Enhancing learners’ subject competences through adequate language support

As all education uses language as its vehicle, well-developed language competences are a necessary basis for adequate access to good quality education and successful learning. Good quality education cannot be achieved without adequate support for the appropriate development of learners’ language competence – efficient and effective use of the language(s) of schooling is both necessary for successful education and one of its desired outcomes. Adequate support for the development of learners’ language competence takes into account, makes use of, and builds further on learners’ existing language competences and seeks, among other things, to develop the language skills required for their education to be successful in a given context. Special attention and support for the development of the language abilities required for educational success needs to be provided to ‘vulnerable’ learners: such as those whose linguistic background may disadvantage them in the educational system.
School classrooms in many ECML member states are becoming increasingly multilingual. Non-language teachers in multilingual schools/classrooms usually mention the following challenges they are facing:

• How to meet the objectives set by subject curriculum while at the same time teaching the majority language (language of schooling) to young migrants?
• How to support development of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)?

Objectives

Supporting non-language teachers who teach in multilingual schools/classrooms by:

• raising awareness of findings offered by relevant specialist literature and projects and thus enhancing the level of expertise of teachers and teacher trainers in delivering education in multilingual settings;

• presenting solutions for daily occurring problems in multilingual classrooms;

• offering guidelines for successful subject teaching in multilingual classrooms;

• stimulating the regular exchange of expertise and good practice in the field, and consolidating communities of good practice.

Target groups

• teachers of subjects other than languages;

• teacher trainers of subjects other than languages;

• decision makers of national/regional/local school authorities;

• school heads.

Envisaged result and impact of the ECML training and consultancy 

• plurilingual learners in multilingual settings take part of subject lessons more actively and efficiently;
• adequate language support offered/enhanced, leading to enhanced subject competences and better chances in education and on the job market;
• enhanced transparent goal setting in subject lessons;
• enhanced fair assessment of student performance;
• changed attitude to L2 learners’ educational potential. 

LEADING TO: enhanced quality and efficiency in language education, enhanced social cohesion and economic progress.

Team

Claudia Popov-Jenninger, coordinator, Sächsisches Bildungsinstitut (SBI), Germany

Catherine Carré-Karlinger, Pädagogische Hochschule Oberösterreich, Austria

Áine Furlong, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland

Sofie Jonckheere, Integratiecentrum Foyer (Regional Integration Center Foyer), Belgium