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

child could be offered a tailor-made curriculum, differentiated for mother tongue and
second language acquisition. The true role of language policy is the development and
realisation of that ideal in practice as much as possible within a given linguistic situation.
6.4 Recommendations with respect to Early Language Learning and
Multilingualism
The European Commission has identified pre-primary education as a priority theme for
cooperation between Member States in 2009-10, in particular to promote generalised
equitable access and reinforce the quality of provisions and teacher support . Recently, in
July 2011, the European Commission released a Staff Working Paper within the Strategic
Framework for Education and Training (ET 2020): Language Learning at Pre-primary school
level: Making it efficient and sustainable. A policy handbook (SEC (2011)928. In this working
paper on Early Language Learning (ELL) all general aims, goals and benefits of early
multilingualism are summarised and proclaimed: “The aims of any ELL policy for children in
pre-primary education should be to foster intercultural and multilingual education focused
on the development of the child’s personal potential. Where appropriate, it could also be to
provide an introduction to a particular language that will be taught later on in primary
school” (p. 9). Within this working paper a special chapter is dedicated to ‘Children with a
minority or migrant background’. In that chapter a double message is emitted. On the one
hand the benefits of multilingualism are underscored: “Children with a minority or migrant
background will usually benefit when offered equal opportunities to access language
learning and support to maintain and improve both their first language/mother tongue and
the second language. Their established repertoire should therefore be further valued and
promoted” (p. 23). On the other hand, the transitional approach is promoted: “The
participation of these children in programmes that provide systematic language support in
the language of instruction at pre-primary level should therefore be encouraged, since it
would be beneficial for their social integration and educational journey” (p. 22). The
phrasing suggests an opposition between the maintenance and fostering of mother tongue
which differ from the state language, and the language of instruction at school. From the
perspective of equal footing of mother tongue and standard language, both languages of
education serve to foster the child’s social integration and educational journey. Explicit
language policy and measures are essential in order to put formal declaration into practice.
The EU policy handbook at hand which is aimed at national authorities and administrations
in charge of childhood education and care and of language education, further stresses the
importance of lifelong learning, and the increase of awareness of linguistic diversity, the
importance of informal settings for language acquisition by language use in the right cultural
context. Also the training of staff is recommended as well as permanent and consistent
advice to parents and families who often find it difficult to choose which language(s) they
should use to raise their children.
This research paper and indeed the Guide for practitioners as well as the parents’ pamphlet
of the MELT project are without doubt of great value for the deepening of insight – both
theoretical and in practice – of multilingual children’s language development in the preschool
age.
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