How can I promote language?

Valentina Reitenbach from the Institute for Educational Research on a project on plausible language support techniques for all people who spend time with children and young people

Language education in the migration society is a topic that is on the minds of all citizens in many places - at nurseries, schools, at work and among friends - because our society is becoming increasingly diverse as a result of globalisation and migration. There are more and more children in schools who do not speak German as their first language and have to learn specialised content in addition to normal language acquisition. Teachers there take on the task of integrating language support in a targeted manner. However, there are also extracurricular after-school programmes such as homework help and other forms of support, which are often provided by semi-professional helpers who have no academic training in language support. For this target group, Dr Valentina Reitenbach and Dr Anna Nishen have developed supportive learning guidance as part of the EQUAL-Net project based at the University of Munich in collaboration with Dr Margot Belet and Eva Somrei from the 'Ein Quadratkilometer Bildung' foundation for their nationwide educational workshops for children and young people from educationally disadvantaged districts.

Everyday integrated language education with scientifically based techniques

In order to find out what distinguishes scientifically based language support techniques from other language support techniques, the researchers first conducted research and searched nationwide for studies and in psychology and educational science databases that focussed on the target group of multilingual children. "It's very specialised," says Reitenbach, "which is why there isn't a study that proves this exactly in this constellation. But we have found studies that provide an overall picture for the tips we have chosen. That's why we speak of scientifically plausible tips." Everyday integrated language development is therefore not based on complex language development programmes, but on easy-to-use techniques that can be integrated into everyday reading, conversation or play situations. The term actually comes from kindergarten, where this everyday integrated language education has been widely promoted throughout Germany. "It is a pedagogical approach in which educational processes, including language education processes, take place directly in everyday life and are not promoted separately in small groups," explains the researcher. "Any everyday situation can be an opportunity for language development. In a daycare centre, for example, it could be mealtimes or personal hygiene. In our context of learning support, it is all learning and care situations, even when the learning support is playing with the children. We are in dialogue with each other. That's the charming thing about it, that it's very low-threshold. Any situation can be used as an opportunity to promote language."

One square kilometre of education - one foundation

"The 'One Square Kilometre of Education' foundation itself operates throughout Germany and endeavours to set up educational networks in neighbourhoods affected by poverty," explains Reitenbach. The neighbourhoods that are focused on are actually located on roughly one square kilometre, hence the name. "They then act and network primary schools and after-school care, for example. Here in Wuppertal, there is also one square kilometre, and that is the Pädagogische Werkstatt an der Gathe, which is located at the old fire station. The primary schools are also members of the network." The focus for Wuppertal is on promoting language acquisition and reading skills. The children and young people are supported with their homework, and there are individual learning support and reading programmes. Reitenbach and her colleague Anna Nishen were networked with the foundation via the Munich-based EQUAL-Net project.

The card system

In order to convey the methods of learning support in a practical way, the team developed didactic cards that present scientifically based language support techniques in a clear, visual and appealing form. They are designed in such a way that they can be used directly in everyday life without any prior didactic knowledge. This is a low-threshold approach that combines theory and practice. The prototype of the cards has already been trialled by the learning guides in the pedagogical workshop at the Gathe. "We gave the prototype to six employees of the pedagogical learning workshop and then asked them for feedback. Our questions were then whether the cards are understandable, whether they are useful for use, whether they are perhaps already implementing some of them, how helpful they are, or whether something is missing?" The very positive and appreciative feedback inspired the project team to further improve the card system. One piece of feedback regarding singing songs with the children and young people was promptly integrated into the card catalogue as a further tip with follow-up research. The final version is currently being finalised, both as a freely available digital format and as a sustainable printed A5 card set with five techniques and introductory tips for getting started. "There will be a website, the cards are not yet printed, but you can already download them online," says Reitenbach.

University expertise helps shape transformation processes

Using the cards can unobtrusively reinforce everyday learning. Reitenbach explains: "Our cards, if I now take up the topic of singing songs, are about singing songs with the children in various situations when appropriate. And vocabulary and sentence structures can be learnt through this song singing, whereby the aim is not to precisely define a sentence structure, but to increase the language output through language practice." Verbalising processes can also promote language. "This increases the children's language input. I simply tell them what I'm doing while I'm preparing the learning material."

The project on 'Scientifically plausible language development techniques' can become a model with a signalling effect beyond the region. A scientifically sound, practical and socially effective third mission initiative demonstrates how university expertise can actively shape social transformation processes.
Further information at: https://sif.uni-wuppertal.de/de/sprachfoerdertipps

Uwe Blass

Dr Valentina Reitenbach is a research assistant in school intervention research at the Institute for Educational Research (IfB) at the University of Wuppertal.