The Mercator Research Centre, Research and Activities

1. The Mercator Research Centre, Research and Activities Cor van der Meer Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning Fryske Akademy

2. Overview • Fryslân • Language & education • Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning • Research

3. Fryslân in history Early Middle ages Today Late Middle ages

4. Well-known outside Fryslân

6. Frisian as First Language

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

10. 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

11. 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 - Self consciousness in English better, but not significantly

12. 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.

13. Fryske Akademy

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

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

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

17. Structured content • 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

18. Publications • Development of Minimum Standards for language education • Use of the CEFR and ELP in education • Comparative studies • Study on the devolvement of legislative power to regional authorities • Trilingual Education in Europe (due 2010)

19. www.networkofschools.eu

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

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

22. 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. • 18-19 November: conference of European Universities Network on Multilingualism (EUNoM), Ljouwert.

23. 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 (‘Boppeslach’) • Language acquisition

24. Added Value of Multilingualism and multilingual education A comparative study of the Basque Autonomous Community and Fryslân University of the Basque Country / Ikerbasque, Donostia Mercator Research Centre / Fryske Akademy, Ljouwert

25. Objectives Aims: • Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource for the individual and societý • Analyse bilingualism and multilingualism as a resource at school (Planned) steps: 1) in-depth comparison of the Basque Country and Fryslân 2) Try to apply a model of use and non-use values. 3) Investigate interaction between different languages in the curriculum and language learning strategies.

26. 2008-2010 (1) Data collection secondary school pupils (3rd/4th year): • Reports on school-visits • Questionnaires • Written essays in three languages • Classroom observations • Interviews with teachers • Photographs of the linguistic landscape in the schools

27. 2008-2010 (2) Step 1: monograph: ‘Languages and language education in Fryslân’ + comparative report on ‘Frisian and Basque multilingual education: A comparison of the province of Fryslân and the Basque Autonomous Community’ Step 2: short report about advantages / disadvantages of multilingualism Step 3: (in progress) report with outcomes of questionnaires, cross linguistic influences in written essays, classroom observations and linguistic landscape

28. 2010-2011 Verify hypothesis with focus on English (dual approach): 1) Qualitative part: ´Ethnography of language in education´ by means of classroom observations, focus group discussions with students, in-depth interviews with English teachers and directors, out-of-school use and experience with English, (digital) literacy practices 2) Quantitative part: testing and language use questionnaires. Dependent variables related to competence in and use of English

29. Informal learning and promotion of reading in families & householdsMore languages, more opportunities PhD study of Nienke Boomstra Nienke Boomstra A Papiamentu – Dutch language development project

30. Implementation • Training language coaches • Recruitment of participants by language coaches - target group: Antillean children between 20 and 30 months at the start of the project, and their primary caretakers (mostly mothers) • Duration of two years - Every two weeks home visits, every two weeks group gatherings

31. Tomke in ‘More languages, more opportunities’ • In co-operation with Afûk - 12 books (in Papiamentu and Dutch) - Web page - Finger puppets, games Language coaches teach parents how to use the materials during home visits.

32. Research questions • Will the infliction of this project promote the bilingual development in Papiamentu and Dutch? • Will it promote a better socio-emotional development in Antillean toddlers? • Will it promote a more positive interaction between mother and child?

33. Child language acquisition and code-switching - 1 PhD study of Mirjam van der Meij • Topic: childhood acquisition of two languages and organisation of two languages in the brain • Languages: Frisian as L1 and Dutch as L2, possibly English as L3 • Approach: psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic • Subjects: Frisian primary school pupils • Goal: to gain insight in the language acquisition process of Frisian primary school pupils

34. Child language acquisition and code-switching - 2 • Main question: how are Frisian and Dutch organised in the brain of a Frisian bilingual? • Sub-questions: • How is this expressed in the speech production? • How is the mental lexicon organised? • Which forms of interference do arise? • Are some words code-switched faster than others?

35. Effectiveness of Language Policy Project co-ordinator Dr. E. Klinkenberg, Department of Social Sciences Study in 2004: • Pupils behind in maths and language • Didactic skills • Care for pupils • Amount of time available • Frisian no factor

36. Policy of Provincial Government • Improvement quality education • Language and quality schools • Yearly tests • Monitoring by the Fryske Akademy

37. Research • Aspects: • Longitudinal (yearly test moments) • Multiple levels • Pupils (test results) • Class (teacher information) • School (school leader information) • 86 participating schools

38. Communicative skills PhD. study of M. Jansma MSc, Department of Social Sciences • Results Trilingual school: • Dutch: same results • Frisian: better • English: better results (ability and confidence to hold a short story) • Influence of a bilingual school system on speaking ability • Link with personality (confidence) • Expectation: • Students at a Trilingual school speak more in English and with more confidence

39. Bilingual language development of the young Frisian child • Language dominance – language input • Cross-linguistic interference PhD-study of Jelske Dijkstra, Department of Social Sciences

40. Research • 70-100 toddlers (2,5-4 yrs) • 22 preschools in Friesland, of which 50% Frisian-medium or bilingual preschools • Home language: only Frisian or only Dutch (parents to child) • Language outside home/family situation: mainly Frisian, bilingual, mainly Dutch (questionnaires)

41. Research • Language development Dutch & Frisian • Vocabulary: passive & active • Samples of spontaneous speech • One person – one language • 3 measuring periods – each period Dutch and Frisian (6 measurements) • 2,5 - 3 yrs • 3 - 3,5 yrs • 3,5 - 4 yrs

42. Expectations • Language input determines language dominance and language skills • Input L1 > L2 → L1 dominant • Cross-linguistic interference from dominant language to weaker language

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