Presentation by Ana-Maria Stan (European Commission) at the Rutu Roundtable on Multilingual Education for Migrant Children in Europe. The Roundtable was hosted by Utrecht University and held in Utrecht, the Netherlands on 6 November 2015. More info: http://www.rutufoundation.org/rutu-roundtable-utrecht/

1. Language learning and teaching
in multilingual classrooms
Ana-Maria Stan, European Commission
RUTU ROUNDTABLE
MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN IN EUROPE
6 NOVEMBER/ UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS
10:15-10:30 /
#RutuRT

2. Language teaching and
learning in multilingual
classrooms
Ana-Maria Stan,
European Commission
DG Education and Culture
Utrecht, 6 November 2015

3. Europese dag van de talen

4. DG EAC coordinates 2 types of activities:
Policy cooperation
with Member
States
Action
programmes
grant schemes

5. Council Conclusions May 2014
 - Adopt and improve measures aimed at promoting
multilingualism and enhancing the quality and
efficiency of language learning and teaching;
o - Develop measures to support children and adults
with migrant backgrounds in learning the language(s)
of the host country;

6. Key Action 1
Learning
mobility of
individuals
Key Action 2
Cooperation for
innovation and the
exchange of good
practices
Key Action 3
Support for
policy reform

7. What are multilingual classrooms?

8. 8
THE CHALLENGE : THE SCALE AND EXTENT OF MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOMS
 Multilingual classrooms are becoming increasingly commonplace in many EU
countries.
 The range of mother tongues of children is increasing, and has increased
significantly more since 2009.

9. “Children punished for speaking Portuguese in kindergarten and
“maisons relais”
Luxemburger Wort, Nov 2014
• “Children are being
punished with detention
and compulsory
language lessons if they
are caught speaking
French in the playground
of Sint-Pieterscollege, a
primary school in a
Flemish-speaking suburb
of Brussels.”
• The Telegraph, Feb 2012

10. Language Teaching and
Learning in Multilingual
Classrooms
How schools and
communities can help
learners with different
linguistic backgrounds
strengthen their language
skills in order to succeed
better in school and life

11. 11
Method
• 42 journal articles (academic)
• 94 reports (research institutions, projects,
networks)
• Practice examples from Europe and US
Literature
Review
• Policy makers, researchers and practitioners
taking part in three roundtable discussions
• Study visit (Köln)
Round table
discussions
• Consistent messages, build on the determinants
of under-achievement
• Plenty of policy-orientated information drawing
on practitioner experience
Strengths
• Relationship between policy measures and
learning outcomes not always clear
• Some areas of each theme covered by
practitioner experience but little research
evidence
Weaknesses

12. 12
What makes a difference?
• Pre-service training
• In-service support
• Classroom capacity
building
• Formal
• Informal
• Cultural awareness
• Funding
• Support for school
staff
• Parental engagement
• ECEC
• Assessment tools
• Rapid immersion
• Staff training Reception
and
integration
Access to
the
curriculum
Teacher
education
Developing
mother
tongue

13. Key conclusions
• Schools need to:
•
 - Take the mother tongue of every child into
account, support the development of children's
individual multilingualism;
 - This improves main language of instruction
competences and other cognitive skills;
 boosts self-confidence and strengthens identity.

14. Key conclusions

15. 15
Participation in early education and childcare (ECEC)
ECEC can have positive learning and progression outcomes for
children without language of schooling:
Increased likelihood of attending higher level secondary school.
Improved literacy and numeracy.
73%
51%
60%
21%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Native children Children of migrants
Progression to higher level secondary school
Kindergarten attendees No kindergarten

16. 16
Developing mother tongue competences
Formal
learning
• Learning mother
tongues alongside
language of
instruction
enhances
competency in
both.
Informal
learning
• Enables children to
gain recognition for
these skills.
• Shows both
languages are of
equal value.
Developing
competences

17. 17
Developing language development skills and cultural competences
Learning and
development
for teachers
Cultural
competences
Skills for
admission
and
immersion
Language
learning
support
• MARILLE
• FREPA
• Hamburg: Intercultural
education for teachers

18. 18
Actions to take
Policy
makers
• Establish a curriculum for second language
learning and unbiased assessment tools
(language simplification in assessment
tests)
• Core funding for schools to provide support
inside and outside of schools
• Learning & development support for
teachers to work in multilingual classrooms

19. 19
Actions to take
Policy
implementers
• Engage parents and teachers
• Ensure rapid transition into
mainstream classes
• Support mother tongue learning
• Promote CLIL teaching approaches
European
Commission
• Share evidence and good practice
• Support research to develop
knowledge base

21. Ressources
• http://ec.europa.eu/languages/policy/learning-languages/multilingual-
classrooms_en.htm
• European Language Label:
• https://vimeo.com/74586810
• Comparons nos langues: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZlBiAoMTBo
• ECML: www.ecml.at

22. http://ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus
Erasmus+ National Agencies:
http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/tools/national-
agencies/index_en.htm

23. School Education Gateway
- for anyone involved in school education
 Tools for Erasmus+:
 Catalogue of courses
 Partner-finding
 Mobility opportunities
 Articles and examples of good
practice
 Discussion fora
 News and information on
events

24. eTwinning – the European online community for
schools
 Platform and tools for
cooperation, projects,
pedagogical use of ICT
 Teachers' competence
development
 Professional network for
teachers, school leaders and
other staff
 Partner finding, learning
resources, project spaces