Activities and Projects on Multilingualism with a focus on Regional and Minority Languages

1. 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

4. Overview • Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning • Activities & Research • Projects

5. 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.

6. Fryske Akademy

7. Mercator Research CentreObjectives • Scientific research • Information centre • Platform function • Goals: creation, dissemination and application of knowledge • Education

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

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

10. 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)

11. www.networkofschools.eu

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

13. Conferences in 2010 • 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

14. 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

15. 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)

16. (a) The Mercator Network of Language Diversity Centres (LLP) • Mercator Research Centre - “lead partner” 4 Partner institutes: • Aberystwyth – University of Wales • Barcelona – Ciemen • Budapest – Hungarian Academy of Sciences • Eskilstuna (Sweden) – Mälardalen University

17. 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

18. 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

19. (b)MELT project (LLP) • Project partners: • Mercator / Fryske Akademy (Fryslân, Netherlands) • Folkhalsen (Finland) • Welsh Language Board (Wales, UK) • Conseil Régional de Bretagne (Brittany, France)

20. MELT project (2009-2011) • Research activities • Development schemes & materials • Seminar & evaluation workshop • Local events • Closing conference (Brussels, 2011)

21. 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

22. 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.

23. 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

24. (c) EUNoM: TheEuropean Universities’ Network onMultilingualism (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

25. 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

26. Targetedstakeholders • Educationalists, • Language teacher organisations, • Educational policy-makers, • ICT specialists, • Teacher trainers • Parents’ organisations, • Business and employers’ organisations • Universities, • Trades unions… Co-funded under the

27. Area 1 Language teachers: Training for a New Paradigm 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 Co-funded under the

28. Area 2 Higher Education and Research on Multilingualism 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 Co-funded under the

29. Area 3 Managing multilingual and multiethnic societies and institutions 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 Co-funded under the

30. Area 4 Multilingualism in the knowledge economy: labour markets revisited, and corporate social responsibility 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 Co-funded under the

31. Area 5 ICT, e-Learning and languages 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 Co-funded under the

32. Final conference Globalisation, Modernity and Knowledge: New Perspectives on Language in education 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 292012. For more information: june.eyckmans@telenet.be Co-funded under the

33. 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.html Co-funded under the

34. (d) More languages, more opportunitiesInformal learning and promotion of reading in families & households A Papiamentu – Dutch language development project

35. 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

36. (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

37. Aims • Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource for the individual and society • Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource at school

39. www.mercator-research.eu mercator@fryske-akademy.nl Thank you Diolch Mersi dit Danke Mange Tak Rak-Mit Ful toank Dzãczi Hvala Tige tank Haristo Teşekkür ederim Köszönöm cvdmeer@fryske-akademy.nl