Multilingual Early Language Transmission (MELT) Summary of relevant literature on early multilingual learning, related to European smaller state and regional & minority language communities I. Bangma MSc Dr. A.M.J. Riemersma The contents of this publication may be reproduced in print, except for commercial purposes, provided that the extract is proceeded by a complete reference to the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning. Published in September 2011 Project number: 504186-LLP-1-2009-1-NL-COMENIUS-CMP / 2009-3894 (2009-2011) ISBN number: 978 94 9071 90 43 Copyright © Fryske Akademy Authors: Idske Bangma and Alex Riemersma Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning www.mercator-research.eu c/o Fryske Akademy PO Box 54 8900 AB Leeuwarden/Ljouwert www.fryske-akademy.nl This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Additional funds and technical assistance have generously been provided for by the Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity. 2 The MELT project is carried out in a cooperation of four European regions and five partners: Acknowledgements The authors wish to express their gratitude to the partners of the MELT project who were very helpful and who supplied all necessary information with great enthusiasm. Special and personal thanks go to Veronica Hertzberg, Gari Lewis and Gregor Mazo, who have contributed to the content, and to Heledd Daniel, Osian Llywelyn, Virginie Pronost, Bauke Okkema, Robert Harris, Jan van der West, Saskia Benedictus-van der Berg, Verena Backer-Steinbrink, Tjallien Kalsbeek and René Jorna who have assisted greatly to this publication and to the success of the project. 3 Summary Between 2009 and 2011, pre-school practitioners implemented a practical Guide, developed jointly as part of the MELT (Multilingual Early Language Transmission) project for the promotion of multilingual early language transmission and the identification of best practices. The MELT project is a Comenius Project co-funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme. The project proposal was the result of cooperation between four regions within the NPLD (the Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity ), other NPLD members benefiting from the project as associate partners. The Guide for practitioners identifies and presents best practices, treating relevant themes and activities in day care centres and pre-school provisions. In addition the project has resulted in a brochure for parents, exploring the best way to support their child’s linguistic development in a minority language. The differences and similarities in the regions of the project are described, the various types of pre-school provisions in these regions being clarified in chapter 2. Although the various structures and approaches in the project regions differ from each other, the key concepts and common perspectives form the basis for cooperation. The MELT project defines ‘pre-school’ as: The period from 0 until compulsory primary school, during which children attend pre-primary school provisions outside the home. A public provision where children must feel secure in order to be able to benefit from their experiences and to develop in their best natural way. This holds for all kinds of development, including (multilingual and minority) language acquisition. The pedagogic approaches applied in pre- school education are always offered in a playful and natural way. Language topics are offered in conscious planned activities in a thematic and project-type manner. The pre-school teacher observes the development of the children and reports the offered vocabulary. Based on these data, a well-documented portfolio can be transferred to primary school and a continuous line from pre-school to primary school with regard to multilingual development of the child can be enhanced, and the position of the actual minority language can be strengthened. The early years (age 0-4) are an advantageous timespan to acquire language skills. One of the skills young children need to acquire is the ability to understand the adults in their environment, whatever language(s) they may use while speaking to the child. At the same time, the child is learning to speak, acquiring the language(s) at its own pace and in a playful, natural way. The child’s early language development is described in chapter 3. Language is not merely a tool of communication but also a value. To the child, mother tongue and father tongue are of equal value. And in the eyes of pre-school teachers, parents, other care takers and policymakers, the minority language should attain a value equal to that of the majority language. Early-years practitioners working within the pre- school institutions should employ a deliberate language policy, offering children a language- rich environment. Pre-school staff must be aware of language immersion methodology in the minority language. Learning a language relies on the development of operations: these operations are influenced and modulated by both verbal and non-verbal interactions (led by adults) with the child’s environment. Language acquisition can take place sequentially or simultaneously in several languages. The MELT project focuses on the smaller state and regional & minority languages, in particular language acquisition and natural development in these languages. The experts, summarised 4 in chapter 4, have demonstrated that when parents and pre-school practitioners consistently speak the minority language to children, this will ultimately lead to better results in the majority language as well; the level of development of children’s mother tongue is a strong predictor of their second or third language development. The promotion and stimulation of smaller state and regional & minority languages from an early age is crucial to the overall development of the child, i.e. its becoming a permanently multilingual individual, particularly in an era of ever-increasing globalisation. The MELT project explicitly stresses that the acquisition of the minority language at an early age is favourable to the development of the multilingual individual. Nevertheless, to become a multilingual individual, some conditions will have to be met: the child must feel the need to communicate and to interact with others and to speak more languages; different factors such as language input and a positive language attitude in the social environment must be present; the child should have a natural development; the parents should choose a ‘fitting’ language strategy of immersion. When these conditions are met, the child is in a position to grow up multilingually. To continue as a multilingual individual, it is not only important that there be a balance between all conditions, but also that they are fulfilled during the different developmental stages (infant, toddler, school child, adolescent and young adult etc.). When continued attention is paid to all conditions, we may speak of a “continuous multilingual development” in which the child may hopefully develop into a multilingual individual. The model of continuous multilingual development is presented in chapter 4.4. Chapter 5 contains recommendations for materials and resources in pre-school. During the implementation process of the Guide in the four regions, the tutors experienced that immersion and language acquisition was most successful when pre-school practitioners offered the children a rich and varied input in the minority language. In general, however, pre-school practitioners need confidence and guidance in developing the correct skills and expertise necessary for the creation of an environment and the implementation of activities that will promote the child’s language development. In chapter 6 recommendations and future challenges are formulated, directed at local and regional authorities as well as national governments and European organisations. The overall goal of these recommendations and challenges is the strengthening of the relationship between theory and practice with respect to the multilingual upbringing of children. The publication is augmented by three contributions on special themes regarding language learning and training of practitioners, written by international experts. 5 Table of Contents Summary 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 8 1.1 The MELT project ................................................................................................................ 8 1.2 Products of the MELT project ............................................................................................. 12 1.2.1 Guide for pre-school practitioners ..................................................................................................... 13 1.2.2 Awareness-raising and guidance brochure for parents ...................................................................... 14 1.2.3 Local events ........................................................................................................................................ 14 1.2.4 Expert seminars and conferences ...................................................................................................... 15 1.2.5 PR and communication ......................................................................................................................