Level ii: partly obligatory  Level iii: optional  Level iv: on request of parents  Always: “where appropriate” = sufficient demand / proportionality 20

21 Monitoring system  Consulting body according art. 7.4: “needs and wishes” of the people  Periodical reports by treaty parties  Committee of Experts (each treaty party one member) / on-the-spot visits  Bi-annual report Secr.-General to Assembly of Council of Europe  > Recommendations to treaty parties

22 Common European Standards  Core goals in language command  Time investment  Teaching OF and teaching IN  Continuity of teaching & learning  Teaching materials  Teacher training and qualification  Valuable tests on language command

23 Literature References  François GRIN, Language Policy Evaluation and the Charter for Regional + Minority Languages (2003)  The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: Legal Challenges and Opportunities (2008)

Framework Convention National Minorities (FCNM)  Individual Human Rights  More general descriptions > interpretations (+ discussions) in the monitoring process  18 members in the Advisory Committee  State reports  Thematic Reports 24

FCNM articles re Education  Art. 4: non-discrimination / integration  Art. 6: education for tolerance  Art. 8: religious diversity and tolerance  Art. 9: awareness raising for journalists  Art. 12: intercultural perspectives  Art. 13: private educational provisions  Art. 14: right to learn minority language 25

FCNM thematic report Education  Protection of minority cultures and languages, effective equality and access to education  Actors at central and local level: school heads, teachers, parents and students  Tools: bi- and plurilingual curricula and qualified teachers, multicultural environments 26

Project “From Act to Action” Example: Implementing language acts in Finland, Ireland and Wales Brussels, December 8th 2005 Siv Sandberg, Åbo Akademi University Finland

Making language legislation work in Finland, Ireland and Wales 1. Comparing different systems (national level): legal and institutional framework 2. Comparing different mechanisms supporting the enactment of language legislation 3. Comparing individual public authorities

Combining two views The practitioner’s point of view  Providing information on what works  Identifying good practices  Producing tools for diagnoses and performance measurement The academic point of view  Comparing the effects of different institutional arrangements

Three crucial levels of analysis 1. Relationship between the national authority in charge of language act and the individual public authorities 2. The individual organization 3. The interface between the organization and the citizens/customers

The importance of covering all three levels Because:…does not necessarily mean that… Good interplay between central monitoring agency and language officers in individual authorities… …the level of commitment to bilingualism in organization as a whole is sufficient. Good implementation of specific language policy within the organization… …the citizens are satisfied with the level of services provided.

Factors affecting performance 1. The national context 2. The local context (number of minority language speakers, tradition, supply/demand) 3. The institutional context (type of authority) 4. “Universal factors” (staff, organization, leadership)

Constructing the ideal system?: Four aspects to be elaborated further …versus National initiativeLocal initiative Specific language focusLanguage as part of broader quality focus Systematic approach to language issues Person based approach to language issues Complaint-driven systems (Ombusman / Observatory) Pro-active, leadership based systems

Coherent EU Language Policy  EU Legal base and / or Treaty partner to European Charter for RML, FCNM  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 Agenda 2020  Linguistic Diversity as a priority  Co-operation between EU and the Council of Europe & ECML (= European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz )  National EU Agencies to raise awareness and assist endangered language communities to apply

EU Research Agenda 2020  Eurobarometer on Languages to include: Mother tongue + father tongue  Multilingual education: continuity & common standards  Media >>> Social media  Plurilingual Literacy

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

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