Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
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Translation: From One World to Another (The UNESCO Courier No. 2; April-June 2022) Year of publication: 2022 Corporate author: UNESCO To translate is “to say almost the same thing”, in the words of the Italian writer Umberto Eco. A whole world is contained in this “almost”. To translate is to confront the other, the different, the unknown. It is often the essential prerequisite for those who want to access a universal, multiple, diverse culture. It is therefore no coincidence that the League of Nations took up the issue in the 1930s, envisaging the creation of an Index Translationum.Taken over by UNESCO in 1948, this Index allowed the first census of translated works in the world. Two years later, the Representative Works programme was launched to translate masterpieces of world literature. UNESCO’s support for the publication last year of a lexicon of words from indigenous languages of Mexico that are untranslatable into Spanish is a continuation of these efforts.Although their disappearance was predicted as early as the 1950s, translators – who are most often women – have never been as numerous as they are today. The machines developed in the aftermath of the war have not been able to outdo this behind-the-scenes profession. Nor have digital translation tools, which have become the standard feature of our globalized conversations, even if they have contributed to transforming the job.This is because language is more than just a means of communication. It is that, and much more. It is what written or oral works make of it, contributing to forge what is sometimes called the ‘genius of the language’, which the most powerful applications cannot restore. 
Communication and Information Programme Year of publication: 2021 Corporate author: UNESCO UNESCO is the UN specialized agency building peace in the minds of people through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. Our mission is to foster intercultural dialogue and sustainable development, by promoting the free flow of ideas.By adopting a multi-disciplinary and inclusive approach, UNESCO works with both duty-bearers and rights-holders across the world to develop and implement targeted actions that are born out of local needs, which ensures a holistic and results-based approach for sustainable change.In the field of communication and information, UNESCO defends and promotes freedom of expression, media independence and pluralism, and the building of inclusive knowledge societies underpinned by universal access to information and the innovative use of digital technologies.Through capacity-building, policy advice, international cooperation, monitoring and foresight in the fields of freedom of expression, access to information, and digital transformation, UNESCO will continue to empower key actors with a view to ensuring that fundamental freedoms are guaranteed online and offline, in line with international standards.This is all the more relevant to ensure the ethical development and use of emerging technologies, which have a growing impact on all aspects of the world’s societies. Citizens will also be empowered to enjoy these fundamental freedoms through the development of 21st century skills and the fostering of enabling environments for media pluralism and diversity. 
Advocacy kit for promoting multilingual education: including the excluded Year of publication: 2007 Corporate author: UNESCO Office Bangkok and Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific Who Can Use This Kit? This kit was prepared for all of those who want to ensure that “Education for All” does, indeed, include everyone! The kit will be especially valuable for policy makers, education practitioners and specialists who want to improve access to and quality of education for those excluded by language. It will also be helpful for speakers of ethnic minority languages who want to improve the education situation in their own communities.This kit is designed to raise awareness on the importance of mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE). It presents key arguments and facts about MLE and provides important insights about the value and benefits of providing education in learners’ mother tongue. The kit also presents ideas, research findings and concrete examples that you can use to think about your own situation and suggests steps for taking actions to make your school system more responsive to linguistic diversity.The kit is not a definitive textbook, and it will not have an answer for every problem that you might face. To help you as much as possible, at the end of each booklet we have included lists of references. In addition, each booklet contains a glossary of terms and, at the front of each booklet is a one-page summary of its contents.How Can You Use This Kit? This kit contains three main booklets. Each booklet has a designated audience: 1) policy makers, 2) education programme planners and practitioners and 3) community members. Please remember that developing MLE requires contributions from everyone at all levels. For that reason, we encourage you to use all three booklets along with other available resources as you work together to plan, implement and sustain your MLE programmes.This kit can be used in many different ways. For those who are already involved in MLE programmes, you might use these ideas to help you to promote mother tongue instruction and strengthen your programme. Those who are not familiar with multilingual education but want to improve educational access for minority language students might use these booklets to identify specific points that they can investigate and discuss in their own contexts. 
