Trilingual Education in Friesland:

Why, What, How and Results

Dr. Alex M.J. Riemersma Lector Frisian & Multilingualism in Education

NPLD – Dublin, 18 October 2013

Overview

• Frisian – example of (im)balanced bi-/

trilingual education

• Multilingual Education:

why, what, how, results

• Research: results & questions

Language Vitality Planning

• Balance of community language will

and infrastructure / programmes on:

• Corpus planning / standardisation

• Status planning / legislation / domains

• Language transmission / acquisition /

learning / education

Unesco Language Vitality (2003)

Frisian is spoken in one province (of 12) of the Netherlands: Fryslân

Frisian in Fryslân (Netherlands)

• Autochthonous minority language

• Western Germanic language

• Fryslân - 640,000 inhabitants (4% of Dutch population)

• 55% (= 350.000) has Frisian as mother tongue (L1)

• BUT: Frisian is successful as second language (L2):

• 65% can read Frisian;

• 74% can speak Frisian;

• 94% comprehends Frisian.

Recognition

• Frisian Language Law (October 2013)

• European Charter for Regional and

Minority Languages (Council of Europe)

- Frisian in part III (48 obligations)

- Lower-Saxon in part II

• In Germany: Lower-Saxon in part II-plus

Characteristics of Frisian

• Frysk English Dutch German

• Tsiis Cheese Kaas Käse

• Tsjerke Church Kerk Kirche

• Kaai Key Sleutel Schlüssel

• twa skiep two sheep twee schapen zwei Schafe

• Ik haw west / I have been

Ik ben geweest / Ich bin gewesen

Languages across the North Sea

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Dia mei taartdiagram ferhâldingen

Iepen Mienskip – Open Society

• Middle Ages – Latin in writing;

from 1250: Frisian in writing

• 1600 – 1800: Dutch Republic

– one out of 7 provinces

• 1813 onwards: Kingdom (central nation)

– one out of 12 provinces

• 20th Century: Revitalisation process

Frisian in Education: – steady

growth, marginal position

• 1907 - extracurricular

• 1937 – optional subject

• 1955 – optional use as medium

• 1980 – compulsory subject in p.e.

• 1970 – optional exam subject in s.e.

• 1993 – compulsory subject in s.e.

Development of multilingual

education in 20th century

• Neglect of “deviant” mother tongue

> submersion

• Transitional bilingualism

> subtractive bilingualism

• Equal footing / immersion

> additive / full bilingualism, biliterate

Why Bilingual Education ?

• Traditional pedagogic argument:

transition to better command of Dutch

• Actual pedagogic arguments:

- right on mother tongue education

- cultural heritage

- social cohesion & participation

- language maintenance

Language Acquisition by

Transfer & Translanguaging

• Language transfer: the effect of L1 on

the learning of L2:

+ understanding, common concepts;

- interferences, ‘false friends’

• Translanguaging: strategic use of more

languages; f.e. reading in L1, discussing

in L2 and and writing in L3

Multilingual Society & Education

• English overwhelming present in media

& public life, music & advertising

• English compulsory in p.e. (from age 9)

• Early English in p.e. from grade 1

• CLIL in s.e. = English at 120 schools

(only 2 German)

• Higher Education: English dominant

Frisian in Society

• Strong cultural language in oral use

• Radio & TV

• Amateur theatre playing

• Choir singing

• Children’s Literature

• Informal language of social cohesion !

