1. Trilingual Education in Friesland: Challenges & Developments
Alex M.J. Riemersma & Reitze J. Jonkman Lector Frisian & Multilingualism in Education
ICLASP, 23th JUNE, 2012

2. Frisian in Fryslân (Netherlands)
Autochthonous minority language
Western Germanic language
Spoken in one province (of 12) of the Netherlands: Fryslân
Fryslân has 640,000 inhabitants
55% has Frisian as mother tongue (= speakers)
BUT: Frisian is successful as a second language:
65% can read Frisian; 74% can speak Frisian;
94% comprehends Frisian.

3. Multilingual Primary Education in Fryslân
Main stream primary education (500 schools): (a) 400 schools: limited multilingual education: mainly Dutch + English as a subject; limited use of Frisian as a medium; (b) 100 schools: semi-multilingual education: mainly Dutch + English as a subject; Frisian medium for (half) school day
Trilingual primary education (about 45 schools): - Dutch, Frisian and English as subject and medium - aiming at integrated language learning
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

4. Trilingual education in Fryslân
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
Early start English
Consciously separated use of languages: person / time / themes

5. Trilingual education in Fryslân
Developments: > 50 primary schools (= 10%)
Continuity to secondary education: 2012: 3 pilot schools with the concept of multilingual clil (= medium of instruction)
Teacher training: 2011: Trilingual stream : Minor (30 ECTS)

6. Multilingual Secondary Education in Fryslân
Main stream secondary education: - Dutch dominant - English and Frisian as a subject only - limited use of Frisian as a medium in oral use only
Experiments in progress:
3 CLIL-schools: Dutch (obligatory for exams!); English medium (30%-50%); Frisian as a subject only
3 Trilingual schools: Dutch, English and Frisian both as a subject and a medium
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

7. Common Underlying Proficiency (Cummins)
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en Opvoeding

8. Synergy of trilingual education through Common Underlying Proficiency
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en Opvoeding

9. Synergy of multilingual education?
On base of the CUP-model / ice mountain (Cummins) students are expected to acquire more languages in relationship with each other: constructs / significants; and simultaneously.
Problem 1: in school practice the watershed is persistent. Problem 2: comparability of different target languages with regard to levels of command and the measurement.
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en Opvoeding

10. Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma
Conflicting policies
Ideal: EU- & CoE-policy: mother tongue + 2 languages – multilingualism as an asset
National: stress on national language + foreign languages – discouraging regional and migrant languages
School level: reflects those conflicting policies
Solution: Concept of Multilingual Education (ME) fits better to EU- & CoE-policy  CLIL
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

11. Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma
School & class room
CLIL should be reflected in didactics:
Teamwork is conditio sine qua non: - teachers of subjects and medium of instruction aiming at integral approach - common target levels of language command in the target languages
Learning strategies of pupils based on translanguaging and language use
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

12. Task/ambition of lector
Continuity of ME from primary to secondary education; adequate teacher training
Didactic approach for teacher training: - effective & integrated learning - aiming at results
Development of measurement tool for comparable results of language command; Reference levels: CEFR and Anglia (and the Dutch levels)
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

13. Comparison of CEFR and Anglia levels
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en opvoeding

14. Comparison CEFR-Anglia levels of language proficiency
Masters C1
Accept proficiency B2
Advanced B1
Intermediate A2
Pre-intermediate
Elementary A1
Preliminary
Primary
Junior
First step
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

15. Example of CEFR levels for verb in English (Van Dale)
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en opvoeding

16. Achievable goals What is the most important goal for the learner?
Communicative language use
But what can be measured on base of the CEFR and Anglia levels?
Vocabulary, syntax, morphology, …..

17. Uptil now multiple choice vocabulary
1. What is the translation of
paard ko
hynder
peerd
fôle

18. Example of English test
I _____________ the paper at the moment.
read
am reading
to read
have read

19. Example of related Frisian test
Ik bin de krante _____________ .
te lêzen
oan it lêzen
lêzende
lêze

20. Synergy of ME and the comparable measurement of target languages
To what extent can different testing systems show validated results concernig reference levels in the target languages?
To what extent can the common practice in didactics be applied towards integrated language learning?
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en opvoeding

21. Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma
Conclusion
Comparability of achievable levels of language command is related to: (a) the mother tongue of the student (b) complexity of target language (c) language rich input / quality of education
Registration of progress of language command: (a) language portfolio of student (b) student monitoring system (c) language portfolio of teacher & school (d) class / school monitoring system
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma

22. Conclusion
Teacher and pupil want to see progress in their results of language learning
Schools need to show “hard” comparable results of teaching
Validated tests necessary / Synergy of several tests

23. Trilingual Education in Friesland: Challenges & Developments
Bedankt voor de belangstelling!
Tige tank foar jim omtinken!
Thank you for your attention!
Reitze Jonkman en Alex Riemersma Lectoraat Fries & Meertaligheid in Onderwijs en opvoeding