MTB MLE resource kit: Including the excluded: promoting multilingual education Year of publication: 2016 Author: Susan Malone Corporate author: UNESCO Bangkok Who Can Use this Resource Kit?This MTB MLE Resource Kit is for people who are committed to the idea that all children have the right to quality education in a language they speak and understand. MTB MLE programmes that are sustained within the formal education system require contributions from all stakeholders, working together and supporting one another. The next three booklets were developed for three specific stakeholder groups: policy makers, programme implementers and community members. These three booklets, with the case studies, provide a “big picture” of successful MTB MLE programmes and suggestions for the roles each group can take as they plan, implement and maintain their programmes. How Can You Use this Resource Kit?Each booklet is organized around key questions about MTB MLE that are frequently asked by policy makers, implementers and community members. Responses to each question include examples of specific activities that are part of successful MTB MLE programmes in a variety of contexts. Working together, stakeholders can identify the specific activities that are best suited for their own situation and make the best use of all available resources. 
Multilingualism and Language Diversity for Inclusion in Education: Brief on Inclusion in Education Year of publication: 2024 Author: Piet Van Avermart Corporate author: UNESCO Language is a fundamental factor for inclusion in education. From a monolingual point of view, acquiring the language of instruction has long been regarded as the key to inclusion. However, multilingualism can be a valuable resource for all: inclusive school policies and multilingual practices recognize and foster linguistic diversity, benefit learning and create cohesion. 
Enhancing learning of children from diverse language backgrounds: mother tongue-based bilingual or multilingual education in the early years Year of publication: 2011 Author: Jessica Ball Corporate author: UNESCO This literature review discusses mother tongue based bilingual or multilingual education for children starting in early childhood. The report: (1) informs policy-makers of existing research and practices in mother-tongue instruction in early childhood and early primary school years; and (2) raises awareness of the value of maintaining the world’s languages and cultures by promoting and resourcing mother tongue-based education for young children. This analysis of current literature is framed within UNESCO’s mandate and strong commitment to quality education for all and to cultural and linguistic diversity in education (UNESCO, 2003a). This discussion is especially timely, given the slow and uneven progress (UNESCO, 2000) in meeting international targets for universal education articulated in the Education for All Goals 1 (ECCE), Goal 2 (Primary Education), and Goal 6 (Quality of Education) (World Declaration on Education for All, 1990).1 Impetus for the current report is provided by the UNESCO (2008a) ‘Global Monitoring Report on Education for All: Will we make it?’ The 2008 GMR report calls for unwavering political will to ensure that education from early childhood onwards is a priority of national governments, civil society and the private sector in order to ensure educational inclusion for the 72 million children out of school and to reduce the numbers of young learners who leave school without acquiring essential skills and knowledge. The report calls for increased investments in the provision of pre-primary education for children aged 3 and above, and for policy measures to provide care and education to children below age 3. UNESCO (2007a) emphasizes the role of early childhood care and development in laying the foundation for learning and setting the stage for successful engagement in formal education. UNESCO has encouraged mother tongue instruction in early childhood and primary education since 1953 (UNESCO, 1953). Yet, monolingualism in official or dominant languages is still the norm around the world (Arnold, Bartlett, Gowani, & Merali, 2006; Wolff & Ekkehard, 2000). In its report, ‘Strong Foundations: Early Childhood Care and Education’, UNESCO (2007a) points out the overlooked advantages of multilingual education in the early years. When children are offered opportunities to learn in their mother tongue, they are more likely to enrol and succeed in school (Kosonen, 2005) and their parents are more likely to communicate with teachers and participate in their children’s learning (Benson, 2002). Mother tongue based education especially benefits disadvantaged groups, including children from rural communities (Hovens, 2002), and girls, who tend to have less exposure to an official language and tend to stay in school longer, achieve better, and repeat grades less oft en when they are taught in their mother tongue (UNESCO Bangkok, 2005). 
