Publications

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.

‘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.

Mercator European Research Centre's annual report for the year 2016

Thesis concerning the regulation of Frisian public media services in regards to the commitments made by the Netherlands via two instruments: the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Mercator European Research Centre's annual report for the year 2015

(in Dutch). Report commissioned by the Province of Fryslân to critically appraise the earlier TaalUnie report Nederlands op z'n BESt. It offers a different perspective on the position of the Dutch language in education on Bonaire.

January 2016: discussion paper that provides a list of initiatives that currently share online their knowledge on minority languages.

Report describing the use of written Frisian on social media by the Frisian population in the Netherlands.

Mercator European Research Centre's annual report for the year 2014

This report explores chances for and expected consequences of inclusion of Bildts in the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. It Bildts is a minority language spoken in the Northwestern part of the province of Fryslân in the Netherlands with some 6,000 native speakers.

Mercator European Research Centre's annual report for the year 2013

Report about the use on social media of the Frisian language by Frisian teenagers in the Netherlands.

This report focuses on English language teaching in school, and English outside of school (exposure to English and English language use). It is one of the six reports resulting from the joint project of the Fryske Akademy and the University of the Basque Country: "The added value of multilingualism and multilingual education". It

This reports discusses teachers in the multilingual classroom in primary education. This is one of the six reports resulting from the joint project of the Fryske Akademy and the University of the Basque Country: "The added value of multilingualism and multilingual education".

Mercator European Research Centre's annual report for the year 2012

Report of the Expert Seminar on Early Language Learning, 2012, with focus on the early language learning situation in Europe, on research outcomes and products of the Poliglotti4.eu project so far, on policy-recommendations and on the challenges for the future of early language learning.