Research-practice-partnership: Evidence-based language facilitation strategies for semi-professional learning support
Principal investigators:
Dr. Anna Nishen
Network:
Practice partners:
Stiftung Ein Quadratkilometer Bildung – Pädagogische Werkstatt Wuppertal
Scientific support:
Prof. Dr. Aileen Edele
About the project:
Multilingual children often achieve lower educational success than their monolingual peers. This is partly due to their language skills in German, the language of education. Therefore, improving German language proficiency is very important. Language education can take place both within and outside the formal education system.
For instance, the 'Ein Quadratkilometer Bildung' foundation establishes educational network centres that aim to enhance educational opportunities in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. These centres offer support and learning assistance for multilingual pupils, among other activities. The educational workshop in Wuppertal focuses particularly on strengthening German as the language of education and reading skills.
However, as the learning assistants have no training in language education, they are semi-professionals in their work.
This is where the science-practice cooperation comes in.
In collaboration with the educational network centre in Wuppertal, we are developing practical cards containing scientifically sound language facilitation strategies to provide low-threshold guidance to semi-professional learning support staff.
These will be made available to educational network centres in the form of an expandable set of cards, and will be accessible to a wide audience via social media.
Duration:
Since November 2023
Funding:
The project is implemented and supported within the framework of the EQUAL-NET network (Inequality across the Life Span - An Interdisciplinary Network of Research-Practice-Partnerships).
