Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FURLEUS (Promoting Friulian within Multilingual Education: A cross-country, cross-stage, cross-level comparison of Friulian and Basque teachers’ language attitudes and motivation in search of best practices)
Période du rapport: 2021-11-01 au 2023-10-31
The project brought attention to the issue of language attitudes, motivation, and language behaviour. It focussed on an under-researched theme: the promotion of the Friulian minority language in education within the multilingual region of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG). FVG holds a Special Statute primarily due to its linguistic diversity, as four languages are spoken and officially recognised there: Italian (the State majority language), German (a minority language with a kin-state, Austria), Slovene (a minority language with a kin-state, Slovenia), and Friulian, which is a unique minority language, that is, it does not have a majority status anywhere.
To the best of our knowledge, no empirical study had been undertaken on the perceptions of Friulian by teachers prior to the project. Teachers play a crucial role in the educational system, which is expected to both promote the language and contribute to the growth of new speakers.
The project, hosted by UPV/EHU in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) in Spain, allowed comparative research across the two regions, BAC and FVG. It had three main objectives. The first was to inquire into the language attitudes and habits of language use of prospective primary and secondary teachers (i.e. students training to be teachers) in the Friulian-speaking area in FVG and the Basque-speaking area in the BAC. The second was to collect examples of best practices of multilingual education in the two contexts, in both primary and secondary school, where the minority language (Friulian, Basque) is used and promoted together with the majority language (Italian, Spanish), the international language (English) and any other language that may be present in the area. The third was to repeat the study carried out in phase one with in-service primary and secondary teachers in the two research contexts.
The comparison between FVG and the BAC, recognised internationally as a successful case of minority language (Basque) revitalisation facilitated by a multilingual education system, aligns with the European Union's commitment to promoting the exchange of best practices through researchers' mobility between Member States. Such exchanges are of paramount importance, particularly in the context of preserving minority languages. FURLEUS focussed on timely issues, the resolution of which will enhance our comprehension of Europe's cultural and social diversity in a changing world, towards the realisation of the EU's vision of "unity in diversity".
To the best of our knowledge, no empirical study had been undertaken on the perceptions of Friulian by teachers prior to the project. Teachers play a crucial role in the educational system, which is expected to both promote the language and contribute to the growth of new speakers.
The project, hosted by UPV/EHU in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) in Spain, allowed comparative research across the two regions, BAC and FVG. It had three main objectives. The first was to inquire into the language attitudes and habits of language use of prospective primary and secondary teachers (i.e. students training to be teachers) in the Friulian-speaking area in FVG and the Basque-speaking area in the BAC. The second was to collect examples of best practices of multilingual education in the two contexts, in both primary and secondary school, where the minority language (Friulian, Basque) is used and promoted together with the majority language (Italian, Spanish), the international language (English) and any other language that may be present in the area. The third was to repeat the study carried out in phase one with in-service primary and secondary teachers in the two research contexts.
The comparison between FVG and the BAC, recognised internationally as a successful case of minority language (Basque) revitalisation facilitated by a multilingual education system, aligns with the European Union's commitment to promoting the exchange of best practices through researchers' mobility between Member States. Such exchanges are of paramount importance, particularly in the context of preserving minority languages. FURLEUS focussed on timely issues, the resolution of which will enhance our comprehension of Europe's cultural and social diversity in a changing world, towards the realisation of the EU's vision of "unity in diversity".
In the first phase of the research, i.e. survey on prospective teachers, two comparisons were made. The first comparison (situation in the BAC in 2004 and in 2022) revealed that Basque is predominantly linked to education, whereas Spanish dominates in leisure activities. Future teachers exhibited highly favourable attitudes toward all three languages (Basque, Spanish, and English). While participants' attitudes toward Basque were the most positive, the most significant improvements over the past 18 years were observed for English. In the second comparison (situation in the BAC and FVG, 2022), our findings indicated that Friulian in FVG has minimal presence in the educational domain and is more commonly used in informal conversations, particularly with older people. In contrast, Basque is predominantly associated with the educational sector and is typically spoken by and with younger individuals. Italian holds a notably significant position in FVG as the majority language and main language of instruction. Regarding English, our results suggested a general trend of increasing prominence, and this trajectory may persist in both contexts in the future.
In the second phase, the qualitative interviews on best teaching practices centred on teachers' perspectives regarding methods to motivate students in multilingual education settings. The findings indicated that activities involving authentic and teacher-created materials are predominant, irrespective of the language used, with textbooks appearing to be rarely utilised. Designing activities that incorporate authentic resources requires teachers to possess robust pedagogical and linguistic skills. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritise language awareness and motivational skills in teacher education and professional development courses.
