Multilingualism and education

Introduction To The Focal Subjects

"Multilinguals And Education" – Multilingual Didactics


Without a sound basis in linguistics it is not possible to pursue a didactic approach which can be taken seriously. By referring to a sound basis in linguistics it will perhaps also be possible to persuade those who tend to be less convinced of the value of multilingual didactics, such as German-speaking scientists. They often even go so far as to want their own children to be educated exclusively in English and regard everything multilingual as a waste of cerebral and monetary resources.
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Dr Srichomthong from Thailand at the conference in Greifswald. Photo: © Lehrstuhl für Englische Sprachwissenschaft

Contact with Languages – Researchers in Greifswald Discuss the Issues

What role do multilingualism and contact with a language play in face-to-face and electronic communication? At the conference “Language Contact in the Age of Globalization”, these questions were posed and discussed by a pool of roughly 70 specialists.More ...
To take advantage of bicultural upbringing, universities have begun providing programs for “secondos”. Photo: © Europaeum Universität Regensburg

Secondos: cultivating and promoting bicultural backgrounds

Students with foreign ancestry have become an integral part of German universities. In order to make full use of their bicultural orientation, universities have begun offering programs to support these so-called “secondos”.More ...
Children should come into contact with a number of different languages as early on as possible. Photo: Selin Yurdakul © iStockphoto

Alphabet Soup at Kindergarten: Multilingual Children’s Books

A little wolf hides at a kindergarten and comes out at night to play with their toys. It paints, looks at picture books and it cooks alphabet soup for the dolls and cuddly toys.More ...
Increasing numbers of German-speaking families are even raising their children to be multilingual. Photo: Steve Debenport © iStockphoto

Babylon of the Babysitters: Multilingual Childcare

Public facilities in Germany are hardly able to keep up with the current demand for multilingual education. Three years ago, Peggy Block, a mother from Berlin, recognized the problem and created a nationwide Internet site for multilingual childcare.More ...
There are special web sites that offer playful and effective ways for kids to get involved with foreign languages. Photo: Candice Popik © iStockphoto

The world’s languages at the click of a mouse

Where is the easiest place to find children’s songs from Banglasdesh or Bolivia? How do you get kids excited about learning English or French words? On the Internet of course!More ...
CertiLingua is intended to give other schools an incentive to set up similar courses and activities. Photo: Julia Nichols © iStockphoto

New Label of Excellence for Outstanding School-leavers

Pupils who show that they have a very good command of two foreign languages, bilingual competence in specialised subjects and an intercultural ability to act may be awarded the CertiLingua Label of Excellence.More ...
A lot of materials on the Internet that can help you successfully learn a language Photo: Alex Slobodkin © iStockphoto

Learning languages in a virtual classroom

Learning a language via the Internet is difficult. Amongst other things it is also hard to motivate oneself to sit in front of the computer on a regular basis and study. Language communities may be able to help.More ...
It is quite clearly too late if children only start learning their second language in school Photo: Rich Legg © iStockphoto

A Head Start: Bilingual Kindergartens

Children who grow up with two languages have better cognitive skills than their monolingual peers. However, they should learn the languages as early as possible, at home or in a bilingual kindergarten.More ...
Das Logo von Todo Alemán. © Goethe-Institut

Todo Alemán: With Soccer and Fun to Multilingualism

Anyone who has grown up bilingual knows the advantages of multilingualism and is also well prepared for learning additional languages. The Goethe Institute’s new young people’s website „Todo Alemán“ is banking on this fact. This interactive portal is aimed at young people in the USA, Canada and Mexico.More ...
© Colourbox

Learning through soap operas – does ordinary TV assist foreign-language competence?

The didactic usefulness of films in foreign-language instruction is unquestioned. But can ordinary TV watching be harnessed for learning and the learning effect even be improved by the use of subtitles?More ...
Child translators: most of them are glad to be able to help and be appreciated for doing so Foto: Charles Benavidez © iStockphoto

Children who help others to understand

They explain a letter from the job centre to their father and tell their granny which tablets she has to take. When migrants with a poor knowledge of German need help, the children of the family often step into the breach to translate.More ...
30 percent of primary school children in Germany are of migrant origin. Copyright: Colourbox

Almost As Many Native Tongues As Pupils – Linguistic Integration in Germany

Language is the first step towards integration. This is particularly obvious in schools, where language barriers can prove a major obstacle to success.More ...

Multimedia-Based Learning: Laptops in German Classrooms

Christiane and Susanne are telling the story of Kelly’s strange experiences in a greenhouse. But it’s not the content of the multimedial-presented story, which they wrote themselves, that is important here.More ...

Learning by Teaching: The Goal is Independence

In this method of teaching – “Lernen durch Lehren” (LdL, Learning by Teaching) – the school students teach each other, thereby gaining additional skills.More ...

From Students to Intercultural Negotiators

Four languages, four subject areas: The Master’s programme in European Studies at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) offers a mix of interdisciplinary expertise and foreign language skills.More ...

Cultural Languages – Remarks on the Prevailing Linguistic Situation

What makes a language modern? As in all markets, in the language market, too, there are offers of different kinds.More ...
copyright: Colourbox

The Brain Has Room for Many Languages

To have a command of many language is a valuable ability in a Europe that is growing together. Yet in the schools and kindergartens monolingualism dominates.More ...

Dossier: CLIL

Content and Language Integrated Learning

Frühes Deutsch

Journal for German as a Foreign or Second Language in primary schools. Each issue features a specific topic with practical suggestions for teachers and articles on theoretical issues.

Line E

The interactive on-line quiz focussing on the European languages!

Lingu@net Europa

copyright: lingu@net
Multilingual database on the learning of foreign languages
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