Potentials of multilingualism in bilingual social studies in primary schools
PRONET² (Second term 2019-2021)
Project: Multilingualism-related teacher action in bilingual subject teaching -.
a project for the professionalization of prospective and active teachers
Subproject 9 is located in field of action II of PRONET² (professionalization through networking - continuation and potentiation) and is funded by the federal and state governments as part of the joint "Quality Campaign for Teacher Education" with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Abstracts:
The linguistic diversity in Europe on the one hand and the complexity of historical-political issues on the other hand make it necessary for prospective teachers to be able to access materials in two or more of the European school foreign languages and to use them in the classroom. At the same time, a sensitivity for the multilingualism of the students must be developed in order to make it fruitful for the lessons.
The basis of the sub-project is the further expansion and development of an already existing interdisciplinary cooperation between the two subject didactics English and History. The focus of the further development is on multilingualism-related teacher action in bilingual subject teaching. For this purpose, coordinated, parallel university learning environments are offered, which deal with life stories of contemporary witnesses.
In the didactics of history courses, the focus is on written life stories in the form of first-person documents. In groups, students analyze and discuss primarily French and German self-testimonies from the time of World War II, such as diaries, eyewitness accounts, or autobiographical texts. Complementary to this, the courses in foreign language teaching and learning research focus on the construction of the students' own lifestories in the present as well as in the past. To implement the approach, "ABC'sof Cultural Understanding and Communication" (Schmidt, 1998; Schmidt & Finkbeiner, 2006; Finkbeiner & Lazar, 2015) is used as a model and vehicle. Student - senior tandems are formed and an "intergenerational conference" is held. Importantly, a joint student workshop is held in which students of history didactics and foreign language teaching and learning research engage with and discuss theses on multilingual teaching. The aim of the university learning environments is to sensitize the prospective teachers to multilingualism, language awareness as well as multiperspectivity. The project serves to build the profile of the prospective teachers, who acquire a qualification in the field of multilingual teaching and learning.
Project: Potentials of multilingualism in bilingual social studies in primary schools
The University of Kassel has successfully applied for funding with the project "Professionalization through Networking (PRONET)" ("Professionalisierung durch Vernetzung") within the framework of the "Quality Offensive Teacher Education (Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung)" of the BMBF, which was approved in March 2015. In the context of the subproject 9 "Potentials of multilingualism in bilingual subject teaching (Mehrsprachigkeitspotentiale im bilingualen Sachfachunterricht)", a proseminar will be offered from summer semester 2016, which can be credited for the BIKA certificate (Bilingual Kassel).
Abstract: Since 2011, bilingual teaching in history, among other subjects, has been an integral part of the Hessian core curriculum for all types of schools. In view of the multilingualism of pupil with a migration background and / or naturally or institutionally acquired multilingual competencies, teaching in these subjects faces the challenge of using the potential of multilingualism, integrating it and making it fruitful for reflection on the perception of alterity and the development and reflection of conceptual concepts. The development of a very well-founded training offer for future teachers for this need is therefore urgently necessary.
The main focus of the subproject is the development of a higher education didactic learning environment with regard to the integration of the multilingualism of the participants, so that they can implement these approaches in schools in the future. The currently again enormously diversifying learning communities demand this approach. The use of multilingualism potentials is relevant both in terms of concept development in the subject (here: history) and comparatively in the different languages (e.g. English, French, Spanish) as well as interdisciplinary for intercultural learning processes. Students participating in this subproject learn about multilingualism as a basis for concept awareness and the conscious use of concepts as elements of historical and linguistic learning. The subproject is based on the further development of a long-standing interdisciplinary cooperation between the three subject didactics: English / American Studies, Romance Studies and History, and ties in with the teaching innovation project on bilingual teaching and learning in the subject of History in the target languages English and French.
The present project follows on from the teaching innovation project on bilingual teaching and learning (Bilinguales Lehren und Lernen BLL) in the subject history in the target languages English and French (cooperation Finkbeiner/Pflüger 2012-14). In this project, a bilingual study program on bilingual teaching and learning for the subjects History/English/French was further developed by relating language and subject didactics (English/French/History) to each other.
The aim of the follow-up project is to further develop a learning environment with regard to the integration of the multilingualism of the participants, so that in the future these approaches can also be implemented in the schools. The currently diversifying learning communities demand this approach. The use of multilingualism potentials is relevant both with regard to the concept development in the subject (here: history) and comparatively in the different languages as well as interdisciplinary for intercultural learning processes.
In terms of research methodology, the generation and evaluation of classroom recordings will be carried out in the sense of case studies.
Students participating in this project learn about multilingualism as a basis for expanding conceptual ideas and consciously dealing with concepts as elements of historical learning. The project also serves to build the profile of future teachers, who can acquire an additional professional profile in the field of multilingual teaching and learning and offers them a qualification advantage through the unique selling point.
The project management of "Potentials of multilingualism in bilingual subject teaching (Mehrsprachigkeitspotentiale im bilingualen Sachfachunterricht)" is pleased about the cooperation with the European School Georg-August-Zinn Schule Kassel, as well as a successful cooperation with the Albert-Schweitzer-Schule Kassel, the Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg Gymnasium Kassel and with the Model School Obersberg Bad Hersfeld.
On July 13, 2016, Mr. Stefan Lösche, trainee teacher at the Georg-August-Zinn School Kassel, received a certificate of participation for his involvement in the PRONET project P9 "Potentials of multilingualism in bilingual subject teaching (Mehrsprachigkeitspotentiale im bilingualen Sachfachunterricht)". At the beginning of the summer semester 2016, Mr. Lösche and the students of his bilingual history course of a 9th grade class had agreed to participate in both the background survey and the recordings for the project. Mr. Lösche, who also accepted the certificate of participation on behalf of colleague Scholz, emphasized:
"I'm excited about finding new opportunities to connect theory taught at the university with classroom practice and to contribute something to current research."