The Added value-project is a comparative research project of the linguistic situation in the Basque Autonomous Community and in Fryslân. Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning will carry out the research project on behalf of the Basque Ministry for Education.
 
The general objective of this research project is to examine the added value of bilingualism and multilingualism in social and educational levels. The aim is to analyze bi- and multilingualism (1) as a resource for the individual and society and (2) as a resource at school. The project has started with a monograph: a comparison of minority languages and multilingual education in the cases of both Fryslân and the Basque Country. Starting point of the study is an economic model based on use and non-use values. In 2009, focus will be on data-collecting. Collecting data will be done by means of school visits, interviews, classroom observations and questionnaires in order to analyze opinions and attitudes on multilingualism both in education and society. Research results will be presented in scientific publications and on seminars in 2009 and 2010, and on a conference in 2011.
 
There are two research assistants based in Fryslân: Sytske Miedema and Marieke Hanenburg (the Mercator Research Centre, Ljouwert / Leeuwarden) and two are based in the Basque Country: Elizabet Arozena and Manel Rodríguez (the University of the Basque Country, Donostia / San Sebastian).
Alex Riemersma (the Mercator Research Centre, Ljouwert / Leeuwarden) is the project leader in collaboration with Durk Gorter (Ikerbasque / University of the Basque Country, Donostia / San Sebastian) and Jasone Cenoz (University of the Basque Country).

In March 2010 the report: Frisian and Basque Multilingual Education: A Comparison of the Province of Fryslân and the Basque Autonomous Community has been presentated. You can download the digital version of the report.