Aspects on language and learning
development from a first language
perspective
Prof. Jarmo Lainio
Finskt språk- och kulturcentrum,
Akademin för utbildning, kultur och
kommunikation
Mälardalens högskola &
Institutionen för baltiska språk, finska
och tyska
Stockholms universitet
Languages of Europe
Each dot represents the primary location of a living language listed in the
Ethnologue. See the Ethnologue listing of the languages of Europe.
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_map.asp?name=Europe&seq=10
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Folkungatiden
Unionstiden
Stormaktstiden
Gustavianska
tiden
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Vasatiden
Frihetstiden
Reasons
for
migration
Positive international developments
• International support
• UNESCO/UNICEF
– Bilingual education since
1950´s
– The Rights of the Child
• Universal declaration of
cultural diversity
(sustainability)
• Universal declaration of
linguistic rights
• Research results
2015-04-13
2015-04-13
• European development
• Convention on Fundamental
Rights
• Council of Europe
– Framework Convention for
the Protection and Promotion
of National Minorities
– Charter on Regional or
Minority Languages
• European Union
– Strategy on multilingual
development/linguistic
diversity (2004-2006, 2007)
– White paper 1995: 3LLL
– ??Green paper COM(2008)
423
Jarmo
Lainio,
Mälardalen
Jarmo
Lainio,
FinSKC, University
MDH
Global targets – development or retardation?
 Quotation 1
 Quotation 2
”It is axiomatic that the best
medium for teaching a child is his
mother tongue. Psychologically, it
is the system of meaningful signs
that in his mind works
automatically for expression amd
understanding. Sociologically, it is
a means of identification among
the members of the community to
which he belongs. Educationally,
he learns more quickly through it
than through an unfamiliar
linguistic medium.”
”If the medium of instruction is not
the language spoken at home,
particularly when parents are
illiterate, then learning problems
accumulate, and chances of
dropping out increase. On the
other hand, there is ample
research showing that students
are quicker to learn to read and
write and acquire other skills
when first taught in their mother
tongue. They also learn a second
language more quickly than those
initially taught to read in an
unfamiliar language.”
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
What have we learned…?
• Citat 1
UNESCO report 1953, p. 11:
The Use of Vernacular Languages
in Education
2015-04-13
• Citat 2
UNICEF, 1999, p 41:
The State of the World’s Children
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Three basic principles against the ideas of
simplistic assimilation/”integration”
• ”Save the child”
(cf. Lenore
Arnberg, 1988)
• ”Save the language”
– Historically based
differences in policies (cf.
Janulf 1998; instruction of
vs. in the language); for
established minorities
– No difference in
principle (though • + in Europe: Save European
by content)
cultural heritage and
between different minority identity (to be
groups, for all
used as a good example?)
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Sweden: national trends
• (Im)migrants or minorities?
Or all Swedes? Maybe to many ”or’s” pro
overlap?
• Traditional assimilation (or segregation) of national
minorities until the end of the 1960’s
• Immigration policy useful also for minorities, from about
1965; 1975- (Invandrarutredningen, home language);
(?1983 SKU)
• ”Fritt fall” for L1s (then home language) 1991- ?
• EU 1995- + New minority policy from the mid- and late
1990’s, from 2000- Council of Europe
• 2015-04-13
New language policy: Jarmo
save
domains of Swedish, 2002Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Ny assimilationspolitik?
• ”Frånsett den första tiden i landet ska det inte finna
någon särpolitik för invandrare.”
http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/2279
(No specific policy of integration for immigrants beyond the
introductory three years)
• ”Vidare ska den som har ett annat modersmål än de nu
nämnda ges möjlighet att utveckla och använda sitt
modersmål.” (Inte lära sig) Värna språken SOU 2008:26
(Further, those who have a different mother tongue than
those mentioned above are given the possibility to
develop and use their mother tongue) (Not to learn it)
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Demography and characteristics
 Ca 250 000 – 675 000
Sweden Finnish
background, plus
 Jews,
 Roma,
 Sami, and
 Tornedalians
Total max. sum
= 825 000
2015-04-13
 About 1,2 Million with
Swedish as a second
language
 From close neighbourhoud
migration to distant, global
migration
 No clear immigration of
labour force for more than
20 years
 More than 200 migrant
groups?
 Lack of statistics
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Table 8 B: Pupils receiving MTI and second language instruction (SVA)
academic year 2007/08 (National Board of Edu., SOS; modified, JL)
Entitled Proport. Amount Proport.
