Is Segregated Language Support Fit for Purpose? Insights From German Language Support Classes in Austria

<p style="text-align: justify;">In Austria, segregated German language support classes (GLSC) were introduced in the school year 2018/19 to intensively support students who had previously little or no contact with German, the official language of instruction. These classes have been widely criticised; however, a formal evaluation of their effects has yet to be published. In absence of this evaluation, this article describes the language support model as it currently exists in Austria and reviews existing evidence about its efficacy. The literature review synthesises findings from educational research undertaken in other contexts that offer insight into features of ‘good practice’ in language support models. The article then explores the extent to which GLSC comply with these features. As such, this review allows insights into ways of ensuring students’ language and socio-emotional development – all central aspects of academic success – in language support models. It therefore allows research-informed understanding of the effects of the newly implemented model of German support classes in Austria and makes recommendations for further development.</p>

Multilingualism in Botswana: The Case of Muzi Primary School

This paper presents findings on a case study of how the language in education policy was being implemented at Muzi Primary School. To provide the context, a description of the development of the language in education policy from independence to present period is provided. The study aimed to address the following questions: 1. What factors did teachers perceive to contribute to the low performance of the school? 2. What role did language of instruction play in the learning process? 3. What attitudes were portrayed or displayed by teachers and how did these affect learning? 4. What were the implications of findings to nation-building, democracy, and social integration? The paper argues that the language policy, which promoted monolingualism, was a failure to acknowledge reality and an impediment to learning, a negation of democratic principles and a hinderance to social integration. The school context demonstrated how the education policy fostered monolingualism in a multilingual context and this negatively impacted on learning.

Scientific Foundations of the Chuvash Language Textbook for 10-11 Grades

The purpose of the article is to familiarize the reader with the content, structure and scientific foundations of the presentation of topics in the manuscript of the future textbook on the Chuvash language for students of grades 10-11 of schools with their native language of instruction. The research material is the manuscript of the textbook "Chuvash language" for grades 10-11 of schools with a native (Chuvash) language of instruction. The comparative-analytical method of research is used in the work. The manuscript was prepared in accordance with the program approved by the resolution of the Federal Educational and Methodological Association (Protocol No. 3/20 of September 17, 2020). This program is aimed at repeating and fixing the material of grades 5-9. In this regard, the manuscript includes relevant material for this purpose. The new topic is mainly the topic of "Language and speech economy". All topics are presented in accordance with the achievements of modern language theory. The author, as well as professor I.A. Andreev, believes that the study of the topic "Phraseology" is inappropriate. Studying a word out of connection with syntax does not reveal the essence of the use of certain affixes. For example, syntactic affixes can take both individual words and phrases. Therefore, morphemics and morphology should be presented in school taking into account syntax.

Pedagogical Translanguaging

Learning through the medium of a second or additional language is becoming very common in different parts of the world because of the increasing use of English as the language of instruction and the mobility of populations. This situation demands a specific approach that considers multilingualism as its core. Pedagogical translanguaging is a theoretical and instructional approach that aims at improving language and content competences in school contexts by using resources from the learner's whole linguistic repertoire. Pedagogical translanguaging is learner-centred and endorses the support and development of all the languages used by learners. It fosters the development of metalinguistic awareness by softening of boundaries between languages when learning languages and content. This Element looks at the way pedagogical translanguaging can be applied in language and content classes and how it can be valuable for the protection and promotion of minority languages. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

The effects of language preference and home resources on foundational literacy retention during school holiday closures in Ghana: Lessons from the Complementary Basic Education Programme

This article assesses the extent to which children’s language preference and their home environment matter for literacy retention. Using data from the Complementary Basic Education (CBE) program in Ghana, the authors found that large numbers of disadvantaged students reverted to not even being able to read a single word following school closures over a four-month holiday period. Widening literacy gaps were found for girls who reported they did not receive instruction in a language that they understood or did not have the resources, support, or activities at home to enable them to continue to learn while schools were closed. For boys, widening literacy gaps were only influenced by resources, support, or activities at home, but not by language preferences. The article findings suggest that schools and teachers must pay closer attention to language preference, particularly for girls, in order to ensure that language of instruction is not a barrier to literacy retention. The article also provides further evidence to support the growing claims that home supports are essential for reducing inequities in learning outcomes during school closures.

