Publications

This article presents a questionnaire-based study conducted in the Dutch province of Fryslân, which investigates new speakers’ (n=264) use of the local minority language – West Frisian – and the role that traditional speakers play in new speakers’ activation. Qualitative and quantitative data show that new speakers use West Frisian only very rarely; and when they do use it, it is mainly in the...

In this report, we provide an overview of existing Language Technology (LT) for West Frisian, with reference to the language data, tools, and services listed in the European Language Grid. Since LT is central in our everyday lives, such as in spell checkers, search engines, translation software, and virtual assistant technology, it is essential that not only national or majority languages, but...

Ruth Kircher and Lena Zipp edited the book 'Research Methods in Language Attitudes'. It provides an overview of traditional & cutting-edge research methods for the study of language attitudes: it helps researchers choose an appropriate method and guides them through research planning, design, data collection, and analysis.

Policymakers and communities play an essential role in supporting bilingual babies’ Language Learning! Find out what they & you can do, in this new blog post by Mercator researcher Ruth Kircher and her colleagues from Concordia Infant Research Laboratory & Princeton University.

Mercator researchers Anna Fardau Schukking and Ruth Kircher have published a new blogpost about the challenges faced by refugees, and what host societies can do to help them re-build their careers.

In this extensive report on 2021, the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning is looking back on its activities. These activities can be divided into research, documentation services, the application of research outcomes, (international) events and (joint) projects.

Zoha Bayat, whose PhD is co-supervised by Hans Van de Velde (Fryske Akademy) and Ruth Kircher (Mercator), has first-authored this important new paper, which looks at Minority Language Rights to education with a focus on Frisian in the Netherlands.

A new open access paper about professional intercultural communicative competence and labour market integration among highly-educated refugees in the Netherlands.

The study presented here is the first large-scale, quantitative study of the evaluative dimensions and potential predictors of Quebec-based parents’ attitudes towards childhood multilingualism.

The study presented here by Dr Ruth Kircher is the first empirical investigation of the patterns and predictors of the intergenerational transmission of French in Quebec.

'Minority language education plays a crucial role in promoting the vitality of minority languages, and thus ensuring their maintenance.' A blog post about Mercator's online Wiki on Minority Language Learning, that offers information on the education of minority languages that have only a (very) small place in the national education system, or none at all.

Dizze update is bedoeld as oanfolling op it DINGtiid-rapport “De ymplemintaasje fan it Europeesk Hânfêst...” [Buning-Oosten & Kuipers-Zandberg], dat skreaun waard yn 2018 en giet fierder dêr’t dat rapport ophâlden is.

Deze update is bedoeld als aanvulling op het DINGtiid-rapport 'De ymplemintaasje fan it Europeesk Hânfêst...'[Buning-Oosten & Kuipers-Zandberg], dat werd geschreven in 2018 en gaat verder waar dat rapport is gestopt.

In this extensive quadrennial report on the years 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning is looking back on its activities. These activities can be divided into research, documentation services, the application of research outcomes, (international) events and (joint) projects.

The Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (NPLD) commissioned a research on how European funding opportunities for Regional and Minority Languages have been used and allocated over the period 2014-2020. Our Mercator researchers Anna Fardau Schukking and Helga Kuipers-Zandberg have been working on this subject together with the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Are corpus-assisted discourse studies of social media data a useful way of investigating language attitudes? Find out in this new Strictly Language blogpost by Ethan Kutlu (University of Florida’s Psychology department) and Ruth Kircher (Mercator European Research Centre).

Spanish speakers constitute the largest heritage language community in the US. The state of Florida is unusual in that, on one hand, it has one of the highest foreign-born resident rates in the country, most of whom originate from Latin America—but on the other hand, Florida has a comparatively low Spanish language vitality.

The members of the European project ENROPE (European Network for Junior Researchers in the Field of Plurilingualism and Education) give a short insight into their conceptual design based on three intellectual outputs and report briefly about to date realised and further planned activities to strengthen plurilingual practices in research on education.

‘Of course I’ll care for my patients in their mother tongue – even if it’s my third language!’. A blog post about promoting minority language learning among migrants working in the health care sector in bilingual regions of Europe, e.g. to encourage the learning of Frisian in Fryslân (based on the Erasmus+ funded COMBI project).

“Are we in Fryslân yet?” A blog-post about the (in-)visibility of Frisian in Fryslân, based on the Erasmus+ funded project LangUp.

How do Frisian speakers in Fryslân perceive the measures that are in place to protect and promote their language? This article is the first contemporary investigation of the subjective compared to the objective ethnolinguistic vitality of West Frisian.

It Ryk soe mei de Ried fan Europa yn petear gean moatte om effisjinter te rapportearjen oer it Europeesk Hânfêst foar Regionale of Minderheidstalen. No binne der strukturele swierrichheden yn de rapportaazjesyklus, dy’t net goed binne foar it Frysk. Dat docht bliken út ûndersyk dat DINGtiid útfiere litten hat troch it Mercator Kennissintrum.

Het Rijk zou met de Raad van Europa in gesprek moeten treden om efficiënter te rapporteren over het Europees Handvest voor Regionale of Minderheidstalen. Momenteel doen zich structurele problemen voor bij de rapportagecyclus, en dat werkt nadelig voor het Fries. Dit blijkt uit onderzoek dat DINGtiid heeft laten uitvoeren door het Mercator Kenniscentrum.

Frysk taalbelied wurdt earder swakker as sterker by gemeentlike weryndielingen. Dat docht bliken út ûndersyk dat DINGtiid, it ryksadvysorgaan foar de Fryske taal, útfiere litten hat troch Mercator Europeesk Kennissintrum foar Meartaligens en Taallearen. It ûndersyk is útset nei oanlieding fan de advysfraach fan de provinsje oft der by weryndielingen foldwaande omtinken is foar it Frysk.

Research report, commissioned by the European Parliament, containing an in-depth comparative analysis of thirteen in European minority language case studies with regards to education. Specific attention is directed to best practices, vocational education, career perspectives, and recommendations on how the EU can support minority languages in education.