Literacy in multilingual and multicultural contexts: effective approaches to adult learning and education Year of publication: 2016 Author: Ulrike Hanemann, Cassandra Scarpino All of the literacy programmes featured in this publication offer valuable experiences and lessons on how the challenges posed by linguistic and cultural diversity can be productively addressed by harnessing the potential of language and culture as enriching resources in the process of literacy teaching and learning. A major lesson that has emerged over the years is that the use of local languages as the medium of instruction enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning process in developing literacy, numeracy and (second or more) language skills. However, mother tongue-based literacy not only facilitates the learning process, but is also an important symbol of identity, unity and self-determination. It is closely intertwined with culture and local values, wisdom, worldviews and tradition. A number of the featured programmes demonstrate that language and culture in education are highly political. Respect for all languages and cultures, and their equal treatment, can play a critical role in fostering national cohesion. In some cases, this is contributing to rebuilding peace in post-conflict communities. Literacy programmes that contribute to the preservation of linguistic and cultural diversity should, also, be viewed as integral to sustainable development. 
Advocacy kit for promoting multilingual education: including the excluded Year of publication: 2007 Corporate author: UNESCO Office Bangkok and Regional Bureau of Education in Asia and the Pacific This kit was prepared for all of those who want to ensure that “Education for All” does, indeed, include everyone! The kit will be especially valuable for policy makers, education practitioners and specialists who want to improve access to and quality of education for those excluded by language. It will also be helpful for speakers of ethnic minority languages who want to improve the education situation in their own communities. This kit is designed to raise awareness on the importance of mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE). It presents key arguments and facts about MLE and provides important insights about the value and benefits of providing education in learners’ mother tongue. The kit also presents ideas, research findings and concrete examples that you can use to think about your own situation and suggests steps for taking actions to make your school system more responsive to linguistic diversity. The kit is not a definitive textbook, and it will not have an answer for every problem that you might face. To help you as much as possible, at the end of each booklet we have included lists of references. In addition, each booklet contains a glossary of terms and, at the front of each booklet is a one-page summary of its contents. This kit contains three main booklets. Each booklet has a designated audience: 1) policy makers, 2) education programme planners and practitioners and 3) community members. Please remember that developing MLE requires contributions from everyone at all levels. For that reason, we encourage you to use all three booklets along with other available resources as you work together to plan, implement and sustain your MLE programmes. This kit can be used in many different ways. For those who are already involved in MLE programmes, you might use these ideas to help you to promote mother tongue instruction and strengthen your programme. Those who are not familiar with multilingual education but want to improve educational access for minority language students might use these booklets to identify specific points that they can investigate and discuss in their own contexts. Global Citizenship and Lingual Identity: The Ability to Perform in Different Lingual Settings Year of publication: 2011 Author: Ann-Christin Torpsten Corporate author: SAGE Publications The aim of this article is to interpret second-language pupils’ encounter with the Swedish school regarding first- and second-language learning. An empirical context called experienced learning is investigated by interpreting student teachers’ oral and written narrated learning memories. Using a life-story approach, the interpretation focuses on lingual skills, lingual identity and citizenship. The study looks at participation in Swedish as a second language and mother tongue education when the subjects encountered the Swedish school system. Participating in those lessons is described as positive. Participating made it easier to improve skills in the second language and mother tongue. Mother tongue skills were transferred to the second-language improvement. It became much easier to continue developing the second language when skills in the mother tongue increased. Language skills were positive for continued learning, linguistic development, development of bilingualism and multilingualism. Through widened linguistic horizons it becomes possible to develop identity as multilingual persons. When skills increase in different languages such as Swedish as a second language and mother tongue, the subjects become aware of their identities as multilingual persons. They become aware of their possibilities of being active, multicultural, global citizens. Their ability to perform in different lingual settings becomes visible. 
Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education: The Key to Unlocking SDG 4 - Quality Education for All Year of publication: 2017 Author: Matt Wisbey Corporate author: UNESCO Bangkok This brochure, designed as a bright and bold resource to be used with policy makers and other key stakeholders, explores the reasons why mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) is the key to quality lifelong learning opportunities for all. Linking the key elements of MTB-MLE with SDG4’s targets, it outlines the benefits for both individual learners and society as a whole.