• Language name: Frysk
• ISO 639-3 code: fry
• Glottocode: west2354
• Olac record
• Vitality scores: Unesco - Vulnerable; EGids - 2; LEI - Vulnerable
• Mercator Regional Dossier: Frisian in the Netherlands

Frisian is an autochtonous minority language spoken in Fryslân, one of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands.

Points of Interest

id	symbol	latitude	longitude	description
		KML track: frisia

Frisian is a West Germanic language closely related to Dutch. Until the fifteenth century Frisian was widely used in writing as well as speech in an area much larger than that of the current province, following the coastline of the present-day Netherlands and Germany. From the sixteenth century onward Frisian became a language that was almost exclusively oral in usage, used in mainly rural areas. In the course of the nineteenth century the Frisian language gradually gained more access into other areas of life. Frisian developed, independently from Dutch, into what is now called ‘New Frisian’. Only in the twentieth century the Frisian language regained its position in government, jurisdiction, and education. ¹⁾ .

source:²⁾

Most people in Frisia can understand Frisian (93,7%), More than half speaks the language (reasonably) well (66,6%). Only a small part writes the language well (14,5%). Writing skills seem to have improved somewhat in the last few years³⁾.

• Fryske Taalatlas

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<gchart 300×120 pie3d #339966 #ffffff “Mother tongue of group leaders” right> Frisian = 60 non-Frisian = 40 </gchart>

Dutch law on childcare states that group leaders are free to use Frisian. A study from 2000 revealed that about 60% of the group leaders had Frisian as their mother tongue ⁴⁾ . Since then, this number may have decreased as Frisian was used more frequently by older group leaders. Frisian is used mainly in individual contacts with children or parents. When reading or singing Dutch is used much more often.

Read more in Mercator's Regional Dossier

• Sintrim Frysktalige Berneopvang (Frisian Childcare center) offers assistance to group leaders that wish to give Frisian a more prominent role….
• Afûk started its Tomke project in 1997 to stimulate Frisian language development in preschoolers. Tomke is a small Frisian boy that appears in tv adventures, books and a website.

• Frysk.nl
• It Fryske berneboek (The Frisian children's book)

Dutch law on primary education states that, in the province of Fryslân, Frisian is an obligatory subject and may be used as a medium of instruction. Schools may receive exemption from this rule, and a few have.

In 2006 the majority of Frisian schools spent 36 minutes per week on one lesson of Frisian. 15 to 20% of primary schools use Frisian regularly as a medium of instruction ⁵⁾ ) . 6% Of primary schools do not offer Frisian lessons at all. Quality of the lessons?<gchart 300×120 pie3d #339966 #ffffff “Frisian as medium of instruction” right> regularly = 17 sometimes = 77 not at all = 6 </gchart>

In 1997 an experiment started in Fryslân with a trilingual school model. During a number of half-days every week, Dutch, Frisian or English were used as the language of instruction. This model was successful and in october 2014 there were 64 trilingual schools in Frisia ⁶⁾ )</sup> .

Read more in Mercator's Regional Dossier

• Sintrim meertaligens (Center for multilingualism)
• Studio F: a Frisian language teaching method. Their digital learning environment can be viewed online.
• Linkk

Since 1993, the Dutch law on secondary education prescribes that Frisian is an obligatory subject in the two lowest grades. However, since 2006, the provincial government may grant to schools exemption from this rule.

In 2007 more than a third of the secondary schools did not offer Frisian lessons.

Read more in Mercator's Regional Dossier

Frisian courses for adults are organised by the Afûk. Course students can access the online, digital learning environment Edufrysk.

Read more in Mercator's Regional Dossier

Preschool group leaders only learn some basic pedagogical skills regarding multilingualism.

Teachers for primary education are trained at the Stenden Hogeschool and the NHL. A Frisian language course is part of the curriculum. By completing the programme, students obtain a formal certificate, allowing them to teach Frisian on primary schools. However, only 85% of the primary school teachers claim to speak Frisian well, and only 69% claims to write it well. A substantial part of primary schools lacks adequately qualified teachers. ⁷⁾ .

Teachers for secondary education are trained at the NHL and at the University of Groningen.

Currently the vocational institutes that educate preschool group leaders are developing a new curriculum that will include elements of bilingualism and Frisian language command.

• Digital meeting place for Frisian teachers
• Sintrum Frysktalige Berne-opfang (SFBO)

The inspectorate (Inspectie van het Onderwijs) carries out inventories every few years. These reports provide basic data on various aspects of Frisian at primary and secondary education. The Fryske Akademy, research institute for Fryslân and its people, language and culture, has projects aimed at education of Frisian.

Hoe twatalich moat men wêze om dêr kognityf foardiel fan te hawwen?, study about bilingualism & cognitive skills, by the Fryske Akademy.

• The Development of Minimum standards for Education in Regional and Minority Languages, study of Frisian education in a European perspective.

• Taalweb Frysk, developed by the Fryske Akademy: utilities for those who asprire writing in Frisian.
• Praat mar Frysk, campaign set up by the Afûk to promote the Frisian language.
• Tresoar, Frisian historic and linguistic centre.
• Frisian Wikipedia.
• Omrop Fryslân, Frisian broadcasting service.
• Heit & Mem, Frisian magazine for parents.
• Kanon fan de Fryske Skiednis (Canon of the history of Frisia).

Frisian is currently being added to Google Translate. One can help translate English into Frisian here!