Difficulties in Reading Comprehension of Hungarian Primary School Students in Slovakia

Our study aimed to assess the level of reading comprehension, one of the cornerstones of education of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia, and to answer the research question of what kind of deficits need to be addressed in the development of reading comprehension. The research was conducted with the participation of students from primary schools with Hungarian as the language of instruction in Slovakia. In our study, we shed light on the problems found in cognitive reasoning, accurate interpretation of information and complex reading comprehension. The extent to which the development of new cognitive schemata caused problems for the studied groups was also investigated. In several cases, the responses were not based on textual information, but only on the respondents’ existing schemas. The results also show that it was a problem for the learners to answer both the multiple-choice questions and the open-ended and explanatory questions.

The Role of the Hungarian Roman Catholic Church Community Song in the Transformation Process of the Armenian Liturgical Repertoire in Transylvania

"This article presents and briefly discusses the transformation process of the Armenian liturgical repertoire in Transylvania, through the prism of contemporary descriptions and manuscript sources dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As known, most of the Armenian population settled in the Transylvanian area in the seventeenth century. In time, there followed a gradual and definitive assimilation into the native Hungarian (Szekler) population, during which Transylvanian Armenians lost their mother tongue. Schools with Armenian as the language of instruction gradually closed, and the Armenian liturgy also underwent major changes following the adherence of Armenians to the Roman Catholic Church. Currently the Armenian language and culture are on the verge of extinction, most Armenian churches open only on pilgrimage days, once a year. The Armenian population retains only the language of the liturgy and some traditions (more of a gastronomic nature), which in fact represents the danger of the disappearance of everything that this ethnic group has built beneficially in the service of the community over the centuries. Keywords: Armenian, Transylvania, liturgical music, religious folk songs, Frumoasa, Gheorgheni"

EXTENT OF CODE-SWITCHING OF ENGLISH AND KISWAHILI DURING ENGLISH LESSONS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ELDORET WEST SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

English is a language of international communication hence it has special place in educational systems of most countries in the world. In Kenya, English is a language of instruction as well as examinable subject in Kenyan schools. In addition, Kiswahili is a national language which is used by both learners and teachers leading to code-switching. The purpose of the paper was to establish the extent of code-switching in English and Kiswahili during English lessons in public primary schools. The study adopted descriptive survey design and mixed methods approach. The target population was 243 teachers of English, 64 grade three teachers and 2176 learners in primary schools in Eldoret West Sub-County, Kenya. The sample size was 33 teachers of English, 8 grade three teachers and 292 learners. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and observation schedule. Piloting of research instruments was conducted in the nearby Wareng Sub County which shares similar characteristics as the study area. Validity was ensured through expert judgment while reliability was tested using Cronbachs alpha coefficient after piloting. The data was analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics frequencies and percentages while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study found out that majority (56.5%) of teachers used code switching most of the time while explaining meaning of words and most (50.4%) of the teachers of English used code switching as a way of explaining grammar in an explicit manner while most (41.2%) of the teachers used code switching to introduce unfamiliar topics to learners during English lessons. The findings will benefit the Government of Kenya in formulating language policies for schools. The study will also be of significance to teachers of English in coming up with the strategies to boost performance of English.

Study of attitudes towards values among High School Students

Field research was used to find a attitude towards value among high school students. In Tiruvallur district, 250 high school students were selected as study samples in simple event sampling. The data was designed and the data was designed by the Sublime Attitude Scale Investigator to collect research data. The data collected was tested using analyses at the point of average, deplanation, t-test, etc. As a result of the study, high school students have a significant difference in their gender, language of instruction and school location. To bridge these differences, teachers should first be trained in workplaces to teach values in conjunction with the subject. In order to encourage teachers to provide research papers on value, they should participate in seminars and workshops to improve their teaching skills. Thus, when teachers combine with the subject during learning teaching and teach them values, students can become better citizens.