Aliki Tzatha
What impact did YLC! have on Greece, a country where HLE is not included in regular education?
Greece is a country where Heritage Language Education is by no means approached in formal education, with the exception of very few initiatives which have been either implemented in the framework of research programs or based on school principals’ personal efforts.
Therefore, the YLC's focus on the Greek context was to contribute with various activities in raising awareness on the benefits of HLE and advocating for the inclusion of Heritage Language Education and Heritage Languages in Formal and Non Formal education.
This was made possible through the diffusion of the project message, values and outcomes in several occasions (local, national and transnational panel discussions, webpage & material dissemination), and the support and reinforcement of actors that advocate for Multilingualism and HLE in Greece with tools, materials, and networks (as in the World Cafe which took place in Athens between YLC partners and local&national stakeholders).
At the same time, the project had an impact on the Greek context through the development of materials for caregivers and families. For ELIX, and many more Greek CSOs that work with children with refugee and migrant experiences and their families, these are concrete and valuable tools for empowering families who are struggling with environments often hostile towards home languages and for suppoting them in 1) framing and claiming HLE as a right, 2) supporting their children in the development of their HLs.
What could be the next steps to promote HLE in your country?
Perhaps a next step could involve the training, support and guidance of educators and other professionals currently working as cultural mediators in NGOs, teachers in intercultural schools, or heritage language teachers in community schools, with the aim of stregtheninig the Heritage Language Teacher (HLT) professional identity, and facilitating connection and cooperation among HLTs in Greece.
Is there anything else you would like to add regarding the project?
I think I would like to stress the impact that the project had on ELIX's capacity to support multilingual pupils and their families, standing now on a more solid ground but also in a more empowering milieu with regards to advocacy and education actions that promote the inclusion of home languages.
Greece is a country where Heritage Language Education is by no means approached in formal education, with the exception of very few initiatives which have been either implemented in the framework of research programs or based on school principals’ personal efforts.
Therefore, the YLC's focus on the Greek context was to contribute with various activities in raising awareness on the benefits of HLE and advocating for the inclusion of Heritage Language Education and Heritage Languages in Formal and Non Formal education.
This was made possible through the diffusion of the project message, values and outcomes in several occasions (local, national and transnational panel discussions, webpage & material dissemination), and the support and reinforcement of actors that advocate for Multilingualism and HLE in Greece with tools, materials, and networks (as in the World Cafe which took place in Athens between YLC partners and local&national stakeholders).
At the same time, the project had an impact on the Greek context through the development of materials for caregivers and families. For ELIX, and many more Greek CSOs that work with children with refugee and migrant experiences and their families, these are concrete and valuable tools for empowering families who are struggling with environments often hostile towards home languages and for suppoting them in 1) framing and claiming HLE as a right, 2) supporting their children in the development of their HLs.
What could be the next steps to promote HLE in your country?
Perhaps a next step could involve the training, support and guidance of educators and other professionals currently working as cultural mediators in NGOs, teachers in intercultural schools, or heritage language teachers in community schools, with the aim of stregtheninig the Heritage Language Teacher (HLT) professional identity, and facilitating connection and cooperation among HLTs in Greece.
Is there anything else you would like to add regarding the project?
I think I would like to stress the impact that the project had on ELIX's capacity to support multilingual pupils and their families, standing now on a more solid ground but also in a more empowering milieu with regards to advocacy and education actions that promote the inclusion of home languages.