1. Supporting Regional and Minority Languages
Seminar “Working together for a multilingual Europe - supporting diversity”
Cor van der Meer
Mercator European Research Centre on
Multilingualism and Language Learning
Salam
Salamatsis, ba?
Brussels, 20 September 2011

2. Overview
Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning
Fryslân / Frisian Language
Good practice
First of all an overview of my presentation
I will start with the introduction, about my work, Mercator Education which recently has been turned into the Mercator European Research Centre on Multiling and Langu learning

3. Mercator Research Centre:
Documentation and Information Centre.
Funded by the European Union.
2007 onwards, transition into:
Information and Research Centre.
Funded by the Province of Fryslân and the municipality of Ljouwert/Leeuwarden.
Hosted at the Fryske Akademy

4. Mercator’s activities
Research
Publications & databases
Network of Schools
Newsletters
Conferences & seminars
Advisory role
Mercator is onderdeel van een netwerk. Mercator Education is sinds gehuisvest bij de fryske Akademy,
de andere netwerk partners zij Mercator-Legislation (Barcelona / CIEMEN) en Mercator-Media (Aberysthwyth / University of Wales)
Daarnaast werken alle centra nauw samen met het European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL)
Mercator Education was hoofdzakelijk een informatie en dokumintatiecentrum, het verzameld en verspreid veel informatie over RML’s yn de EU, net allinnich yn de EU mar ek dêr bûten… Het mercator netwurk heeft dus zo’n 20 jaar ervaring opgebouwd.
Een aantal belangrijke activiteiten zijn:
Publikaties, Regionale Dossiers!!! en de maandelijkse nieuwsbrieven
Ook de nieuwe lidstaten heeft Mercator duidelijk in het vizier, er zijn al verschillende Reg Dos uit deze regio beschikbaar.
Databases van specialisten op het gebied van meertaligheid en onderwijs
Organisatie van congressen of symposia, bekend is de serie van Mercator symposia die sinds 2000 vrijwel jaarlijks worden georganiseerd
Network of schools; meer dan 60 scholen in ongeveer 20 gebieden waar men minderheidstalen spreekt en waar alle scholen twee of meertalig zijn
Op de Website is een Question & Answer service beschikbaar, en men kan veel informatie vinden over RML, bv. Onderzoeksverslagen, de Regdossen (PDF), gemiddeld hebben we ongeveer 3000 unieke bezoekers per maand

5. Fields of research
Added value of multilingualism and multilingual education.
New technologies; distant language (and culture) learning.
Application of the CEFR and the ELP in Europe.
Informal learning and promotion of reading in families & households.
CEFR en ELP binne middels om by it taal ûnderwiis yn Europa mear structuer oan te bringen en om der better ynternasjonaal oer te kommuniseren te kinnen
TOMKE is der in konkrete ynbring !!!

6. Research Reports Development of Minimum Standards for RML education
Use of the CEFR and ELP in RML education
Comparative studies
Study on the devolvement of legislative power to regional authorities
Trilingual Education in Europe

7. Publications Articles Newsletters Regional dossiers series
- 40 language descriptions
- Update every 5-8 years
- Online available
Over 40 regional dossiers available at the website 7

8. Structured contents 1 Introduction 2 Pre-school education
3 Primary education
4 Secondary education
5 Vocational education
6 Higher education
7 Adult education
8 Educational research
9 Prospects
10 Summary of statistics
Education System in ….
References and further reading
Useful addresses
With the regional dossiers, Mercator Education aims to provide concise, descriptive information and basic educational statistics about minority language education in a specific region of the European Union. Details about the features of the educational system, recent educational policies, divisions of responsibilities, main actors, legal arrangements, support structures, and qualitative information on a number of schools, teachers, pupils, and financial investments. This information is designed to serve the needs of policy makers, researchers, teachers, students, and journalists as they assess the developments in European minority language schooling. This information may also serve as a first orientation towards further research (additional readings are suggested and contact information provided).
The dossiers are written by our correspondents in the different language communities. Without the great and loyal support of these people Mercator would not have been able to elaborate any study! They are small reports, but there is a lot of work needed to search and gather all the necessary statistics and up-to-date information. There are many facts in the reports. And the correspondents are usually very busy and are not waiting for a Frisian lady to ask them to write a report, nagging about deadlines and sticking to the model, etc. Well, the interest on their part is to have a publication on their name and adding a document to a series that can help to compare a whole range of different situations to each other.

