Activities and Projects on Multilingualism with a focus on

Regional and Minority Languages

Cor van der Meer Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning

London, 15 & 16 April 2010

Overview

• Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning

• Activities & Research

• Projects

Mercator Research Centre

1987-2006:

• Documentation and Information Centre.

• Funded by the European Union.

2007-2008: transition into:

• Information and Research Centre.

• Funded by the Province of Fryslân and the municipality of Ljouwert/Leeuwarden.

Fryske Akademy

Mercator Research CentreObjectives

• 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

Research Reports

• Development of Minimum Standards for RML language education

• Use of the CEFR and ELP in RML language education

• Comparative studies

• Study on the devolvement of legislative power to regional authorities

• Trilingual Education in Europe (due 2010)

www.networkofschools.eu

Network of Schools

• > 90 members

• > 30 language communities

• 15 EU member states

• News bulletins

• Website:

- teaching materials

- projects

• 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, Leeuwarden

• 18-19 November: conference of European Universities Network on Multilingualism (EUNoM), Leeuwarden

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

• Language acquisition

Projects

• Mercator Network of Language Diversity Centres (a)

• MELT: Multilingual Early Language Transmission (b)

• EUNoM: The European Universities’ Network on Multilingualism (c)

• More Languages, More Opportunities (d)

• Added Value of Multilingualism (e)

• Mercator Research Centre - “lead partner” 4 Partner institutes:

• Aberystwyth – University of Wales• Barcelona – Ciemen• Budapest – Hungarian Academy of Sciences• Eskilstuna (Sweden) – Mälardalen University

(a) The Mercator Network of Language Diversity Centres (LLP)

Aims

• Facilitate structured exchange and discussion of

best practice in the EU

• Awareness raising for greater public → Benefits

of multilingualism for Europe

• What needs to be improved and how can it be

improved best?

• Transferability to other language communities:

including immigrant or signing communities

Expected Results

Yearly reports to:

• Summarise Gathered knowledge / Detected Knowledge gaps

• Give people opportunity to use and expand on this knowledge

• Give recommendation for future research agenda for EU and policy actions

(b) MELT project (LLP)

• Project partners:

• Mercator / Fryske Akademy (Fryslân, Netherlands)

• Folkhalsen (Finland)

• Welsh Language Board (Wales, UK)

• Conseil Régional de Bretagne (Brittany, France)

MELT project (2009-2011)

• Research activities• Development schemes & materials• Seminar & evaluation workshop• Local events• Closing conference (Brussels, 2011)

MELT Aims

• Development of teaching methodology and language transmission process

• Raise of parents’ awareness about multilingualism

• Encouraging practitioners on how to foster language learning

• Raise policy awareness across Europe

MELT Pedagogical materials 1

• Toolkit for practitioners full of “best practices” – to start with extending the best practices in the book of Lillemor Gammelgard, Language Strategy. (“learning through playing”)

• Topics of special interest:- visibility of the language in the rooms, - songs and music, dance;- thematic work;- exposure to rich language expressions of good quality.

MELT Pedagogical materials 2

• Information for parents in mixed-language families.

• Toolkit for practitioners how to cope with every new generation of parents and their concerns.

• Toolkit for practitioners and the teachers & school board of primary school together, aimed at the “informed choice”

• Training schemes

(c) EUNoM: The European Universities’ Network on Multilingualism (LLP)

• November 2009 – October 2012• EACEA Reference: 504763-2009-LLP-ES-KA-KA2NW • Consortium members:

– U.O.C. (lead partner; Miquel Strubell)

– Erasmushogeschool Brussel (June Eyckmans)

– Mercator Research Centre / Fryske Akademy (Alex Riemersma)

– Research Centre Wales (Glyn Williams)

– Queens University Belfast (Eugene McKendry)

– University Primorska, Koper, SI (Lucija Čok)

Co-funded under the

Aims

• Multilingualism in the context of globalisation, the information society and the knowledge economy from various perspectives (including that of ‘regional’ or ‘minority’ languages), in five areas, each with on-line discussions leading up to five symposia and a final conference.

• Analyses of the changing paradigm, examples of good practice, policy recommendations and avenues for future research will be sought.

Co-funded under the

Targeted stakeholders

• Educationalists, • Language teacher organisations,• Educational policy-makers, • ICT specialists, • Teacher trainers • Parents’ organisations, • Business and employers’ organisations• Universities, • Trades unions…

Co-funded under the

Area 1

Language teachers: Training for a New Paradigm

Co-funded under the

On-line discussion leading up to European Symposium to be held in Udine (Friuli, IT), hosted by University of Udine - International Centre on Plurilingualism, on 7-8 September 2010.

For more information: famschiavi@iol.it

Area 2

Higher Education and Research on Multilingualism

Co-funded under the

On-line discussion leading up to European Symposium to be held in Ljouwert (Leeuwarden), Friesland, NL, organised by Mercator / Fryske Akademy, on 18 -19 November 2010.

For more information: ariemersma@fryske-akademy.nl

Area 3

Managing multilingual and multiethnic societies and institutions

Co-funded under the

On-line discussion leading up to European Symposium to be held in Koper (Slovenia), hosted by U. Primorska (Faculty of Human Studies), on 20-21 June 2011.

For more information: lucija.cok@upr.si

Area 4

Multilingualism in the knowledge economy: labour markets revisited, and corporate social responsibility

Co-funded under the

On-line discussion leading up to European Symposium to be held in Belfast (Northern Ireland), hosted by Queens’ University, on 14-15 November 2011.

For more information: e.mckendry@qub.ac.uk

Area 5

ICT, e-Learning and languages

Co-funded under the

On-line discussion leading up to European Symposium to be held in Barcelona (Catalonia ES), hosted by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 14-15 May 2012.

For more information: mstrubell@uoc.edu

Final conference

Globalisation, Modernity and Knowledge: New Perspectives on Language in education

Co-funded under the

On-line discussion leading up to European Conference to be held in Brussels (venue to be decided), organised by Erasmushogeschool Brussel or Mercator / Fryske Akademy, on October 29 2012.

For more information: june.eyckmans@telenet.be

• Other work packages:– Management

– Quality assurance and evaluation

– Project dissemination

– Exploitation: Working towards a sustainable network

• More information: http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/sala_de_premsa/noticies/2009/noticia_168.htmlhttp://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/sala_de_premsa/noticies/2009/noticia_168.html

Co-funded under the

(d) More languages, more opportunities

Informal learning and promotion of reading in families & households

A Papiamentu – Dutch language development project

Aims

• Promotion of toddlers bilingual development in Papiamentu and Dutch

• Promotion of a better socio-emotional development

• Promotion of a more positive interaction between mother and child

(e) Added Value of Multilingualism and multilingual education

A joint research project of the Basque

Autonomous Community and Fryslân

University of the Basque Country / Ikerbasque, Donostia

Mercator Research Centre / Fryske Akademy, Ljouwert

• Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource for the individual and society

• Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource at school

Aims

www.mercator-research.euwww.mercator-research.eumercator@fryske-akademy.nl

Köszönöm

Haristo

Mersi dit

Mange TakDanke

HvalaTeşekkür ederim

Dzãczi

Thank you

Tige tank

Ful toank

Diolch

Rak-Mit

cvdmeer@fryske-akademy.nl