Jelena Filipovic Romani as a minority language in formal education: From theory to practice

1. Jelena Filipovic Romani as a minority language in formal education: From theory to practice Graz, May 12, 2016

2. Why do we talk about minority languages in formal education? • Most often proposed (generalized) goals and objectives in minority language teaching: • FOR STUDENTS: • Equal and quality access to education • Possibility for social and professional mobility • FOR TEACHERS/POLICY MAKERS • Continuous professional growth of minority language teachers • (What about teachers of other subjects???) • Awareness raising among educational policy makers and practitioners regarding the importance and relevance of presence of minority languages in mainstream education • Empowerment of minority communities members • Community-based action, raising awareness among the speakers of majority languages regarding the importance and relevance of presence of minority languages in mainstream education AND THE CONCEPT OF BILINGUAL/PLURILINGUAL EDUCATION

3. In recent years, integrative, bilingual/plurilingual educationalmodelsforminoritylanguages are beingdeveloped; however…. • LANGUAGE POLICY AND PLANNING ISSUES: standardization and other debates • METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES:initiativesforparticipatory action research stilllacking(whichwould open space for local initiatives, leadership, creativity and innovation) • TEACHING MATERIALS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES: financial and academicconstraints • In mother tongue education as part of literacy training and development • in other subjects through CLIL

4. To be certain: there are…A. Psychologicalbenefits to students • Desired self, ought-to-be self (Dörnyei 2005; 2009) • Self-confidence • Self-worth and varlorization of a minority culture, language, tradition, religion, etc. • Competences • Creativity

5. B. Educational benefits to students • Autonomy in learning • Commitment to stay in school • Development of skills for th 21st century (problem solving, critical thinking, different types of literacy) • Development of cognitive strategies and learning strategies (bridging knowledges from different subjects in different languages) • Constructivist, contextual approach to knowledge building (blurred lines between teachers and students)

6. C. Social benefits to students • Inclusion • Validation • Mobility

7. How does it work (or not work in practice)? The Serbian experience • POLITICAL WILL : Openess to policy dialogue and to different perspectives ???? • JOINT EFFORT OF EDUCATIONAL, ACADEMIC AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS (very difficult to achieve) • BOTTOM-UP LANGUAGE EDUCATION POLICY AND PLANNING (still often rejected, political elite afraid of local initiatives)

8. The Serbian experience (ctn’d) • CURRICULAR ISSUES – present-day situations: • Teaching in majority language • Teaching in majority language with minority language used for explanation of concepts and ideas • Teaching minority language as additional subject • Teaching minority language in first stages of the educational process (subtractive bilingualism) • Bilingual/plurilingual education

9. The Serbian experience (ctn’d) • LANGUAGE STANDARDIZATION ISSUES • STATUS ISSUES: position of different languages (majority language, foreign language, minority language; compliance with the ECRML) • TEACHING CONTENT ISSUES: identification of learners’ needs! • LITERACY : mother tongue/majority language/foreign language • CLIL??? Does it work for minority languages in bilingual/plurilingual educational settings

10. Why do weneedplurilingual education involving minority languages? • Students actively participate in knowledge construction • Collaborative teaching (teachers and students) • Collaborative learning (teachers and students) • Re-interpretation of teachers’ linguistic competences • Enabling design and development of bottom-up language education policy • Adaptation to local community needs

11. CLIL as a model for a modular approach to minority language integration into mainstream education • Languages in all subjects (according to Beaccoet al. 2015): • Working toward equality, inclusion and social cohesion • The relationship between language and knowledge: of language: • ”-  representation: expounding and disseminating knowledge established independently of language; • -  mediation: transposing, verbalising, making it possible to go from one semiotic system to another; • -  interaction: transforming, allowing exchanges (discussion, debate, disputes) between the producers of knowledge and between the producers and users of knowledge, which may lead to advances in knowledge; • -  creativity: creating knowledge, the creation and recording of knowledge in writing thus being the two sides of one and the same process.” (Beacco et al. 2015: 21)

12. BICS & CALP(Cummins, 2008) • Basic interpersonal communicative skills • Cognitive academic linguistic proficiency • That is, ”Conventions of communication in science, technology and humanities” (Beacco et al. 2015: 22): collaborative knowledge construction within a language and across languages (multiliteracy)

13. Language situations students need to cope with in school (ECML, 2015: 15) Language use in school

14. Languages of schooling (CoE, 2009, cit. in ECML, 2015: 15)

15. How should it work: Modular approach to plurilingual education: Knowledge at the heart of learning

16. Curricular Framework for RomaniEuropean Language Portfolio for Romani

17. QUALIROM (http://qualirom.uni-graz.at) • implemented and tested the Curriculum Framework for Romani (CFR) and the corresponding European Language Portfolio Models (ELPs) which are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and were developed by the Council of Europe

18. The role of ELP and CFR in plurilingual education: • Task oriented • Romani children helping non-Romani children learn terms and phrases for major cultural features of their culture (Romanipe) • Collaborative teaching and learning: teachers and Roma assistants working together with all children on specific tasks and projects related to a number of course subjects and topics (CLIL and TBLT) • Works toward development of plurilingual competences and multiliteracy

19. How can you use ELP for Romani or QUALIROM materials in your classrooms even if you don’t speak Romani as part of CLIL? A.Usethe themes to discuss specific issues of relevance to the children

20. My language passport (cnt’d)

21. My language passport (cnt’d)My language biography

22. My dossier: Use the ELPs in order to motivate the children to a)self-reflect

23. b) develop autonomy in learning c) self-evaluate their own progress

24. Qualirom materials: Romani language teaching: a proposal for a CLIL approach

27. References: • Beacco, J-C. et al. 2015. The place of languages of schooling in the curricula. Council of Europe/Language Policy Unit: Council of Europe publishing. • Coyle, D. Hood, & P. Marsh, D. (2010) CLIL. Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press • Cummins. J. 2008. BICS and CALP: Empirical and Theoretical Status of the Distinction. In: Street, B. & Hornberger, N. H. (Eds.). (2008). Encyclopedia of Language and Education, 2nd Edition, Volume 2: Literacy. (pp. 71-83). New York: Springer Science + Business Media LLC. • Moe, E. et al. 2015. Language skills for successful subject learning. CEFR linked descriptors for mathematics/history/civics. Council of Europe/European Centre for Modern Languages: Council of Europe publishing.