Multilingual Early Language Transmission

MELT Project Comenius- LLP, 2009-2011

Idske Bangma MSc

Poliglotti4.eu Expert Seminar on Early Language Learning Ljouwert, 10 February, 2012

www.mercator-research.eu

Presentation overview:1. The MELT project partners2. Target groups and goals 3. MELT products:

I) Brochure, II) Guide, III) Research paper4. Model: ‘Continuous multilingual development’ 5. Model: ‘Ages of participating pre- and primary school’6. Best practices of the four regions 7. Recommendations 8. Future challenges

1. MELT project partners:• Mercator Research Centre on

Multilingualism and Language Learning/Fryske Akademy

(Fryslân, Netherlands)

• Folkhälsen (Swedish community, Finland)

• Welsh Language Board (Wales, UK)

• Divskouarn and Conseil Régional de Bretagne (Brittany, France)

2. MELT target groups:

• Parents, families and peers

• Pre-school practitioners

• Policymakers, local and regional authorities

Children aged 0 - 4 years in minority language settings

• 1) Development of pre-school teaching methodology. • 2) Encouraging practitioners on how to immerse

children in the minority language. • 3) Increase of parents’ awareness about

multilingualism.• 4) Raise awareness of policymakers across Europe.

2. MELT goals:

3. MELT Products:

• Products:

• Brochure for parents • Guide for pre-school practitioners• Research paper

• Local awareness raising events • Closing conference

www.meltproject.eu

I. MELT product: Brochure for parents

• “Multilingualism in everyday life”‘Parents need more information about the advantages and benefits of multilingualism, but also need knowledge of different the development stages and the capacity of their children.’

Bilingual brochures translated in eight languages:• Frisian-Dutch• Welsh-English• Swedish-Finnish• Breton-French

The content:

- Introduction - Section 1: Adults as linguistic role models - Section 2: Collaboration with parents on linguistic matters- Section 3: Everyday situations and the physical environment - Section 4: Suggestions for observing and recording children’s language- Section 5: Working with themes, and emphasis on linguistic factors- Section 6: How to stimulate children’s language use- Section 7: Playtime to stimulate language- Section 8: Reflection- Section 9: Examples of exercises and activities- References- Suggestions for further reading - Websites and useful links

II. MELT product: Guide for pre-school practitioners

Story box- telling;For example, the book: ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’

Using a ‘minority charachter’

Goals of those activities:• Identification• Methodology of story telling • Immersion • Interaction• Increase vocubulary

II. MELT product: Guide for pre-school practitioners

Summary of relevant literature on early multilingual learning, related to European smaller state and regional & minority language communities

(2011, Bangma I. & Riemersma A.M.J.)

III. MELT Research paper:

4. Model: Conditions for a continuous multilingual development(based on the models from De Houwer (2009), Grosjean (2010), and MELT experiences).

A natural development,in a playful and conscious way,during the different developmentalstages becoming an adult.

The strategyof multilingual raising appropriate tothe family situation and the language

community.

The need for language:- to communicate with family andrelatives;- to take part in pre-school activities;- to interact with others in the social environment;- to watch television, playing,hobbies etc.

The factors:- quality and varied language input;- role of the family in the multilingualsetting;- role of the school and community;- positive attitudes towards minoritylanguage.

A multilingual person

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Age

Conditions for a'sustainable multilingual development'

MELT product : Research paper

• Descriptions of the different pre-school provisions• Best and worst practices of immersion• Definitions • Process and results of implementing the MELT Guide• Contributions of the experts:

• Dr. Annick De Houwer (Germany)• Dr. Tina Hickey (Ireland)• Dr. Gunilla Holm (Finland)

• Recommendations and challenges

5. Model : Ages of participating Pre-school Compulsory primary-school

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 16

Playgroups: 3-6 yearsDay care: 0-3 years Compulsory school: 6-16 years

Compulsory school: 5-16 yearsDay care: 0-4 years

Playgroups: 2-5 years

Startprimary:4 years

Compulsory school: 7-16 years

Compulsory school: 5-16 years

Pre-schoolclasses6-7years

Day care: 1-6 years

Playgroups: 1-6 years

Startprimary:4 years

Day care: 0-4 years

Playgroups: 2-4 years

Brittany

Wales

Swedish community in Finland

Fryslân

Age

Languagecommunities

Age of participating voluntary pre-school provisions Age of starting compulsory primary school in the four regions

– Thematic and project manner – Concrete materials; such as storybox telling,

character approach – Total immersion or two-way immersion – One person-one language strategy– Collaboration with (grand-/god) parents – Parent and toddler groups – Bachelor’s degree

6. Some best practices:

7. Recommendations based on best practices of the four regions:

• Necessary to draft a conscious language policy about multilingualism and immersion into the minority language.

• Requires good skills of the pre-school practitioners, coached by mentors.

• To offer a rich language environment, including enough input in the minority language.

• Promotion of Early Linguistic diversity and multilingualism (including migrant languages, regional and minority languages).

• Continuity from pre-school to primary education.

• Training of pre-school practitioners.

• Dissemination: Best practices of the four MELT regions applied in different minority regions in Europe.

8. Future challenges:

• Eskerrik asko

• Mange Takk

• Diolch

Tige tank

• Trugarez

• Grazia

• Graciis

• Dankscheen • Mercé plan

• Kiitos

• Dźakuju so

Köszönöm

• Hvala • Multumesc• Spassi Ba

Nvala lepaThank you

www.meltproject.euwww.mercator-research.eu

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