Multilingualism for all: European Language Policy Developments

1
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
• www.mercator-research.eu

2
Overview of presentation

• Scope of European Language Policies
• - Language Vitality
• - Language Programmes
• - Teacher Training

3
Linguistic Diversity

• Globe 6,000 languages
• Council of Europe (47 member states)6 working
  languageshundreds of state, cross border /
  minority languages
• European Union (27 member states)23 official
  languagesgt 60 Regional and Minority Languages

4
Kaart fan NOS
5
RML citizens in EU

• 10 of EU population
• 45 50 million plurilingual people
• Present in all member states
• Multilingual societies gtgtgt
• Co-responsibility for language planning
• of EU/CoE, national and regional level

6
Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (CoE
/ 1998)

• To protect and to promote
• Non-discrimination
• Domains education / justice / public services /
  media / culture / social lifeHowever
• 25 ratifications (lt 47 CoE member states)
• 13 ratifications (lt 27 EU member states)

7
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)

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EU Language Policy

• However
• Mother tongue state language
• Principle of subsidiarity
• Process of mainstreamingprevents EU Language
  Policy discourages vitality of RMLs

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Unesco Language Vitality (2003)
10
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

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Language Vitality factors (3)

• Governmental and Institutional Language Attitudes
  Politics
• Community Members Attitudes towards their own
  languages
• Documentation ( corpus planning)

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Language Vitality Planning

• Balance of community language will and
  infrastructure / programmes on
• Corpus planning / standardisation
• Status planning / legislation
• Language transmission / learning

13
Frisian Language Vitality

• Language command of all 640.00 inhabitants
  province of Fryslân
• 94 Understanding
• 74 Speaking
• 65 Reading
• 26 Writing-------------------------------------
  ------------
• 54 Frisian Mother tongue (350.000)

14
Language Planning Australia

• National Survey 2005250 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

15
EU Parliament Resolutions

• 1981 Arfé gt EBLUL 1982 2006
• 1983 Jaak Vandenmeulenbroecke) gt earmarked budget
  line 1,2 million
• 1987 Willy Kuijpers gt Mercator project
  (1987-2006) 3 partners (80 funding)
• 2004 Michael Ebner gt EU Agency onLinguistic
  Diversity (failed)

16
EU Commission Actions

• Budget line for EBLUL 1982 2006
• Budget line for Mercator project (1987-2006) 3
  partners
• Action Programme (2004-2006)
• 2001 European Year of Languages
• 2005 Feasibility Study gt Networks

17
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

18
EU funded Networks

• 2008-2011 Network to Promote Linguistic
  Diversity (NPLD) 11 regional authorities 16
  NGOs
• 2009-2011 Mercator Network
• 2009-2011 RML2future
• 2010-2012 European Network of Universities on
  Multilingualism (EUNoM)

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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

20
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

21
Research Agenda

• Eurobarometer on Languages to includeMother
  tongue father tongue / Language of preference
• Multilingual education continuity
• Media gtgtgt Social media
• Plurilingual Literacy
• Electronic dictionaries

22
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

23
Common Standards Education

• Mercator Analysis Recommendations (2007)-
  Informed choice guaranteed access- Educational
  goals- Teaching time (subject medium) -
  Teaching materials- Teacher training-
  Inspectorate

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Plurilingual Teacher Training

• Subject medium
• Continuity of teaching learning
• School as centres of excellence
• Plurilingual language pedagogy
• Master on Multilingualism and multilingual
  education

25

26
Tankewol

• Eskerrik asko

• Köszönöm

• Grazia

• Mercé plan

• Dankscheen

• Graciis

• Kiitos

• Diolch

• Dz'akuju so

• Hvala

• Merci

• Mange Takk

• Trugarez

• Multumesc