Partic.
to MTI partic.
partic. MTI partic. SVA
Total
155 210 16,6
83 482 53,8 66 8861
1) Arabic
27 940
3,0
18 451 66,0 16 143
2) Bosnian/Croatian/Serb. 14 531 1,6
7 308 50,3
5 356
3) Spanish
9 801
1,0
5 000 51,0
3 541
Finnish
8 229
0,9
3 033 36,9
1 421
5) English
8 059
0,9
3 860 47,9
1 685
6) Albanian
7 595
0,8
4 965 65,4
3 943
7) Persian/Farsi
6 574
0,7
4 008 61,0
2 399
8) Somalian
6 053
0,6
4 393 72,6
3 993
9) Turkish
5 461
0,6
3 237 59,3
3 152
10)Kurdish/North Kurdish
5 395
0,6
3 054 56,6
3 104
Other lang:s (130)
54 898
5,9
25 998 47,4 21 839
Unspecified lang:s
674
175
26,0
310
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Semilingualism declared alive again
• Dagens Samhälle, 051124, om Malmö, om
tvåspråkiga barns förskoleverksamhet:
• …Nästan en fjärdedel av eleverna i Malmö går ut
nian utan godkänt i alla kärnämnen. En anledning
är att så många ungdomar är halvspråkiga – talar
två språk men är inte bra på något av dem. …
Det här är mumbo jumbo. Att inte hårdsatsa på
svenska bland så små barn, när de är som mest
receptiva, är ett svek mot dem, säger
kommunalrådet Thorbjörn Lindhqvist (m). …
Anna-Lena Immo
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Malmö på 2000-talet
• Sydsvenskan, 041209:
• Rubrik: ”Halvspråkiga barn skolornas stora
problem”. Malmö. Det är de halvspråkiga
barnen som varken behärskar sitt modersmål
eller svenskan som är Malmöskolornas stora
problem. Barn som kommer från andra
länder med ett utvecklat modersmål är ett
betydligt mindre problem. …
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Value arguments – against L1s in school
• ”In Sweden we speak Swedish”,
’i Sverige talar vi svenska’ (INTE vetenskapligt
argument)
(normative value judgement)
• ”Maassa maan tavalla”,
’ta seden dit du kommer’,
’when in Rome, do like the Romans’
(normative value judgement)
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Language learning and acquisition
• How are languages
acquired and learned
by young children and
adolescents?
By imitation only?
• At least four factors are
needed to explain how it
takes place:
– Biological predisposition
– Interaction
– Imitation
– Cognitive development
– (Cultural impact)
Consequences for schooling
and literacy?
2015-04-13
2015-04-13
Jarmo
Lainio,
Mälardalen
Jarmo
Lainio,
FinSKC, University
MDH
Relation
between
language
and
cognition
Language
Monolinguals
2015-04-13
Cognitive development
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio,
FinSKC, MDH
Jarmo Lainio, Mälardalen
University
Language Cognitive
development
Bi- and
multilinguals
when
language
shift takes
place
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Relation
language
and
cognition
(Jim Cummins;
Ellen Bialystok)
Language
Cognitive development
Bi-/multilinguals when bilingual development
takes place
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
What has a child learned till the age of
6-7 years?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Basic vocabulary (8,000 – 12,000 words)
Most phonetic features, prosodic features
Basic grammar (morphology and syntax)
Some stylistic features
Some domains of language use
Pragmatic and sociolinguistic basics
Age level cognitive development
• What happens if you have to start school in another language?
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
What is the role of the school?
• Secondary socialisation
• Support L1 and L2 and C1 and C2 = the pupil
• Language development beyond the family’s
capacity
• Development of higher levels of language
skills, orally and in writing/reading
• Follow up development of language and
cognition
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
To catch up when no bilingual
education from beginning
 Language development
 Cognitive development
 Subject matter, i.e. academic content
 = Grade and age level acquisition/learning and
development
 Dual or two-way bilingual education
Wayne Thomas & Virginia Collier (1997, 2002)
2015-04-13
2015-04-13
Jarmo
Lainio,
Mälardalen
Jarmo
Lainio,
FinSKC, University
MDH
First languages in school – no policy exists
• Holistic view?
• ”Acquisition planning”
– Neither locally nor
nationally from the
point of view of
society
– Who is responsible
and in charge of the
minority/migrant
views?
– Bi-/multilingualism?
2015-04-13
– No idea implemented
for the whole period of
schooling
– No continuity
– No teacher education
– No guaranteed higher
education?
– No group-internal plans
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Paradoxes from Sweden?
