Elective Language Study and Policy in Israel

223 Pages·2016·4.23 MB·English

by  Malka Muchnik

MALKA MUCHNIK, MARINA NIZNIK,
ANBESSA TEFERRA AND TANIA GLUZMAN
E l e c t ive
L a n g u a g e
S t u d y
AND
Po l i c y
IN
I s r a e l
A SOCIOLINGUISTIC AND
EDUCATIONAL STUDY
Elective Language Study and Policy in Israel
Malka   M uchnik • Marina   N iznik • Anbessa   Teferra •
Tania   G luzman
Elective Language
Study and Policy in
Israel
A Sociolinguistic and Educational Study
Malka   Muchnik Marina   Niznik
Bar-Ilan University Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv , Israel Tel Aviv , Israel
Anbessa   Teferra Tania   Gluzman
Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University
Hadera , Israel Givatayim , Israel
ISBN 978-3-319-34035-7 ISBN 978-3-319-34036-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-34036-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016950203
© Th e Editor(s) (if applicable) and Th e Author(s) 2016
Th is work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether
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Th e use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Th e publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or
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Cover illustration: Cover image © incamerastock / Alamy Stock Photo
Printed on acid-free paper
Th is Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature
Th e registered company is Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland
Th is is a thought-provoking book that opens a wide-ranging conversation
about language off erings at the intersection of language policy and education.
While it focuses on language education in Israel, the volume will be of consid-
erable interest to educators in many other countries, as it testifi es to the impor-
tance and the challenges of including both immigrant and foreign languages
in language instruction. Th e volume is highly timely in view of large-scale
migration around the world.
— Olga Kagan, University of California at Los Angeles, Director of the
National Heritage Language Resource Center
Prefa ce
Th e present book addresses the study of four elective foreign languages
at the middle and high school levels in Israel. It describes the way these
languages are taught and learned at school, focusing on two heritage lan-
guages—Russian and Amharic—and two languages that are foreign for
most Israeli students—French and Spanish. Th e research sought to deeply
ʼ
understand students motivations, attitudes, and achievements, language
teachers’ assessments, curricula, matriculation exams, and quality of text-
books. After examining and comparing these issues, we assessed whether
they conform to the offi cial policies of the Israeli Ministry of Education
and the local schools relating to the study of these four languages.
Chapter 1 presents an introduction to language diversity and the teach-
ing of foreign languages in Israel. It describes the language education
policy and the changes it has undergone, fi rst as infl uenced by Zionist
ideology, and later by globalization. It diff erentiates between heritage and
foreign languages, which infl uences their instruction at school.
Chapter 2 describes the status of each of the four languages addressed
in this research, including the immigration history from the countries
where these languages are spoken and their current perception in Israel.
It covers the presence of these languages in the media, that is, radio,
television, newspapers, and the Internet, as well as in the theater, cinema,
music, folklore, politics, and more.
vii
viii Preface
Chapter 3 presents the instruction history of the four languages in
diff erent frameworks and levels in Israel, with a special emphasis on
high schools, presenting the diff erences between the instructions of each
language.
Chapter 4 describes the present research, specifying its aims, research
questions, hypothesis, methodology, tools, and participants. It pres-
ents the diff erent features of the quantitative and qualitative research
components.
Chapter 5 presents the results of the quantitative research, as obtained
by the statistical analyses of the questionnaires completed by the stu-
dents. A comparison is presented between the four languages as well as a
discussion of the common and contrasting results, which are particularly
salient when comparing the heritage and foreign languages.
Chapter 6 analyzes the curricula, matriculation exams, and textbooks
used to teach the selected languages, predominantly based on the reports
of external experts. A critical view of the instruction at school is off ered,
together with recommendations for improvement.
Chapter 7 summarizes the interviews conducted with students and
teachers of the four languages in diff erent schools and locations. Th is is
compared with the results of the quantitative research and the expert’s
reports.
Chapter 8 presents a summary of the entire research, including
c onclusions and recommendations based on the fi ndings, regarding the
authorities responsible for foreign language instruction in Israel.
We would like to thank the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption in Israel
and Bar-Ilan University for supporting this research. We also thank the
Ministry of Education authorities for allowing us to conduct the research
in the diff erent schools, and the inspectors, principals, and teachers for
helping us administer the questionnaires and conduct the interviews. We
are especially grateful to the students of the four languages in the diff er-
ent educational institutions, who agreed to share with us their feelings
and insights about their language education at school, as expressed in the
questionnaires and interviews. Last but not least, we would like to thank
our research assistants—Sima Veis, Revital Shadmi, and Hila Shovali—
for their valuable help.
Preface ix
W e hope that the comprehensive research described in this book will
shed light on the instruction of foreign languages in Israel and other
countries that contend with this important challenge, thus contributing
to their improvement.
Contents
1 Introduction 1
Language Diversity in Israel 1
Language Status in the Present 4
Israel Language Policy Today 6
Studying Non-Native Languages 8
Studying Languages in Israeli Schools 9
Policy Conclusions 11
References 13
2 Th e Status of the Four Languages in Israel 17
Introduction 17
Th e Status of Russian in Israel 18
Immigration History of Russian Speakers 18
New Immigrants’ Absorption 20
Russian in the Israeli Media 20
Russian Language Culture in Israel 22
Political Impact and Activity 26
Future Perspectives 29
Th e Status of Amharic in Israel 29
Introduction 29
Immigration History of Amharic Speakers 31
xi
xii Contents
Th e Use of Amharic in Israel 34
Amharic in the Israeli Media 36
Th e Place of Amharic in the Performing Arts 38
Amharic Authors in Israel 40
Amharic and Internet Use in Israel 40
Th e Status of Spanish in Israel 41
Immigration History of Spanish Speakers 41
Contemporary Picture 45
Th e Interest in Spanish in Israel 45
Spanish Speakers in Israel 46
Spanish in the Israeli Media 47
Spanish Literature in Israel 48
Spanish and Latino Music in Israel 49
Th e Infl uence of Ladino 50
Th e Status of French in Israel 52
Immigration History of French Speakers 52
French Speakers in Israel 55
French Organizations in Israel 56
French Publications and Websites 58
French Cultural Life in Israel 59
References 60
3 Teaching the Four Languages in Israel 65
Introduction 65
Russian Teaching History 66
Russian as a School Subject 66
Offi cial Policy on Russian 66
Th e Students of Russian 67
Studying Russian as a Heritage Language 68
Th e Teachers of Russian in Israel 69
Russian in Institutions for Higher Education 70
Amharic Teaching History 70
Introduction 70
Th e Beginnings of Amharic Instruction in Israel 71
Strengthening Amharic Instruction 73
Additional Advances 74