Regional FEL Conference: ‘Multilingualism and Language Learning in China, Mongolia and Russia’ at Lake Baikal

Education and public services must go multilingual, says EU platform

The EU Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism (CSPM) has published its policy recommendations to the European Commission, member states and regional authorities. Education and public services must go multilingual to boost Europe’s language skills, sustain Europe’s economies and cater for increasingly diverse societies, says the EU platform. The recommendations are available on the website of the European Commission’s multilingualism portal.

There are still unacceptable gaps in support for multilingualism and language learning throughout the EU. Even where good policies exist, implementation is often inadequate; some countries and regions show a much stronger commitment to multilingualism than others.

To make language teaching and learning more efficient, and enhance the ability of public services to meet the needs of their users, the CSPM urges European policymakers to:

• make plurilingual education (i.e. mother tongue plus two) the norm: content-based language learning should be introduced more widely, and extensive informal learning outside the classroom created;
• early language learning and lifelong learning opportunities should be developed;
• strengthen learning support for immigrants: for integration and social cohesion purposes;
• improve language skills of public services across Europe: to offer adequate services to newcomers, foreigners, migrant workers, as well as to disabled people and citizens with communication difficulties.

Multilingualism is also crucial to the preservation and accessibility of the common European cultural heritage. In this context, translation can make existing texts cross linguistic and cultural borders, and is an essential tool for communication and intercultural understanding. Working conditions for translators should thus be substantially improved, and sound degree programmes and opportunities for mobility developed.

As the Chairman of the Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism, Uwe Mohr, points out: “Europe needs to develop a language policy that monitors language use and ensures that languages are treated equally. We also highly recommend that the Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism be continued on a permanent basis to act as an instrument of dialogue between the EU policy level on the one side and the national, regional and local language policy levels and social reality on the other side.”

To advise policymakers in designing and implementing successful policies for multilingualism, nine CSPM members have committed to setting up an on-line Language Observatory. The observatory, part of the ongoing Poliglotti4.eu
project funded by the European Commission, will conduct research, capture and disseminate good practice; it will be launched in the autumn.

The ultimate goal of the project is to raise awareness for the importance of multilingual education and training in Europe. Because, as Mohr puts it, “only as multilinguals can we fully enjoy the benefits of our culturally and linguistically diverse Europe and live a richer, more interesting and more successful life in the Europe of the future.”

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Regional FEL Conference: ‘Multilingualism and Language Learning in China, Mongolia and Russia’ at Lake Baikal

To contribute to a network of scholars studying the languages in the region of Northeast Asia and to improve the UNESCO Atlas of endangered languages, those were the main goals of the regional FEL (Foundation for Endangered Languages) conference on Multilingualism and Language Learning in China, Mongolia and Russia, held from 20 until 26 August in Buryatia (Russian Federation).

A total of 25 representatives of the Russian Federation (Buryatia, Yakutia, Tuva, Moscow, St.Petersburg), the People’s Republic of China (Inner-Mongolia), Taiwan, France, The Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and the USA discussed matters related to the conference theme. Conference meetings took place in Ulan Ude and near Lake Baikal (picture).
Papers were presented on various subjects related to a number of languages and cultures of the region. In particular Evenki, Even, Buriat, Mongolian, Tibetan, Tuvain, Kalmyk, Oirat Mongolian, Nivkh, and Ainu: language teaching of minority languages in endangered language communities, multilingualism and language policy, documentation and safeguarding of endangered languages in the region.

Excursions
During and after the conference a few interesting excursions were organised, such as to Buddhist datsans (temples), Buryat archives, the Buryat ethnological museum and a village of Russian Old-Believers. The informal contacts established during these excursions and the stay at Lake Baikal contributed to the success of the conference and will facilitate the extension of future activities within the FEL Regional Interest Group (RIG) for Northeast Asia.
The conference organisers are grateful for the financial and moral support they received from various sides, in particular from the Buryat University.

UNESCO Internet Atlas
In 2009 the UNESCO has published an Internet Atlas of the endangered languages in most countries of the world. The FEL has been involved in the preparation of this Atlas and works further on the collection of data which will make the presented information up-to-date. Regional Interest Groups (RIG) of the FEL are set up in various parts of the world. Tasks of these RIG’s are for instance to establish and strengthen the relationship between specialists, minority language communities, and organisations in their region and to report on the experience of such communities in the field of language learning, conservation and possible revitalisation.

More details on the FEL conference can be found in the conference programme and a photo impression is given here.

On behalf of the Organising Committee,
Tjeerd de Graaf and Ljubov Radnaeva
Foundation for Siberian Cultures, Germany (www.kulturstiftung-sibirien.de)
Foundation for Endangered Languages, UK (www.ogmios.org)
Centre for Russian Studies at Groningen University
Mercator European Research Centre on
Multilingualism and Language Learning
c/o Fryske Akademy
P.O.Box 54
NL-8900 AB, Ljouwert / Leeuwarden
The Netherlands

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