German as a Second Language - Training in East Belgium
Model East Belgium: Strengthening German as a Second Language Sustainably
Everyday life and the education system in East Belgium are traditionally multilingual. In recent years,more and moreimmigrant children have been living and learning here, many of whom are learning German as a second language. The German-speaking Community supports them — among other things by qualifying teachers.
By Janna Degener-Storr
Speaking several languages in daily life is something people in East Belgium take for granted. The German-speaking Community borders directly on Aachen, and for decades many Francophones have also lived here, just thirty kilometers from Liège. In schools, German is generally the language of instruction, though a few primary schools teach in French. In recent years, however, more and more children and adolescents have joined the classrooms whose families speak entirely different languages at home — Turkish, Arabic, Ukrainian, among others — and who must learn German as a second or foreign language (GSL/GFL). Many have fled wars in their home countries and have only recently arrived in the region around Eupen, a town of about 20,000 inhabitants. Others were born in Belgium but still do not speak German because their family language is different.
“Communication becomes difficult for teachers when neither the students nor their parents speak German or French,” says primary school teacher Diane Hennen, who works in the Pedagogy Department of the Ministry of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. It is also a challenge to meet everyone’s needs in a class of 25 when some children are not yet literate and face language barriers — sometimes for extended periods. In recent years, the number of newly arrived students in primary and secondary schools has risen sharply and continues to grow, partly due to global political crises.
Demanding and Supporting — The Role of Policy
For years, the government of the German-speaking Community has required its schools to provide language support for these “first-arriving students,” known as EAS — and it supports them in doing so. Schools offer language-learning classes or courses, and teachers can complete a targetedGSLqualification worth 10 ECTS credits. Schools also receiveadditionalteaching hours specifically for educating first-arriving students.“In the best case, language support is organized by a trained teacher who helps children and adolescents become linguistically ready to join regular classes and follow lessons,” explains Diane Hennen. Teachers are not left alone with questions or challenges related to EAS; they receive professional guidance and can exchange ideas at network meetings organized by the GSL advisory service.
Qualified Teachers for Newly Arrived Learners
Because schools lack qualified staff, the authorities also fund professional development opportunities for teachers. Particularly successful was the most recent cohort of a one-year qualification program, held in the 2025/2026 school year. On June 8, 2026, seventeen participating teachers received their internationally recognized GSL certificates.The Goethe-Institut Belgium had already been advising the Ministry on GSL and GFL matters. Now, for the first time, it partnered with Friedrich Schiller University Jena to deliver the blended-learning program.The training comprised 300 hours — the required 10 ECTS credits mandated by decree. It was intentionally designed to be highly practice-oriented and, thanks to its hybrid format, accessible even to teachers working full-time in all-day schools. The foundation was the Goethe-Institute’s Deutsch Lehren Lernen (DLL) professional development series, whose modules focus on different thematic areas.
How can I support children’s pronunciation in a playful way? How do I help my teenage learners use academic language in subject classes? Which learning materials motivate my students? And also: How do I create an engaging learning environment? How do I observe and document learning progress? These were some of the questions explored during the training. All participants already had some connection toGSLin schools; many were already teaching inlanguage-learning classes or EAS courses. Some, however, were career changers — either into teaching in general or specifically into German as a foreign or second language.
Yvonne Klietz from the Goethe-Institut Belgium sees this as the reason for the group’s strong motivation: “Many teachers are the only GSL specialist at their school and long for professional exchange, concrete support, and networking. That’s why the creation of a professional network within the qualification program was described as extremely valuable.”
Educational Tools for Children and Adults
Another special feature: participants work with very different age groups — from two-and-a-half-year-old kindergarten children to high school graduates. In East Belgium, kindergartens are part of the pre-primary sector. After working through the theoretical foundations together, participants could choose the modules most relevant to their own teaching practice.The program began and ended with in-person sessions in Eupen. Every two weeks, the group met online. In between, they had time to observe their own and others’ lessons using videos, and to reflect on their teaching practices. Through the Goethe-Institute’s platform, they remained continuously connected — for example, to receive feedback from tutors on their progress. In a practical exploration project, they worked in small groups to investigate their own research questions.
Diane Hennen accompanied the qualification not only administratively but also as a participant. She is thoroughly satisfied with the results: “Digital learning was new for some participants here in East Belgium, but they adapted quickly. Everyone took away many ideas and implemented them directly in their own classrooms. This practical relevance, based on the long-standing expertise of the cooperation partners, was especially well received.”