Study Visits in the Pilot Project
The foundation for networking has already been laid in the monthly online meetings with all teachers. In these meetings and workshops, the 18 teachers, representing 6 languages, work together in their language groups across national borders.
In order to further strengthen and intensify networking and professional exchange, study visits took place in March 2025, which enabled some teachers to visit their colleagues in Uppsala (Sweden) and Leeuwarden (Netherlands).
The groups spent 2-3 days together, exchanging information about the organisation of heritage language teaching in Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands, observing their colleagues' lessons and also initiating a transnational encounter between their pupils.
Studyvisits March 2025
Studyvisit in Uppsala
Teachers of Somali, Ukrainian and Persian from Sweden and the Netherlands met during the study visit to Uppsala.
They accompanied each other during heritage language lessons in the schools and exchanged information about materials, methods and the Swedish system of heritage language teaching. The guests from the Netherlands were particularly interested in the ‘study guidance’ programme - a programme in which newly immigrated pupils are accompanied by a heritage language teacher over a longer period of time during their normal school day. The joint Swedish ‘Fika’ was also an integral part of the programme. (‘Fika’ describes the concept of taking an intentional break from everyday (working) life and, for example, having a coffee and a pastry while chatting with colleagues).
The exchange was a complete success. A big thank you to our partner EFF (Enheten för Flerspråkighet), who warmly welcomed the guests.
Studyvisit in the Netherlands
From March 27 to 28, 2025, a delegation of Swedish and Finnish teachers embarked on a study visit to the Netherlands as part of the EU project "Your Language Counts!". Hosted by Stichting Taal naar Keuze in collaboration with ISK Piter Jelles, the visit aimed to delve into the implementation and instruction of heritage language teaching, alongside research and policy discussions to enhance language education in Dutch secondary schools.
The first day of the visit was marked by school tours and lesson observations at ISK Piter Jelles' two locations in Leeuwarden. Here, participants had the opportunity to observe heritage language classes in Arabic, Somali, Ukrainian, and Persian. This was followed by a debriefing session where teachers reflected on their observations, discussed teaching strategies, and shared insights on heritage languages in the contexts of the Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden.
A highlight of the day was the "Language Market" school fair, which fostered a joyful and welcoming atmosphere. The fair featured interactive activities such as language bingo, a language collage of wishes, and language tables staffed by teachers, students, and volunteers. These activities celebrated linguistic diversity and provided a vivid example of how schools can create spaces for language visibility, recognition, and pride.
On the second day, participants embarked on a guided walking tour of Leeuwarden, gaining insights into the region's cultural and linguistic landscape. The tour highlighted the city's historical struggle to recognize linguistic diversity within formal education and administration. The day concluded with a seminar at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on multilingual education practices, teacher experiences, and policy insights.
Overall, the study visit underscored the importance of structured heritage language programs, teacher collaboration, and interdisciplinary approaches in effective multilingual education. It also highlighted the need for continued policy advocacy to support heritage language instruction in secondary schools. The event culminated in the creation of a booklet compiling the seminar's insights, further strengthening the cooperation between Swedish, Finnish, and Dutch educators and stakeholders.
Update Feb 2025
The 18 teachers involved in this project meet once a month online with our partner, Simeon Oxley, heritage language teacher and trainer at Enheten för Flerspråkighet, Uppsala (EFF). During these meetings, they share their experiences and participate in workshops.
Each meeting is structured around working with the pilot, during the Autumn they focused on the context and local circumstances for Heritage Language Education (HLE) and now in the Spring they bring this understanding to evaluating 12 learning activities proposed in the pilot plan. The teachers are encouraged to develop, share and ultimately test activities that are created by teachers involved in the project. Between meetings, teachers are encouraged to reflect on each session, the classroom activities they are testing and be in dialogue with each other.
What does the Pilot model look like?
The Pilot model is a vehicle for producing the Handbook to be published once the Pilot phase has been concluded. At present the pilot is divided into four chapters: 1. introducing the model, 2. what is heritage language education?, 3. situating HLE in local contexts and perspectives and 4. classroom activities. Activities proposed in the final chapter build upon an acknowledgement of context and an understanding that language learning and teaching is complex and dynamic. These activities are related to perspectives of language, identity, interculturality and knowledge. The intention of the pilot is to provide learning activities that can be developed and provide teachers with the necessary tools to create, share and evaluate each other’s activities based on a solid understanding of important factors in the local context.
Source:
Ackerman-Boström, C.; Oxley, S.; Reath Warren, A.“Your language counts! Erasmus+ Pilot model for HLE teachers”. Uppsala. 2024
Do you want to know more about our teachers? Here is an interview with Shala…and what she thinks of her job as a heritage language teacher and the project.