DaZ-UMF

Initiated by the refugee situation in 2015, the research project DaZ-UMF deals with a group of learners that has hardly been studied in language acquisition research so far, namely unaccompanied minor refugees from Afghanistan, who do not start learning German until adolescence and often have only low literacy skills in their first language (mostly Dari, sometimes also Pashto).

To date, there have been only a few studies on the acquisition of German as a second language among UMF or, in general, among adolescent lateral entrants in German-speaking countries. This deficit affects both studies on cognitive processes of second language acquisition and classroom research. In order to be able to train teachers specifically for DaZ lessons with this target group (see also the project FörLeSch), basic research is still necessary. The DaZ-UMF project will therefore investigate how literary competencies acquired through school attendance in Afghanistan in the L1 and/or through literacy training in Germany in the L2 can affect the development of L2 acquisition in German, especially in the area of grammar and in the oral domain.

In cooperation with the Institute for Languages (IFS) and with the UMF department of the Hephata Diakonie Kassel, initial pilot studies on the second language acquisition of UMF were conducted, with both longitudinal and cross-sectional data being collected on a small scale. Thus, as student research projects, an instrument for literacy assessment in L1 Dari and in L2 German and an instrument for measuring phonological awareness were developed and tested. In addition, spontaneous speech data were collected from several subjects on several occasions and various language tests were conducted with them. Based on the conducted pilot studies and literature research, a third party funding proposal is currently being prepared.

In the context of the DaZ-UMF project, we also organize lectures and workshops to exchange ideas with other researchers who are interested in similar issues. For example, with Sarah Faseli, a staff member of the DaF program at Kabul University, who is currently doing her PhD on writing competencies of DaF learners with L1 Dari at Bochum University (flyer). Or with Dr. Jana Gamper from the University of Potsdam, who is also working on data from adolescent lateral entrants (flyer).

The DaZ-UMF project was featured in the current issue of the department's alumni newsletter. Download (p. 18-20)

Students writing their theses in the DaZ-UMF project were featured in the current issue of the department's alumni newsletter. Download (pp. 18-20)

Student Research Projects:

Mirova, Farzona (in progress): Literacy skills and phonological awareness in unaccompanied refugee minors in L1 Dari and L2 German (working title). MA thesis, supervisor: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christine Czinglar.

Reez, Carina (in progress): Development and testing of an instrument for eliciting w-questions from adolescent lateral entrants (working title). MA thesis, supervisor: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christine Czinglar.

Schumacher, Anne-Christin (in progress): Behavioral observation and writing assessment as a means of assessing literal skills in young adults with Dari as their first language (working title). MA thesis, supervisor: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christine Czinglar.

Schumacher, Anne-Christin/Flierl, Julian & Jia, Zongyue (2016): Assessing literality - Proposal for a procedure to assess basic literacy skills in Dari-speaking learners of German. Research project, supervised by Prof. Dr. Karin Aguado.

Presentations:

Schumacher, Anne-Christin/Mirova, Farzona & Czinglar, Christine (2017): Is it possible to assess literary competencies of learners of German without knowledge of the language of origin? Lecture. German for school and/or writing unfamiliarity section.XVI International Conference of Teachers of German, Fribourg/Freiburg - Switzerland, 31.7.-4.8.2017.

Schumacher, Anne-Christin/Mirova, Farzona/Aguado, Karin & Czinglar, Christine  (2017): Assessing literality - a procedure for assessing basic literacy skills in Dari-speaking learners of German. Multilingualism as an opportunity "Atlas of Multilingualism in Europe", University of Kassel, 3-5.6.2017. [Poster presentation].

Czinglar, Christine (2017): L2 acquisition of oral grammar skills in adolescent refugees in Germany with disparate literacy skills (Research project on L2 acquisition of oral language skills in German among learners with disparate literacy prerequisites).  GAL-Research School "Elicitation procedures in multilingualism research", University of Münster, 8-10.3.2017.

Czinglar, Christine (2016): Second language acquisition of newly-immigrated children and adolescents exemplified by grammar acquisition. Lecture. Fachforum Mehrsprachigkeit und Spracherwerb im Kontext von Flucht und Migration - Chancen und Herausforderungen für die sprachliche Bildung. University of Kassel, Department of "Socialization with a focus on migration and intercultural education", 16.12.2016.

Czinglar, Christine (2016): The L2-syntax of German: variation in the rate of L2-acquisition of verb placement in the context of migration. Lecture. COCOLAC-RC Seminar on L2 Syntax, University of Helsinki, 18.11.2016.

Publications:

Schumacher, Anne-Christin/Mirova, Farzona & Czinglar, Christine (forthcoming, forthcoming Fall 2018): Is it possible to assess literary competencies of learners of German* without knowledge of the language of origin? In: Studer, Thomas/Barras, Malgorzata/Karges Katharina & Wiedenkeller, Eva (eds.): Tagungsband der XVI. Internationalen Tagung der Deutschlehrerinnen und Deutschlehrer. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag.

Czinglar, Christine (2017): The acquisition of German as a second language among newly immigrated youth. Jugendhilfe 55 (2): pp. 137-143.

Czinglar, Christine (submitted, 2017): Second language acquisition in adolescence: which factors are crucial for newly immigrated adolescents? In Nora von Dewitz, Henrike Terhart &, Mona Massumi (eds.): Transitions into the German education system: an interdisciplinary perspective on new immigration. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa.

Funding: ZFF funds from the University of Kassel (until August 2016); Appointment funds
Duration: since August 2015
Research Assistants: Carina Reez M.A. and Anne-Christin Schumacher M.Ed.
Former Research Assistants: Astrid Lange M.A. and Evelyne Raupach M.A.

Text: Christine Czinglar and Carina Reez
Photos: Carina Reez