Immersion versus CLIL • Immersion:

• from (pre-)school onwards

• more than 50% teaching time

• native speakers as teachers

• CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning):

• Mainly in secondary education

• Less than 50% of teaching time

• Non-native speakers as teachers

Bilingual Education in the

Netherlands

• NO migrant language education in the

curriculum

• Primary school: English obligatory

+ 650 schools “Early language learning”

• Secondary school: English + one

+ 130 schools with English – CLIL

+ 2 schools with German - CLIL

Multilingual Primary Education

in Friesland

• Main stream primary education (500 schools):

mainly Dutch

+ English as a subject (grade 7+8)

+ limited use of Frisian (orally – schooltelevision)

• 100 primary schools:

Frisian as medium of instruction

for (half) school day

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Trilingual Primary Education

in Friesland

50 schools:

Model: Frisian, Dutch and English as

subject & medium of instruction

- Grade 1-6: 50 % Frisian, 50 % Dutch

- Grade 7-8: 40 % Frisian, 40 % Dutch,

20% English

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Trilingual Primary Education

in Friesland

Development: Early start English

Consciously separated use of languages: person / time / themes

Results: > equal Dutch > equal English > (much) better Frisian

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Multilingual Secondary Education

in Friesland

• Main stream Secondary education:

- Dutch dominant

- English and Frisian as a subject only

- French and German as optional subjects

- Limited use of Frisian

as medium, in oral use only

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Multilingual Secondary Education

in Friesland

• Experiments in progress:

• 3 bilingual schools: Dutch and English

medium and Frisian as a subject only

• 3 multilingual schools: Dutch, English and

Frisian both as a subject and a medium

• Synergy towards …..

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Integrated Trilingual Education

• Continuity primary > secondary

• CLIL – English & Frisian as a medium

• Cultural heritage > equality use of

languages of learning & communication

• Comparable testing of Dutch, Anglia &

Frisia, based on CEFR

• Quality of teachers and teacher training

Why Multilingual Education in

EU ?

• Colin Baker: 5 C

Character, Cognition, Communication,

Culture, Carreer

• Full bilingualism + biliterate >

digitalisation of education + training

• Feeling at home, in “Jorwert”, “York”

and “Brussels”

Internationalisation

• MySchoolsNetwork foar de Trijetalige

Skoalle (pilot Project 2013-2014) - 5 primary schools; 2 PABOs

- “events” in three target languages

- on line coaching

• Comenius exchange project

• Master Multilingualism (60 EC; RUG & NHL)

Research on bilingual + Frisian

• Jelske Dijkstra, Growing up with Frisian

and Dutch (PhD 2013)

• MELT – “informed choice” (2009-2011)

• Trilingual Primary Schooling (2008)

• Boppeslach (2014)

• Eabele Tjepkema (2015): Didactics

• Reitze Jonkman, Frisia testing

Research Questions

• Which factors at home and at school

can be strengthened towards:

- self consciousness of pupils

- continuity of teaching & learning

- equal command of L1, L2 and L3

• How can comand & use of L1, L2 and

L3 at local school and by international

schooling be strengthenend?

Cultural Capital of Europe

Ambitions of lectureship • Continuity of Multilingual Education

from primary to secondary education

• Didactic approach for teacher training:

- effective & integrated learning

- aiming at equal results in three target languages

• Research on didactic approaches and use of

transfer & translanguaging (PhD Eabele

Tjepkema, promotor Kees de Bot)

• Language portfolio

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

Ambitions of Lectureship

• Development of student monitoring tool for

comparable results of language command:

- Frisian – Dutch – English

• Reference levels:

- CEFR: Common European Reference

Level (Council of Europe)

- DFR: Dutch national reference levels

- Anglia-levels

- Frisia-level

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

CEFR & Anglia

Comparative levels

Levels DFR & CEFR, Anglia & Frisia

DFR 1F 2F 3F 4F

CEFR A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

Anglia Junior Intermediate

Frisia Start Stap 1 Stap 2 Stap 3

Conclusion

• Long way to:

> fully integrated language learning

> based on equality of languages

> continuity of learning & teaching

> quality of teachers

• Longer way to:

> common approaches

> common European standards

Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

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36

• Eskerrik asko

• Mange Takk

• Diolch

Tankewol

• Trugarez

• Graciis

• Dankscheen

• Mercé plan

• Kiitos

• Köszönöm

• Multimesc

Thank you

• Hvala

• Dankuwel

Tankewol

Tankewol