• Green paper COM(2008) 423 Final: ”Migration
and mobility: challenges and opportunities for
EU education systems”
• To replace Directive 77/486/CEE, which
includes support for mother tongues (for EU
member state citizens, in cooperation with the
state of origin of migrant)
• Supported by for example the Esser report
(Cf.).
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Paradoxes from Germany
• There is no statistical
• Hartmut Esser (2006) –
evidence for positive or
report and other research
negative effects of L1 on
(against?) bilingualism (AKI
educational
= Arbeitsstelle
achievement, except in
Interkulturelle Konflikte
cases where
und gesellschaftliche
bilgingualism is
Integration, Berlin):
achieved, which
Migration, Sprache und
correlates positively
Integration (2006)
with educational results
• No effects of bilingualism
on labour market merits, +
for nishes and EnglishJarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
2015-04-13
Esser (2)
• The factors that seem to correlate positively
with bilingualism and thus educational
progression
– Age of migration (= high level of L1)
– Educational level of parents
– Ethnic context
– Concentration of children with migrant
background to same schools and classes
2015-04-13
Comments
• There is no clue to the understanding of the
writer of language-connected issues in the
report (Critical age-threshold,
Interdependence Hypothesis are discussed
and part of the analysis)
• The fact that there are no positive or negative
statistical effects of L1 + L2 learning, but one
learns two languages, is not discussed
• Research results are highly contextually
interpreted – Germany
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
NESSE reports
• Friedrich Heckmann (2008) Education and
Integration of Migrants (NESSE Analytical
Report 1 for EU Commission DG Education and
Culture). www.efms.de (University of
Bamberg)
• 16 recommendations
• (NB: Most of which have been described as
typical for immersion programmes and well
functioning schools in general)
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Rec’s abbreviated from Heckmann’s report
on ”integration”
• 1) Effective pre-school and
day-care system needed
• 2) Later selection of
specialisation needed
• 3) Integrate elements and
symbols of the culture or
the immigrant country;
consultations
• 4) Improve the general
quality of school
4)
• 5) Desegregate schools
• 6) Special attention for
special education for
migrant children
• 7) Teacher training should
be adapted to migrant
children; assistants, howe
work centres
• 8) Additional funding, as
investment, not extra costs
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
…from Heckmann’s report (2)
• 9) Teachers should have
high expectations
• 10) More migrant
background children into
teacher education
• 11) Liaison officers of
schools (same background
as parents) involve parents
• 12) Ethnic mentoring by
outsiders inschool (parents,
assoc.)
2015-04-13
• 13) Involve families in early
childhood language learning
programmes
• 14) Authorities should set
up goals and monitor them
(rates of school leaving
cert’s, migrant background
teachers etc.)
• 16) Develop programmes
for highly talented migrant
pupils
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Recommendation 15, Heckmann
• 15) ”Migrant children should come to a full demand of the
lingua franca of the immigration country as early as possible.
Language training should be a central part of pre-school
education. Priority should be given to the common language
of the immigration country, since full command of the first
language does not seem to be a necessary condition for
learning the lingua franca of the immigration country. The
lingua franca should be the language of instruction from the
beginning of schooling. Since multlingualism is of high value
the first language should be further developed in general
language learning in school. ”
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Some comments on Rec 15
 No one model fits all
 A ”worst case scenario”
(in addition to when no
L1 instruction is given) =
give instruction about
the language
 At least some subjects
• Again, does the writer
taught in both languages
know anything about
(O´Riágain, P. & Lüdi, G.
how languages are
2003: Bilingual
learned?
education, Council of
Europe)
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
• The bulk of the report
does not deal with the
issue of language and
language policy, but
conclusions do
Research on language and school
• Joana Duarte (2009;
incl. in EUCIM-TE
project) dual bilingual
education, Portuguese
and German in
Hamburg
2015-04-13
• Summary of results (to
be continued…)
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
On the other hand…?
• Can we evaluate the results of any educational
model today, as safely as we want?
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Educational aspects: What does ”teaching”
and conditions of learning look like today?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Is the desk left?
Teacher left?
Child left?
Children collectively, individually or in interaction?
Classroom left?
Other people involved?
Role of all teachers evaluated?
• Evaluations increasingly difficult to generalize
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH
Final comments
• We need to create space for good examples of
functioning multilingualism and role models
• We need to (re-)consider the role of higher level of
language development and writing/literacy for
multilingual development
• We need to instruct our politicians on various basic
aspects on language learning and bi-/multilingual
language learning
• We need to raise more interest among all teachers for
the relation between learning and language skills, and
know more about what is taking place in the field today
2015-04-13
Jarmo Lainio, FinSKC, MDH