Ulrike Haslinger, Austrian Centre for Language Competence, Graz:
“Convergences between modern/foreign languages; curricula in Austria”
An initiative of the
Austrian Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture
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Our main areas of activity:
1) International and national language policy work
2) Development of didactical materials
3) Networking and action programmes
4) Dissemination
Main areas of activity 2011
Field of activity
ÖSZ contribution
Competence-oriented language
teaching and learning
► Austrian Educational Standards
► European Language Portfolios
Language support for vulnerable
groups (German as language of
instruction)
► Council of Europe: “Languages in Education, Languages for Education“
► CHAWID: Project focussed on subject learning through German as a
second language (materials, competence descriptions)
Holistic approach to language learning
► Project on the development of a “Multilingual Curriculum“
(Prof Krumm / Uni Vienna + Prof Reich / Uni Landau, Germany)
Raising awareness for multilingualism
► International and national language policy work,
e.g. “European Indicator for Language Competence“
► ÖSKO – Austrian Language Committee
► ECML: “ECML Mediation project for plurilingual education“
► European Label for innovative projects
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The language situation in Austria
I. Official language: German (88,6 %)
II. Six officially recognised minoritiy languages/
autochthonous minorities; since 1955 (1,5 %)
- Slovene in Carinthia and Styria;
- Croatian, Hungarian and Romani in Burgenland
- Czech, Slovak and Hungarian in Vienna
III. Since 2005: Austrian Sign Language (not included in 2001
Consensus/ used to be classified as German speakers)
IV. Other migrant languages (9,9 %)
(e.g. Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Turkish)
Map legend:
Burgenland 1
Carinthia (Kärnten) 2
Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) 3
Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) 4
Salzburg 5
Styria (Steiermark) 6
Tyrol (Tirol) 7
Vorarlberg 8
Vienna (Wien) 9
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Curriculum development in Austria
Team for Curricula Correspondents
• In charge > respective departments of the ministry
(depending on type of school)
• Departments set up working groups + nominate experts
• AT team for Curricula Correspondents:
– Muriel Warga (Language Policy Coordination)
– Anna Lasselsberger (Department of Schools and Migration)
– Ulrike Haslinger (Austrian Centre for Language Competence)
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Convergences between modern / foreign languages
Curricula in Austria
EDUCATION PRINCIPLES embrace
– Language awareness
– Intercultural Understanding
Key competences (EC):
Draft Education principles (AT):
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Mother tongue
Foreign languages
Learning to learn
Social and civic competence
Intercultural competence
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Sprechen und Kommunizieren
(“Language and communication“)
Handeln in der Gesellschaft (“Acting in society“)
Sich kreativ ausdrücken und die Umwelt gestalten
(“Expressing oneself creatively & shaping the environment“)
Convergences between modern / foreign languages
Curricula in Austria
Important features of language teaching in the classroom
Plurilingual & intercultural education
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Applying CoE instruments (e.g. CEFR, ELP) and innovative support materials for
teacher teaching (e.g. by ÖSZ)
Supporting languages (esp. mother tongues, German as the language of instruction)
Embracing the language potential in the classroom: making speakers of other
languages visible
Holistic approach to language learning through language analysis in class
e.g. by comparing languages: What makes a language easy / difficult to learn?
Developing learning strategies: How to learn languages?
INNOVATIVE PROJECTS
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Curriculum Mehrsprachigkeit / “Multilingual Curriculum“ (Draft version!) for lang. awareness
“Didactical Coaching“ (Autumn 2012: Module for teacher training: What does the teacher
need to accommodate his/her multilingual students in the classroom?)
“Textbook Guidelines“ (January, 2012: Recommendations for textbooks addressing
multilingual learners)
(Draft) Multilingual Curriculum (MC)
Curriculum Mehrsprachigkeit
MC‘s:
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responds to needs & demands of multiling. society & ling. reality in Austria
supports individ. lang. profile by linking & supporting lang. competences
facilitates learner autonomy
encouraging:
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language awareness
reflexion on language itself and on various language situations
knowledge about languages and the meaning of language for others
acquisition of linguistic knowledge in order to compare languages
language learning strategies and, wherever possible
self-confidence in language competences.
 contributes to Lifelong learning (> supporting formal and informal learning)
In doing so, MC is focussing on
- ling. & cognitive ressources of learners + their individ. ling. experiences
- learning processes in institutionalised language classrooms
- and new media.
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(Draft) Multilingual Curriculum (MC)
Curriculum Mehrsprachigkeit
MC‘s is:
 an instrument for implementation within LEPP process (Lang. Edu. Policy Profiling)
 ascertaining focal points of current Austrian (language) education policy (e.g.
supporting all language learners, esp. vulnerable groups, minority languages; early and
continuous language learning, modern and classical foreign languages, languages across
the curriculum)
 combining 3 resources:
(1) existing learning targets in various school contexts (e.g. curricula for German and
German as a second language, curricula for foreign languages, curricula for minority
languages and curricula for first languages of migrant students) > interdisciplinary
character!
(2) analysis of linguistic demands in the curricula for maths, general science and social
studies at the primary level, physics, geography, and history (compulsory education)
as well as subjetcs in upper secondary level (humanities, natural sciences, economy,
politics, law)
(3) critical analysis of the recommendations for multilingualism in literature (focus on
linguistics and didactics).
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(Draft) Multilingual Curriculum (MC)
Curriculum Mehrsprachigkeit
MC:
- corresponds with the Austrian school levels and considers cognitive
development according to age level
- combines content and aims of various curricula for languages and
therefore puts holistic language learning into the foreground
- is structured in areas such as “Knowledge about language“, “Being aware of
various language situations and being able of functioning appropriately“
- offers a systematically structured outline of teaching and learning activities
from Year 1 to Year 12/13 (level of matriculation); activities extracted from
existing curricula for a concentration of multilingual activities in one
document
- to avoid unnecessary repetitions, to promote common terminology and common
cognitive basis for language teaching & learning
- to support acquisition of “Bildungssprache“/academic language
 contributes to a language-friendly environment at school
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(Draft) Multilingual Curriculum (MC)
Curriculum Mehrsprachigkeit
EXAMPLE
Lower Secondary level (Year 7 and 8)
1. Aims:
Students acquire an understanding for multilingualism in Europe & in the world.
2. Didactical principles:
Teacher provides authentic graphics, maps, pictures and texts in several languages
to work with. Students receive various individualised tasks and feedback.
3. Aims and teaching content for particular areas:
Awareness of and dealing with linguistic variety. Aims: students are aware of
switching between languages (incl. switching code-switching, switching between
dialect and standard language, switching between youth language and adult
language, oral and written language).
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(Draft) Multilingual Curriculum (MC)
Curriculum Mehrsprachigkeit
MC addresses:
- teachers (as the main target group) and teacher trainers
- experts involved in the development of curricula
- experts involved in the development of teaching materials / textbook authors
- headmasters involved in the development of whole-school language policy
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(Draft) Multilingual Curriculum (MC)
Curriculum Mehrsprachigkeit
Implementation of MC:
 ideally through extra contact hours (compulsory for all students) but…
 in practice: implementation through teacher training
 currently in development:
 Module for teacher training (Prof Hans-Jürgen Krumm)
 Module for textbook development
MC:
- (draft version) basic version currently up for discussion in Austria
- very positive feedback from the community of experts
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www.oesz.at
Ulrike Haslinger
haslinger@oesz.at