A response to multilingual reality: Two-way immersion education in Germany – a model for England?

Gabriela Meier, April 2009

Overview

1) Multilingual reality

2) TWI education

3) TWI education in Germany/Berlin

4) TWI education in England?

5) Challenges/limitations

School children who speak a language other

than the language of instruction at home

Berlin : 31% (2006)

London: 25% (2008)

Sources: SENBJS 2006, Collis 2008

Bilingual model (two-way immersion)

Theoretical model• Classes: 50% majority-language speakers

50% speakers of one migrant language• Two teachers one of each language/culture• The same curriculum • Lessons: 50% in one language

50% in the migrant language

Aims:• Bilingualism (after 6 to 8 years). • Positive cross-cultural attitudes

TWI programmes

state-run programmes using community languages

Examples• USA (over 300 programmes)• Germany (22 streams)

TWI locations in Germany

Founded/Place Name (level) DE with Students

1689 Berlin Collège Français(III) FR 800

1960 Berlin John-F.-Kennedy School (III) EN 1700

1972 Saarbrücken Lycée Franco-Allemand (III) FR 1000

1973 Freiburg Lycée Franco-Allemand (III) FR 900

1992 Berlin Staatliche Europa-Schule (III) EN, FR, RU, SP, 6000PT, IT, GR, TU, PL

1993 Wolfsburg Deutsch-Ital. Gesamtschule (III) IT 500

1998 Hagen Deutsch-Ital. Grundschule (I) IT ?

1998 Sillenbuch Deutsch-Franz. Grundschule (I) FR ?

1999 Hamburg Europa-Schule (II) IT, PT, TU 500

2001 Cologne Deutsch-Ital. Schule (II) IT ?

2008 Cologne Deutsch-Türkische Schule (I) TU ?

Founded/Place Name (level) DE with Students

1689 Berlin Collège Français(III) FR 800

1960 Berlin John-F.-Kennedy School (III) EN 1700

1972 Saarbrücken Lycée Franco-Allemand (III) FR 1000

1973 Freiburg Lycée Franco-Allemand (III) FR 900

1992 Berlin Staatliche Europa-Schule (III) EN, FR, RU, SP, 6000PT, IT, GR, TU, PL

1993 Wolfsburg Deutsch-Ital. Gesamtschule (III) IT 500

1998 Hagen Deutsch-Ital. Grundschule (I) IT ?

1998 Sillenbuch Deutsch-Franz. Grundschule (I) FR ?

1999 Hamburg Europa-Schule (II) IT, PT, TU 500

2001 Cologne Deutsch-Ital. Schule (II) IT ?

2008 Cologne Deutsch-Türkische Schule (I) TU ?

8 TWI locations in Berlin

Language combinations• German – Russian• German – French• German – English• German – Italian• German – Spanish

School trial has run since 1992 (year 1 to 13)Nearly 6000 students currently in bilingual streams

University access in Germany, Greece, France, Italy

• German – Greek• German – Turkish • German – Portuguese • German - Polish

Staatliche Europa-Schule Berlin (SESB)

TWI education in London?

Languages spoken by children in London schools

Bengali & Silheti 40,400 Greek 6,300Panjabi 29,800 Akan (Ahanti) 6,000Gujerati 28,600 Portuguese 6,000Hindi/Urdu 26,000 French 5,600Turkish 15,600 Spanish 5,500Arabic 11,000 Tamil 3,700Yorubu (Nigeria) 10,400 Farsi 2.500Somali 8,300 Italian 2,500Cantonese 6,900 Vietnamese 2,400

Source: Baker, P. and Eversely, J. (2000) Multilingual Capital, London: Battlebridge

TWI is possible in England

Wix primary school (started 2006)

Wandsworth, London

English-French (28 pupils per year)

Collaboration between local primary and

Lycée Charles de Gaulle

Reason 1:

Improve motivation for language learning• high-level proficiency in two languages • positive attitude towards language learning/bilingualism• greater language awareness and confidence• builds on students’ or local language expertise• regular exposure to and opportunities to use the language• language relevant in everyday life

Addresses: Increasing lack of language skills and low take-up of languages at secondary level and beyond

Reason 1:

Improve motivation for language learning• high-level proficiency in two languages • positive attitude towards language learning/bilingualism• greater language awareness and confidence• builds on students’ or local language expertise• regular exposure to and opportunities to use the language• language relevant in everyday life

Addresses: Increasing lack of language skills and low take-up of languages at secondary level and beyond

Reason 2:

Increase status of locally spoken languages • languages studied by majority and minority language speakers• elevating a migrant language to a language of instruction• signal to parents and children that language is important• providing role models (teachers)

Addresses: Low status of some migrant languages and their speakers

Reason 3:

Potential for community cohesion• reduce ethnic segregation in schools• more positive cross-cultural attitudes• potential for multiple identity development • positive class climate/class cohesion• greater conflict resolution skills • better home-school communication• potential two-way integration

Addresses: Duty to promote community cohesion in schools (DCFS, 2007)

Reason 3:

Potential for community cohesion• reduce ethnic segregation in schools• more positive cross-cultural attitudes• potential for multiple identity development • positive class climate/class cohesion• greater conflict resolution skills • better home-school communication• potential two-way integration

Addresses: Duty to promote community cohesion in schools (DCFS, 2007)

Reason 4:

Student-centred approach/individual development• builds on students’ skills/develops linguistic potential• using children’s home life as a knowledge resource• have high expectations of all students• represent the student’s cultures in school• accept children for who they are

Addresses: Every Child Matters Strategy: Change for children in schools (DfES, 2005)

Implementation: challenges

Find appropriate site• Interested parents• Ideally bilingual/multilingual neighbourhood• Reasonably liberal/open-minded population• Sympathetic authorities• Sympathetic host school

Integrate into school system• integrate into school: inform all staff/teachers/governors • Start with two classes• Integrate into curriculum• Integrate with FE/HE provisions (long term)

Local integration • cooperate with parents, community organisations, embassies

Paradigm Shift

TWI education would challenge

• how we view languages of the wider world• how we view speakers of those languages• our understanding of social integration • attitudes of native English speakers’ to language study

Freeman (1998) Bilingual education and social change, Clevedon, Multilingual Matters

Two-way immersion education = two-way integration

Further research

• Long-term effects of TWI education (economic, societal, political)

• Feasibility study taking into account economic, linguistic, cultural, political, popular and educational factors.

Contact: Gabriela Meier, University of Exeter, Department of Politics, Amory Building, Exeter EX4 4RJ (g.s.meier@exeter.ac.uk)