Jeroen Darquennes (Namur)

1. From subject to object of transdisciplinary study –reflections on the contribution of language(s) in higher education to the development and the implementation of European language policy initiatives Jeroen Darquennes (Namur)

2. 1. Introduction • broad topic • European language policy • Research • Role of institutions of higher education • Funding within the ERA

3. 2. The EC’s language policy • Labrie 1992: La construction linguistique de la Communauté européenne • Multilingualism as part and parcel of the EEC’s policy  focus on institutional multilingualism • From EEC  EU • Increased focus on language learning and safeguarding linguistic diversity

4. After the 2004 enlargement process • Search for a more coherent language policy • Multilingualism • Part of Commission Figl’s portfolio (2004) • Policy area in 2007 (Commissioner Orban) • Part of Commissioner Vassiliou (2010)

5. Broad definition of language policy (Ricento 2000) : • a body of ideas, laws, regulations, rules and practices intended to bring about language change in a society, a group or a system. • may be realized at a number of levels, ranging from very formal documents and pronouncements (laws, decrees, ministerial directives, circular letters of school authorities, etc.) to more informal statements of intent (i.e. the discourse of language, politics and society).

6. Number of “policy documents” on multilingualism • “A New Framework Strategy for Multilingualism” (2005) • “Multilingualism: An Asset for Europe and a Shared Commitment” (2008)  Allow for a (preliminary) sketch of the EC’s language policy (intentions)

7. Structure of policy analysis based on theoretical distinction • Individual multilingualism •  the use of two or more languages by an individual • Societal multilingualism •  the presence of two or more languages at societal level

8. Sketch of ... • Current ideas - at EC level – about individual multilingualism • Dimensions • Challenges and opportunities • Discussion of societal multilingualism • Dimensions • Challenges and opportunities

9. 2.1. Individual Multilingualism • Distinction is made between ... • Multilingual competence ( ability to use two or more languages) • Multilingual behavior ( the actual use of two or more languages)

10. In the consulted EC documents • Strong focus on multilingual competence • Information on ... • Which and how many languages • Language acquisition (where, when, in what order) • Motivation(s) for becoming multilingual • Degree of multilingualism

11. Which and how many languages? • Ultimate goal: Mother Tongue + 2 (MT2) • 2 = ? • Official languages • Regional or minority languages • Immigrant languages • Sign languages

12. Acquisition: when, where, in what order? • When? • Lifelong learning • Where? • Formal educational settings • Working environment • Leisure time (role of edutainment is stressed)

13. What order? • Not explicitly addressed • Issue down for consideration

14. Motivation for becoming multilingual? • Facilitates communication between cultures • Contributes to social cohesion • Helps to advance the economy by removing linguistic barriers that slow down the free movement of persons, goods, capital and services  Integrative + instrumental motivation

15. Degree of multilingualism? • Acquisition of practical skills • Basic (passive and/or active) skills  Related to question of multilingual behavior

16. Aim: a society of “plurilinguals” • Plurilingualism / Dynamic multilingualism • Cf. CoE documents (Beacco et al.) • Cf. Garcia/Baetens Beardsmore (2009)

17. Plurilingualism: Persons ... • use their languages ... • in different contexts • for different purposes • with different interlocutors • do not need the same level of competence in all situations, let alone all the skills

18. No need for symmetrical skills in all the languages belonging to one’s repertoire • Multilingual communication cannot only take place between people with identical repertoire but also between people with semi-identical or totally different repertoire • Rely on “linguistic nodes” • translators / interpreters • professionals / amateurs

19. 2.2. Challenges • Partially based on: • High Level Group on Multilingualism – Final Report (2007) • Language learning outside formal educational settings • Organization? • Potential contribution of ICT, media (edutainment?) • Language learning in formal educational settings • How to prepare pupils for plurilingualism? • What kind of models? • Development of “metalinguistic skills”?

20. Language mediation / mediators • Needs? • Potential contribution of ICT, media? • Language biographies • Types of individual multilingualism? • Types of plurilinguals? • Relevance of multilingual competence to the employability and mobility of European workers • Relationship between language skills and career development? • Role of English as a lingua franca?

