Bilingual Teaching in German Geography Classrooms. Reflections on the Development of Linguistic, Scientific, and Intercultural Competencies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18452/23980Keywords:
bilingual teaching and learning, critical discussion of research studies, development of language and subject-related competences, competence modelAbstract
Bilingual teaching in Germany refers to an immersion-like teaching approach in usually two or three non-linguistic subjetcs like Geography. In the meantime it looks back on a tradition of several decades. Yet it has only been in recent years that empirical research actually started to address the basic questions: What are the costs and what are the benefits of this approach? The article provides an overview and a critical discussion of the relevant empirical research. While the benefits for the learners' language competences are well proven, those for the Geography competences are still unclear. If Geography is to remain the predominant bilingually taught content subject, this needs to be clarified. It has also not yet been possible to decide whether bilingual teaching has a special potential to foster intercultural competences. We argue that existing studies have not sufficiently dealt with this question. Along with these reflections on learners' competences, we as Geographers also have to take the growing internationalization of our profession and the increasing importance of cross-border communication into consideration. By supporting bilingual teaching we provide a basis for an international geographical understanding in both education and society, and we also broaden future young academics' perspectives.
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