Multilingual Early Language Transmission (MELT) - Mercator ...

2.6 Summary of best practices in the four regions
In the MELT project four partners (Fryslân, Finland, Wales, and Brittany) learned from each
other’s experience in the different pre-school settings. Similarities and differences became
evident during the project. The information in the previous sections shows that most
children under four attend the preschool provisions in the four regions on a voluntary basis.
Figure 2.1 (p. 18) presented an overview structuring the age for starting pre-school as well as
the age for starting compulsory primary school in the different countries. (of ages of starting
pre-school and the ages of starting compulsory primary school). Those ages depends on the
local authorities, municipality and parents. The MELT partners know that the kind of
compulsory primary schooling differs in the four countries.
In Wales and Fryslân children start primary school at the age of 4. However, education is
only compulsory from the age of 5. In Brittany children start primary school starts at the age
of 6, and in Finland at the age of 7. Therefore, the MELT project focuses on the common preschool
years: 0-4 years.
During the two-year project there was every opportunity to use each other's expertise and
best practices in the field of pre-school immersion and mother tongue education before
primary school. However, the four MELT partners had to determine the definition of preschool
education and had to agree on the best pedagogical approaches and materials. The
products had to be developed to everyone's satisfaction, so that they are appropriate for
each region in Europe. In chapter 2.1 the definition of pre-school, as used in the MELT
project has been presented. Chapter 3.3 will present a definition of Multilingual Early
Language Transmission (MELT).
The previous sections show that most states developed a national curriculum for pre-school
education for children aged 2-7. In the four regions most pre-school institutions adjust the
national curriculum to their regional situation and in some settings the minority language is
included in the daily programme.
One of the similarities is that most participating pre-schools in the four regions work in a
thematic and project type manner. Some even have developed their own materials in the
minority language.
Unfortunately, some pre-schools have no explicit conscious language policy. Noted that a
conscious language policy within the pre-school setting is an important aspect when it
concerns multilingualism in the daily life of young children. However, putting an conscious
language policy into practice requires practitioners to have the providing skills to offer young
children a rich language environment, including enough input in the minority language.
In the four regions some pre-school provisions changed the national curriculum and applied
it to their own regional situation and sometimes provisions use extra or new materials and
approaches in the minority language only. In Wales and Fryslân there are pre-schools that
use a character (“Dewin” in Wales and “Tomke” in Fryslân) to stimulate and promote the
minority language; the characters speaks and understands Welsh (Dewin) and Frisian
(Tomke). Such a ‘character approach’ is an easily accessible and recognisable way for
parents, practitioners and children to speak the minority language. Dewin and Tomke
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