9. Not only EU member states, but also for example Chuvash Republic (a federal state in Russia)
Target groups; teachers, students and parents: pre-primary, primary and secondary schools.
New members are constantly joining the Network – free of charge
4 x per year a newsletter
Dedicated part of the website for learning materials;
Aim: schools being part of the Network initiate common activities, i.e. chat sessions, teacher exchange, student exchange, etc.

10. Network of Schools www.networkofschools.org > 90 members
> 30 language communities
15 EU member states
News bulletins
Website:
- teaching materials
- projects
Target groups; teachers, students and parents
More members soon
4 x per year a newsletter
Partner schools
Dedicated part of the website for learning materials;
exchange experiences
(small) projects for children. Some examples: project quaack, project postcards

11. Conferences 2011 / 2012
2011 April: International conference “Languages of the Wider World”
2011 May: Expert seminar “Cultural Education and Civil Society: how can languages contribute?”
2011 Sept 30 / October 1: Mercator Network seminar on “Languages and Legislation” in Barcelona
Soon: International Expert Seminar on “Early Language Learning” (Poliglotti4.eu)
2012: June 20 – 23; International Conference on Language and Social Psychology
April: “Languages of the Wider World”. Co-operation with SOAS Centre of University of London.
 Understanding Resilience and Shift in Regional and Minority languages.
May: “Multilingual society: what can languages contribute?” in Ljouwert. Conference part of the co-operation with the Basque Autonomous Community. 11

13. Projects Mercator Network of Language Diversity Centres
MELT: Multilingual Early Language Transmission
EUNoM: The European Universities’ Network on Multilingualism
More Languages, More Opportunities
Language Rich Europe
Poliglotti4.eu

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

15. Partnerships / co-operation
Network for the Promotion of Linguistic Diversity in Cardiff
European University Network on Multilingualism in Barcelona
European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz
Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism
Regional authorities
Partners en organisaties waar wij mee samenwerken……
ECML = European Center for Modern Languages, ECMI = European Center for Minority Issues
De Baskische overheid & Overheidsinstituten van de Moldavische overheid Met GEORGIE samenwerking via het MATRA programma van het (NL) ministerie van buitenlandse zaken.

16. Visit Chinese delegation, November 2010
Fryslân
50 million, 10% of the EU population
Visit Chinese delegation, November 2010

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

18. The Frisian case (1)
The Netherlands ratified the European Charter in provisions under part III signed for Frisian only.
The Framework Convention went into force in Frisian is the only national minority language.
So far so good!

19. The Frisian case (2) Education:
At primary school level Frisian is an obligatory subject.
Substantial part in primary education and integral part of secondary education.
By law it is secured that Frisian is an obligatory subject. Also other subjects can be taught in Frisian, so Frisian can be used as a medium of instruction. According to the the provisions of the European Charter signed, Frisian should be a substantial part of the Curriculum in primary education and an integral part of secondary education.

20. The Frisian case (3) However:
Actual time spent on Frisian is minutes a week;
61% of the teachers are not qualified to teach the language;
The attainment goals are not measured by the Dutch Inspectorate of Education.
Time spend on Frisian is minutes a week; mostly this is singing a song or baking cookies where the recipe is in Dutch language. It must be said however that there are also positive things to report; there are also trilingual schools where both Frisian, Dutch and English is taught. However, minutes a week is an average.
61% of the teachers that teach Frisian in primary school are not qualified to teach the subject.
Attainment goals are not measured by the Dutch Inspectorate of Education; The Dutch Inspectorate of Education falls directly under the responsiblity of the Minsitry of Education. Like for other subjects like mathematics there are goals set to attain. But unless other subjects the goals for Frisian are not measured and the school not ‘punished’ for not meeting the goals. This way giving Frisian of course depends on the teacher or school and if they find it important or not.

21. Visit SPLIKA, december 2010

22. 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

23. 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

24. Visit SPLIKA, december 2010

25. www.mercator-research.eu mercator@fryske-akademy.nl Thank you
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