"The contribution of multilingualism/language learning to intercultural dialogue"

Transcription

1 SPEECH/ Embargo: 06/06/2008 9h00 Leonard Orban European Commissioner responsible for multilingualism "The contribution of multilingualism/language learning to intercultural dialogue" Address to the "Informal Conference of European Ministers of Education" Oslo, Norway, 6 th June 2008

2 Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great pleasure to be here in Oslo for this Informal Ministerial Conference. I'd like to thank the Slovenian Presidency and the Norwegian Government for this excellent initiative. Last February it was my turn to welcome in Brussels 29 national delegations - from EU Member States, Iceland and Norway - for the first ever Ministerial Conference to examine language issues in Europe. Our discussions in Brussels made clear that Member States and the EEA countries value multilingualism as a path to integration and social inclusion. There was a common desire to pull resources together, both nationally and at European level, to make language learning and linguistic diversity more effective tools for dialogue and social inclusion. This second meeting only four months later on the theme of languages, education and intercultural dialogue confirms this. Governments feel that these issues are increasingly important, as we tackle Europe's new challenge of creating stable, integrated, inclusive societies. Mobility and multilingualism at the core of the European project In fact, it is not so much a new challenge, as an old challenge restated. From its very beginnings the European project has set out to create a shared space for European citizens. We can look at the entire process of European integration as a sequence of steps bringing citizens closer to each other: free movement of workers, students and families; the internal market; creating a European area for education, research and innovation; enlargements.

3 As a result, European citizens are now more mobile than ever, able to plan their lives and careers on a European scale. If we add to this picture the migration flows from third countries and the effects of globalisation, we easily grasp why our societies are daily becoming more multilingual. Not only in smaller countries, in border regions, or where minorities live: in every street in Europe, in cities and in villages, you can hear several languages spoken; and this trend will continue. But, at the same time as we open up our societies to more mobility, we must help prepare our citizens to take advantage of these opportunities, and to deal successfully with our more fluid societies. Not only those who move, but also those who stay at home. Languages a bridge to a more inclusive Europe Respect for linguistic and cultural diversity is a cornerstone of the European Union. But we must constantly renew our efforts to relate these values to citizens' lives. Languages can make that link. Learning languages can make Europeans more aware that a better Europe lies at our doorsteps, a Europe that can deal with the complex reality of our multiethnic societies and the coexistence of different cultural identities and beliefs. Language-learning bridges cultures. It promotes intercultural dialogue and respect. It is a wonderful tool for fostering dialogue and fighting racism and discrimination. It opens our horizons to the richness of cultures and ideas brought by migrants from all continents to the European area.. Challenges for language-learning post 2010

4 Education policy has a particular responsibility for imparting our shared European values - democracy, tolerance and the respect for fundamental rights. And languages can be a real multiplier of these values in our classrooms. Last year, at your meeting in Heidelberg, Ministers underlined this aspect of multilingualism stressing that language learning in Europe is indispensable for promoting intercultural dialogue, political education and a culture of democracy. As we prepare for 'post-2010 education and training' we have the opportunity to reflect on how to address key language-learning challenges in the future programme. Challenges such as: How to embed the Barcelona 'mother-tongue + 2' objective in our education systems How to offer language choice How to support language teachers in making use of their own intercultural skills, and drawing out those of their students. Maalouf report new light on language challenges Before speaking in more detail about these challenges, I would like to comment briefly on the report of the Group of intellectuals on languages and intercultural dialogue. Yesterday you heard from Amin Maalouf, whom I invited to lead the group's reflections on how languages can contribute to the dialogue between cultures. Their report paints a vivid picture of how multilingualism can help us create a 'better' Europe. It places language-learning challenges in a very human context that allows us to see beyond the initial value of new skills acquired:

5 - They propose that Europeans should learn two foreign languages, one, a language of international communication, one a 'personal adoptive language', in an imaginative recasting of the mother-tongue + 2 objective. - They stress the advantages of offering a wide choice of languages, to multiply and consolidate ties between Europeans; - They link language learning and intercultural skills, for creating societies that are both diverse and inclusive. For migrants, learning the host language is the key to integration. At the same time, we should value migrant languages, and create space for them either in our educational systems or in extra-curricular activities, so that migrants and migrant children are grounded in their own as well as the host culture. In a nutshell, respecting and promoting linguistic diversity lays the ground for all citizens to take an active part in social, economic and cultural life. If citizens living side-by-side can interact around and through their different cultures and languages, the social web will become stronger and more steeped in tolerance and respect. Strengthening future cooperation How do we reach these ambitious goals? We should start by strengthening our cooperation in education and training, by identifying the key challenges on which we can work together and learn from each other. - on mother tongue + 2 Tackling languages in initial education is the right place to start.

6 The Barcelona commitment has been met remarkably well for early language learning. Nearly all of our education systems have introduced a second language in early primary education. Unfortunately the other part of the commitment - teaching two languages - doesn't look so promising. Education systems must work towards fully integrating this ambitious target. - on language-offer When it comes to language-offer, we should try to broaden the range, and offer citizens the freedom of choice to tailor their learning paths. The richness of Europe's linguistic heritage is such that no language should be recommended more than another: citizens should be able to choose according to their interests, the place they live or their family background. These languages will be different for each of us and will vary greatly for our citizens too. The real challenge is to make sure that our education systems can supply the palette of languages to choose from. New technologies and networking can help to bring us closer this objective. - on intercultural skills and teacher training The Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong learning lists 'communication in the mother tongue' and 'communication in foreign languages' as two of the key competences at the basis of personal fulfilment, social inclusion, active citizenship and employability in the society. Communication in the mother tongue is crucial. This is how we interact across the range of social and cultural contexts. Communication in foreign languages is also a fundamental skill. It not only opens up channels with the world outside us, but also calls for skills such as mediation and intercultural understanding.

7 The peer-learning group, the Cluster on Teacher Education, stresses that all teachers need to be better prepared for teaching in today's classrooms; for teaching mixed classes of pupils from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, with different levels of ability and different needs. The group also emphasises the importance of mobility for language teachers, to help them achieve and retain fluency. And when we talk about languages and the classroom, a recent study I commissioned shows that language learning is a natural, and highly productive, environment for drawing out intercultural awareness and skills. The study also concluded that language teachers are well aware of the links between language skills and intercultural skills. However, most teachers feel they lack proper training and support. National curricula for language learning generally pay little attention to those links. The intercultural angle is rarely considered. There is great scope for improvement, in particular in the area of curricula design and initial teacher training. We see an enormous interest on the ground in raising intercultural skill levels. Many projects under the Lifelong Learning Programme and the European Social Fund are concentrating on tools for developing intercultural skills in education and training. The good practices that emerge can inspire European countries in implementing national policies. Conclusions To conclude, I think it is clear to us all that multilingualism is an asset for Europe, but one we must nurture. Within the Commission, we are committed to putting in place a solid strategy for the future. This of course represents a shared commitment with the Member States. I shall be setting out our thinking in September in our strategic Communication on multilingualism.

8 The new Communication will take on board the results of the consultation initiatives we have been organizing over the past year, as we have gathered the reactions of citizens in Europe to multilingualism. The enthusiastic participation of civil society in these initiatives, and the thoughtful responses we received, bear out my conviction that language diversity underpins democracy and European citizenship. More and more, our citizens see multilingualism as a launch pad for mobility and integration. I believe that you and I share this conviction, and I look forward to hearing some of these ideas fleshed out in our round table discussion today. Thank you.