The pilot project aims to testing out practices in heritage language teaching and discussing the results. It centers on the cooperation with 18 teachers who teach the heritage languages (HL) Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Somali, Turkish or Ukrainian at pilot schools in Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands during the school year of September 2024-May 2025.

Following an intensive exchange of knowledge and experience, the partners involved in the project developed a pilot model for trialing heritage language teaching practices that addresses the existing challenges and tests solutions at six selected schools in Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands. The pilot project centers on the cooperation with 18 teachers who teach the heritage languages (HL) Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Somali, Turkish or Ukrainian at the pilot schools.

Under the leadership of our partner Enheten för Flerspråkighet, they will spend a school year (September 2024-May 2025) exchanging ideas on the topics of materials, school organisation and family outreach and developing practical examples in peer groups. They will be supported by our experienced partners and receive professional training in workshops. The teachers record the exchange and results on an interactive platform, which will be further developed after the pilot phase and opened to other HL teachers in Europe.

The professional monitoring and evaluation of the pilot project will result in the development of a handbook with practical recommendations for the implementation of heritage language teaching in the national school system.

Contact:
Simeon Oxley /EFF: simeon.oxley@uppsala.se