Minority Ethnicity - Intercultural learning - what the curriculum says

In the Austrian curriculum there is a 15-page long addition on "German for pupils with non-German mother tongue", which goes back to 1992 and formulates objectives, aims and didactic principles.

The objectives formulated there are quite remarkable: Acquiring German as a second language is seen as only a part of diversified (???) intercultural learning. It is essential to take into account the specific living conditions of the pupils and the problems resulting from migration as well as to develop the ability and the willingness to represent aspects of our own culture and to notice and understand that other people are different.

It might be necessary to reduce existing prejudice with regard to other cultures and act accordingly. At the same time, however, it is important to retain or build up a cultural identity based on tolerance and pacifism. Intercultural learning is a chance for enrichment of all pupils and preparation for a life in a multicultural world community. The acquisition of the second language shall be embedded in the context of intercultural learning and make co-operative learning of all pupils possible.

Objectives for classwork

The pupils should

Develop a joy of listening and sounding words fluently and correctly as well as reading and writing in the second language
Increase comprehension of standard German (first spoken, then written)
Understand, read, and write texts as important forms of language
Acquire attitudes and study skills that support the acquisition of the second language
Grow into the new linguistic and cultural community as an active member, but preserving their own linguistic and cultural identity

In addition to this, teachers are warned of possible difficulties these children might encounter in our classrooms with German as the working language. Therefore, teachers should be aware of numerous disadvantages and obstacles which they are requested to alleviate.

Didactic principles

	Pupils with non-German mother tongue acquire the second language German in the context of school, but also in many other learning situations. It can be assumed that the teaching can be based on a need to communicate in the second language and to be socially integrated in the learning community.
	As linguistic competence is acquired together with social and cognitive competence, integration in the classroom is a prerequisite for success.
	Every day communication will take place partly in the mother tongue of the child and partly in German.
	If the process of language acquisition is to progress, it requires an ability and willingness to reflect on speech acts, to compare and correct. It is a teaching aim to foster and develop this quality.
	Wherever possible a link with the mother tongue and original culture of the child should be established.
	Contact and co-operation with the teacher of the mother tongue and the parents of the child are helpful. At least occasionally a topic should be introduced in both languages simultaneously.
	General linguistic competence is to be fostered in every subject, not just in language teaching: all teaching is to be seen as a language learning situation.
	In addition, subject-based terminology and linguistic patterns have to be trained, texts should be simplified. They are to be shown where and how to get help (dictionaries, word lists, parallel texts, etc.)
	All corrections are to be carried out in a sensitive, sympathetic, and tactful manner. As teachers act as dominant linguistic models it is of special importance for them to address the individual child as often as possible, to articulate clearly, to reduce the habitual talking speed and to use mime and gestures for support.