Teaching English as a third language in primary and secondary school: The potential of pluralistic approaches to language learning.

Kopeckova R, Poarch GJ

Zusammenfassung

The aim of this chapter is to present the aims, rationale, and practical teaching examples of a DaZ seminar offered at the Department of English, University of Münster. Building on the latest findings from research on cognitive and acquisi- tional aspects of third language acquisition, the seminar encourages future pri- mary and secondary school teachers of English as a foreign language to become aware that a growing number of their future pupils will have a heritage/migrant language background and will thus be learning English as a third language. Fur- thermore, reflecting on the role of metalinguistic and cross-linguistic awareness in the development and maintenance of individual multilingualism is facilitated. Throughout the term, the students evaluate and experiment with designing lan- guage learning activities that foster multilingual competence of young Eng- lish learners, while following theFramework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures(FREPA, Candelier et al. 2012). Offer- ing both a theoretical grounding for and a practical experience of how to foster and cultivate pupils’ willingness to observe, explore, manipulate, and enjoy lan- guages, the seminar hopes to empower future teachers to view diversity not as a detriment to but rather as a catalyst for new language learning.