21. Role for institutions of higher education: • Contribution to the development of language skills of an important part of the European population • Not just by offering language courses • Also by reflecting on new forms of teacher training, new learning methods, development of metalinguistic skills, etc.  research + curriculum

22. Preparing students for the newly emerging language industries • Language as a product (how to sell language, in which form?) • Focus on economic applications of languages • Giving enterprises scientific advice on how to react in a proper way to the linguistic needs of the market • Link between language and economy • Supply and demand

23. Moving away from seeing language too much as “subject matter”  things seem to be moving • However: What further needs to be stressed in research as well as in university programmes is the transversal nature of language in society  societal multilingualism

24. 2.3. Societal Multilingualism • Covers ... • Presence of two or more languages at societal level • Private sphere • Public sphere • Semi-public sphere

25. Looks at issues of ... • Legitimization • Institutionalisation • Status • Prestige • Image • Identity

26. Covers the “management” of languages in society • Management of language contact (which gives way to asymmetrical societal multilingualism) • Management / prevention of language conflict

27. Reflection on societal multilingualism in the EC policy documents? • Some reflections in very vague terms • Need to maintain and promote linguistic diversity • Minority languages as valuable part of linguistic and cultural heritage • Immigrant languages as languages enriching the historical language mosaic • Exemplary multilingual way of life in multilingual cities, cross-border regions, tourist areas

28. What fails ... • Reflection (or: an invitation to reflect on) the organisation of a European society of plurilinguals that is confronted with ... • globalisation (europeanization) – nationalism – regionalism – localism • the need for multilevel governance (~ devolution) • the emergence of multiple (linguistic) identities challenging group membership • different forms of migration • ...

29. 2.4. Challenges • Or: food for thought • Transnational society of plurilinguals • Place and legal status of ‘national’, ‘official’, ‘regional’, ‘minority’, ‘immigrant’, ... languages? • Relevance of principles of territoriality / personality in relation to ‘plurilingualism’? • Strive for pluricentric plurilingualism? • How to react to the market-driven dynamic nature of plurilingualism?

30. What is the role of a lingua franca in a society of plurilinguals? • What part of the population is to act as a “linguistic node”? • Relationship between diversity management and language management? • How to identify conflict potential? • What types of (potential) language conflict do exist? What is their visibility in society? What are the outcomes of language conflict? How can it be prevented?

31. Opportunities for institutions of higher education in Europe • Research potential • Increase transdisciplinary focus on language in general and societal aspects of language / multilingualism in particular  UOC, UCF (University Campus Fryslân)

32. 3. Funding opportunities • FP7 (and upcoming FP8) help to structure the ERA • Measures aiming at • individual researchers: Ideas (ERC), People (Marie Curie) • research collaborations / consortia: Cooperation, Capacities • nuclear research

33. Key areas • Health • Food, agriculture, fisheries, biotechnology • ICT • Nanosciences, materials, new production technologies • Energy • Environment • Transport • Socio-economic sciences and humanities • Space • Security

34. Social Sciences and Humanities • SH 1: Individuals, institutions, markets • SH 2: Institutions, values, beliefs, behavior • SH 3: Environment and society • SH 4: The human mind and its complexity • SH 5: Culture and cultural production • SH 6: The study of the human past  What about language?

35. Language features under SH 4 • SH 4 ~ cognition, psychology, linguistics, philosophy and education • Identification of sub-areas of linguistics • SH4_5 Formal, cognitive, functional and computational linguistics • SH4_6 Typological, historical and comparative linguistics • SH4_7 Acquisition and knowledge of language: psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics • SH4_8 Use of language: pragmatics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis • SH4_9 second language teaching and learning, language pathologies, lexicography, terminology

36. No explicit mentioning of language in other panel areas, however: • not excluded • possibility to apply for interdisciplinary project • no ‘structure’ available • up to research community to write proposals

37. During consultation phase for FP8 • Consider possibility to turn multilingualsm / plurilingualism into a key thematic area in an overt or a covert way • Guarantee stronger link between research and curriculum development in SH

38. ... to be continued