Session 13: Foreign language politics in Europe and Germany

Learning languages a school vs. bringing languages to school

—> high/low status

All languages should be appreciated!

“As part of its efforts to promote mobility and intercultural understanding, the European Union (EU) has designated language learning as an important priority, and funds numerous programmes and projects in this area. Multilingualism, in the EU’s view, is an important element of Europe’s competitiveness. One of the objectives of the EU’s language policy is therefore for every EU citizen to master two other languages in addition to their mother tongue.” (Website European Parliament)

• Aims:

  • comparison of competences across Europe and for different languages

  • Framework of reference for all people involved in language learning

• Scale of competences

  • Basic user (A1, A2)

  • Independent User (B1, B2)

  • Proficient user (C1, C2)

• Competence-oriented: can-do descriptors

• Addressing competences in each skill (L, S, R, W) and proficiency level

• General aim: intercultural and communicative…

• Passport

• Language biography

• Dossier

—>  Self-testing

• Comparing the achievement of schools & classes

  • Vergleichsarbeiten VERA (3, 8)

• National studies

  • PISA-E (not EFL)

  • IGLU-E (not EFL)

• International studies

  • PISA (not EFL)

  • …

  • Post PISA shock —> output orientation

• Bildungsstandards (2003)

• … (hier fehlen mir die Notizen)

Curricula (Bremen)

• Rahmenplan Primarstufe

• Bildungsplan

• Cooperative learning

• Project oriented learning

• Cross-curricular learning

• Competence-oriented learning

• Learner autonomy (definition of autonomy tricky, not actually autonomous)

• Differentiation

• individualization