I speak French with my neighbor. With his Dutch wife. They speak Arabic to each other, and usually to their children as well. Since they have been on holiday in Morocco for weeks, I also hear the children answering in Arabic. But they speak Dutch among themselves.
There are more and more of these types of multilingual families in Flanders and the Netherlands. About one in four children grows up at home in a language other than Dutch. Multilingualism will become the norm, predicted language expert Sharon Unsworth when I spoke to her about growing up in a multilingual environment.
Some people do not view this very favorably. Children score increasingly poorly in reading comprehension and mathematics, and the political world quickly turns to language, especially in Flanders. But is this really the reason for the decline in educational performance? Is it a reason to ban other languages in schools, the bubble launched by Education Secretary Ben Witts last year?
Recent research has turned things around. Teacher Orhan Agirdag (University of Leuven) investigated eighteen Flemish schools with a wide variety of factors associated with excellent performance in mathematics tests. The language used at home does not seem to matter, nor does religion. What is crucial is a non-discriminatory environment – among classmates and teachers alike – and a sense of otherness Belonging And a Growth mindset.
If the master believes in you and you can be who you are, you can perform better. With this feeling Belonging Unsworth believes this also includes welcoming other languages. Anyone who is not allowed to speak their mother tongue does not feel welcome and is given the idea that that language is inferior. This is disastrous for children’s self-esteem. Because your language is part of your identity. Something you can be proud of. It is a piece of culture that parents pass on to their children.
In a city like Antwerp, half of the children now speak a language other than Dutch at home. Clearly, monolingualism has become the exception. Why don’t we embrace multilingualism?
