Oral presentation: Merlynne Williams

The role of language in Aruba's education system presents specific and peculiar aspects that are indispensable to investigate. With the goal of co-creating knowledge for the benefit of education, the Centro di Investigacion y Desaroyo di Enseñansa (CIDE) has over 15 years of experience conducting practical, contextual, and community-based research. Within CIDE, the research unit dedicated specifically to multilingualism is TiPICo (Teaching in Plurilingual Island Communities).

While language research is conducted globally, the context of the ABC-islands is unique. Papiamento plays a mediating and fundamental role in our multilingual society, where English and Spanish are also omnipresent. Organically, Papiamento provides a solid foundation for cognitive, cultural, artistic, and civic development; yet, within the educational system, Dutch remains the official language—a situation often experienced as artificial. This dynamic is typical for all three islands, suggesting that the solutions lie within our own context.

TiPICo employs mixed-method approaches, combining classroom observations and practitioner-based research, longitudinal community-based studies commissioned by the Department of Education, and fundamental research leading to doctoral theses. Knowledge generated thus far includes the implementation of multilingual pedagogies, the use of Papiamento as a literacy language (specifically considering etymological orthography), and the clear distinction and interaction between Foreign Language learning and Mother Tongue education. This localized body of knowledge contributes directly to 21st-century teacher training, language policy development, and the professional development of in-service teachers in Aruba and the wider Caribbean, providing urgent, evidence-informed alternatives to the current monolingual norms that hinder student success.