Language education and DaZ promotion
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Concepts for planning and implementing language-conscious subject teaching in linguistically heterogeneous classes
December 1, 2018
On December 1, 2018, the symposium "Sprachbildung und DaZ-Förderung - Konzepte zur Planung und Umsetzung von sprachbewusstem Fachunterricht in sprachlich heterogenen Klassen" ("Language Education and DaZ Promotion - Concepts for Planning and Implementing Language-Conscious Subject Teaching in Linguistically Heterogeneous Classes") took place at the Campus Center of the University of Kassel. The event, accredited by the Hessian Teachers' Academy as a teacher training course, was organized as part of the Kassel project "Professionalization through Networking (PRONET) of the nationwide "Quality Offensive Teacher Training".
The conference was opened by Prof. Dr. Karin Aguado, Prof. Dr. Olaf Gätje and Dr. Andrea Bambek. In the opening it was outlined and proven with current figures from Hessian schools that prospective and practicing teachers in all school types are increasingly confronted with a linguistically heterogeneous student body. Teacher training should therefore include elements in the areas of DaZ and language education in all phases. In many federal states, this is already implemented in the form of mandatory modules in the first phase of teacher training. In Hesse, there is currently no such compulsory DaZ module. At the University of Kassel, the Department of German as a Second and Foreign Language (DaFZ) is developing, testing, and evaluating a basic DaZ module that prepares future teachers for the qualified handling of linguistic heterogeneity. Prof. Dr. Karin Aguado reported on the results of the project so far. Participants were also able to learn about the project through a poster presentation.
In his opening lecture "Fachlernen als Sprachausbau" Prof. Dr. Udo Ohm (University of Bielefeld) outlined the process of language development in terms of acquisition theory (in the sense of language expansion) and showed its constitutive function for subject learning. He pointed out that the so-called educational language can be characterized only conditionally by identifying and enumerating typical "educational language" structures. Linguistic structures are not only difficult to understand and acquire if they are complex, but also if they occur rarely, are inconspicuous, have a similar function to other structures, and have different functions in different contexts/situations. Subject-specific instruction must therefore primarily create opportunities for the use of language, focusing on the linguistic structures that are relevant to the subject. The literate development of language can only be achieved in specialized teaching, because there the literate articulation of facts is expected with a view to the acquisition of knowledge and thinking structures. In his lecture, Mr. Ohm used several case studies to illustrate how subject-specific language scaffolding can function between teachers and students and among students themselves.
Four workshops, each held in the morning and afternoon, focused on concrete practical examples and teaching scenarios around language-aware subject teaching in various subjects.
Prof. Dr. Magdalena Michalak (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg) offered a workshop on "Ge-schichte sprachbewusst - aber wie?" and showed how historical learning is linked to the way of thinking and working specific to the subject. One focus of the event was how to deal with sources and non-linear forms of representation. Ms. Michalak gave various suggestions on how to support history lessons linguistically. It was also discussed which action-oriented and language-conscious forms of learning can be implemented when teaching at extracurricular learning locations.
Prof. Josef Leisen OStD. a. D. (Mainz) illuminated in his workshop "The double language hurdles and the language shock of DaZ learners in STEM lessons", among other things, the question of what the background of the language shock is and how it can be mitigated. Mr. Leisen showed that language education is part of the competence development in the subject and thus an original task of every subject teacher. Numerous examples from the STEM subjects were used to show how language education can succeed in these subjects.
Dr. Andrea Bambek (University of Kassel) took over the leadership of the third workshop at short notice, as Sven Oleschko (University of Münster) had to cancel due to illness.
In the event entitled "Sprachbildung und DaZ-Förderung" (Language education and support), the linguistic registers of everyday and educational language were first characterized. Afterwards, the focus was on typical linguistic activities in the subjects social studies and history. Finally, tested teaching projects and materials for secondary level I and II were analyzed and discussed with a view to the scaffolding approach.
Tanja Fohr, StR.i.H (University of Kassel) focused on the artistic-aesthetic subjects in her workshop "Ways of integrated language education in art lessons - bringing image competence to the fore? She emphasized the importance of the reflected and competent handling of images in the media society.
In the workshop, concrete examples were used to demonstrate how language-sensitive art lessons can be planned and implemented in an action-oriented way with the help of scaffolding.
In the context of the practical forum, four guests from school and university practice and from educational policy formulated short statements on the conference topic and were then available for discussion with the audience.
Gisela Uhlenbrock (teacher of German and Latin at the Goethe Gymnasium and member of the school management team, Kassel) explained how a further interdisciplinary concept for language-sensitive teaching is being developed at her school. Nasser Faradjollahi-Liedtke(teacher for German and vocational education at the Theodor-Heuss-Schule in Baunatal and pedagogical assistant at the Institute for Vocational Education at the University of Kassel) emphasized the importance of further education courses for teachers of all school branches and pointed out that German as a second language should play a central role in all phases of teacher training, regardless of current social debates.
Nasser Faradjollahi-Liedtke (teacher for German and work education at the Theodor-Heuss-Schule in Baunatal and pedagogical assistant at the Institute for Vocational Education at the University of Kassel) emphasized, among other things, the importance of in-service training courses for teachers of all school branches and pointed out that German as a second language should play a central role in all phases of teacher education, regardless of current social debates.
Marcus Kourdji (pedagogical assistant at the Institute for German Studies at the University of Kassel) highlighted the perspective of student teachers, who are already confronted with increasing linguistic heterogeneity in their practical semesters and feel inadequately prepared for it. Anne Janz (City Councillor for Youth, Women, Health and Education of the City of Kassel) presented the perspective of municipal education policy and emphasized, among other things, the importance of holistic and early language support.
In the final conclusion of Prof. Dr. Karin Aguado and Prof. Dr. Olaf Gätje it became clear that the topics of language education and language-sensitive teaching meet with great interest and should take their rightful place in all three phases of teacher education in cooperation with important actors in teacher education.