In the third phase, i.e. survey on in-service teachers, findings on the perceived general and written competence of in-service teachers, particularly in the minority language, clearly illustrated the impact of the education system and language policies in the two contexts. In the BAC, where Basque serves as the primary language of instruction, teachers asserted a high level of competence in the language. Conversely, in FVG, the declared low competence of teachers reflects the status of the language (as an optional subject) in the region.
A similar trend was found in results related to language attitudes, where the influence of the education system and language policies was also evident. In the BAC, the most favourable attitudes were expressed towards Basque, whereas in FVG, the most positive attitudes were directed towards Italian and English. These patterns, observed in both attitudes and perceived competence, align with findings from pre-service teachers during the initial phase of the project. When comparing results between pre-service teachers (first phase) and in-service teachers (third phase), the most notable observation is that in-service teachers exhibited significantly more positive attitudes towards the minority language and less positive attitudes towards the State language in both contexts.
The results were disseminated by participating in international conferences, in events aimed at policymakers such as the Colloquium on “Regional and minority languages within a plurilingual context” organised by the European Centre for Modern Languages, in seminars aimed at pre-service and in-service teachers, in events and initiatives aimed at the general public, and in written publications.
In the second phase, the qualitative interviews on best teaching practices centred on teachers' perspectives regarding methods to motivate students in multilingual education settings. The findings indicated that activities involving authentic and teacher-created materials are predominant, irrespective of the language used, with textbooks appearing to be rarely utilised. Designing activities that incorporate authentic resources requires teachers to possess robust pedagogical and linguistic skills. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritise language awareness and motivational skills in teacher education and professional development courses.
In the third phase, i.e. survey on in-service teachers, findings on the perceived general and written competence of in-service teachers, particularly in the minority language, clearly illustrated the impact of the education system and language policies in the two contexts. In the BAC, where Basque serves as the primary language of instruction, teachers asserted a high level of competence in the language. Conversely, in FVG, the declared low competence of teachers reflects the status of the language (as an optional subject) in the region.
A similar trend was found in results related to language attitudes, where the influence of the education system and language policies was also evident. In the BAC, the most favourable attitudes were expressed towards Basque, whereas in FVG, the most positive attitudes were directed towards Italian and English. These patterns, observed in both attitudes and perceived competence, align with findings from pre-service teachers during the initial phase of the project. When comparing results between pre-service teachers (first phase) and in-service teachers (third phase), the most notable observation is that in-service teachers exhibited significantly more positive attitudes towards the minority language and less positive attitudes towards the State language in both contexts.
The results were disseminated by participating in international conferences, in events aimed at policymakers such as the Colloquium on “Regional and minority languages within a plurilingual context” organised by the European Centre for Modern Languages, in seminars aimed at pre-service and in-service teachers, in events and initiatives aimed at the general public, and in written publications.
During these two years, the Fellow significantly enhanced her research and communication skills and successfully passed the Italian National Scientific Accreditation as Associate Professor. Moreover, she secured a position as a contract researcher at UPV/EHU.
The project facilitated knowledge transfer and networking exchanges among researchers from various institutions located in diverse multilingual contexts across Europe.
This project represents a significant contribution to the body of research on European multilingual contexts. Prior to FURLEUS, there was no empirical research on how Friulian, an endangered minority language, was perceived by teachers—an essential group for language promotion. FURLEUS has played an important role in framing and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the Friulian educational context, shedding light on potential measures that could be implemented to promote the minority language while at the same time fostering multilingualism.
Finally, by preparing the updated edition of the Mercator Regional Dossier on "The Friulian Language in Education in Italy", the Fellow endeavours to make an active contribution to the public debate concerning the promotion of minority languages in the Italian educational context. This context is noteworthy as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was signed in 2000 but, as of now, awaits ratification.
The project facilitated knowledge transfer and networking exchanges among researchers from various institutions located in diverse multilingual contexts across Europe.
This project represents a significant contribution to the body of research on European multilingual contexts. Prior to FURLEUS, there was no empirical research on how Friulian, an endangered minority language, was perceived by teachers—an essential group for language promotion. FURLEUS has played an important role in framing and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the Friulian educational context, shedding light on potential measures that could be implemented to promote the minority language while at the same time fostering multilingualism.
Finally, by preparing the updated edition of the Mercator Regional Dossier on "The Friulian Language in Education in Italy", the Fellow endeavours to make an active contribution to the public debate concerning the promotion of minority languages in the Italian educational context. This context is noteworthy as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was signed in 2000 but, as of now, awaits ratification.