German as a Second Language in Elementary School Teacher Education

What makes it special?

The “German as a Second Language” minor specifically prepares you, as a future elementary school teacher, for a key aspect of everyday school life: promoting the language development of newly arrived children. It thus responds to the increasing diversity of language skills among students in Germany and fills a critical gap in teacher training. The program combines German language pedagogy with perspectives from educational sciences, psychology, political science, sociology, and theology, thereby creating an interdisciplinary qualification profile that is unique in North Rhine-Westphalia.

What will I study?

In the “German as a Second Language” track, you’ll learn how to provide targeted language support to newly arrived children of elementary school age and open up fair educational opportunities for them. You’ll focus on building basic German language skills (initial support) as well as fostering school-relevant academic language competencies (follow-up support). The children’s multilingualism is also a central focus—as a resource that you can consciously utilize and promote in the classroom.

In addition, you will explore literature in the context of displacement and (post-)migration and learn how to incorporate it into inclusive teaching and learning environments. The program is complemented by interdisciplinary content on migration, cultural diversity, interreligious dialogue, as well as experiences of displacement and trauma and their effects on learning and school.

You will also acquire practical skills for developing language-building instructional concepts and curricula, for providing guidance on issues of language education and multilingualism, and for actively contributing to language-sensitive school development. This practice-oriented, reflection-based program combines foundational academic knowledge with real-world school scenarios and specifically prepares you for work in regular classroom instruction and DaZ (German as a Second Language) programs.

What is the scope of the program?

The bachelor’s program comprises five required modules and three optional specialization modules. Three of the modules focus on German language pedagogy (language and literature pedagogy) with an emphasis on new immigration. Two of the modules are interdisciplinary in nature, featuring various elective-required module components that emphasize cultural and linguistic diversity. 

The master’s program comprises three required modules, builds on the foundations laid in the bachelor’s program, and is closely linked to the practical semester. In the area of German language pedagogy, the focus is on promoting academic language skills. The interdisciplinary component focuses primarily on diversity-sensitive education, including education that addresses anti-Semitism.