Promotion of German as a foreign language
German lessons in India
(picture-alliance/ dpa)
Within the scope of its cultural relations and education policy, the Federal Foreign Office coordinates the many different promotion programmes and individual measures carried out by various intermediary organizations worldwide but supported with Federal funds.
Cooperation partners for language promotion are the Goethe-Institut (GI), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Federal Office of Administration – Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Educational Exchange Service (PAD), the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) and Deutsche Welle (DW). Thanks to their multi faceted engagement these institutions and their international partners help to ensure the development and expansion of German language skills abroad.
Over 300 million euro is currently being made available for the promotion of the German language abroad, primarily at German Schools abroad, universities and in adult education.
Framework
The number of people learning German worldwide is on the decline (down from 17 million in 2005 to 14.45 million in 2009/2010). The reasons for this trend can be found in the increasing focus in many education systems on just one foreign language (English), the increasing engagement of individual countries, such as Spain and China, in language policy, and demographic factors.
Current figures
German is the most widely spoken language in Europe, with 100 million native speakers. According to the most recent survey of German learners (2010), approx. 14.45 million people worldwide speak or are learning German as a foreign language, mostly in schools (approx. 12.8 million), universities (approx. 1.45 million) and adult education courses (approx. 0.2 million). In 2008/2009 some 186,000 people took German language courses at the Goethe Institut branches worldwide. German is learnt mainly within Europe.
The majority of German learners are in Poland (approx. 2.35 million), Russia (approx. 1.612 million) and France (approx. 1.037 million). In regional terms, the clear majority of people learning German come from the EU countries (about 47%), and some 30% from Eastern Europe.
Measures
The fact that the number of people learning German abroad is falling poses major challenges for the promotion of the German language.Language projects span generations and need continuous long term investment. The various initiatives and measures within the scope of cultural relations and education policy underpin this approach.
1. The “German – Language of Ideas” campaign
This campaign is a key focus of cultural relations and education policy in 2010. The Federal Foreign Office aims, along with its partners (Goethe-Institut, German Academic Exchange Service, Central Agency for Schools Abroad, Deutsche Welle, Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations and Educational Exchange Service), to
get young people abroad interested in the German language and open doors for them to German science, economics and culture,
encourage decision makers in politics, education, commerce and the media at home and abroad to support the promotion of German as a foreign language worldwide.
The campaign will help build global education partnerships through a cycle of measures and events both in Germany and abroad.
www.diplo.de/Sprache-der-Ideen
2. The “Schools: Partners for the Future” initiative
One of the aims of the “Schools: Partners for the Future” initiative launched by the Federal Foreign Office in 2008 is to expand the teaching of German, particularly in the growth economies of Asia, the Middle East and the CIS states. A total of 1420 partner schools have joined the initiative to date.
www.pasch-net.de
3. Major language promotion campaigns and promotion programmes concentrate on countries with large numbers of German learners – hence the “Deutschmobile” tour in Poland
and Franceas part of a comprehensive effort by each partner to promote the other’s language.
4. The German language in the European institutions
The Federal Government has set itself the goal of strengthening the German language in the EU institutions. To this end, the Goethe-Institut, on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office, has since 1994 been running language courses in the EU capitals under the “DeutschLand” programme for senior EU officials and ministerial officials from EU and other partner states.
Players and instruments promoting German around the world
1. The Goethe-Institut promotes the German language abroad through language and further training courses, engages in international cultural cooperation and seeks to provide a wide ranging view of Germany and German culture. Its language policy engagement focuses on developing and extending worldwide international education networks and seeking to establish two foreign languages on the curriculum in schools in Europe and elsewhere.
A few figures (2009): 135 branches in 91 countries, a network of 905 contact points in 128 countries.Almost 2000 educational cooperation programmes for German reaching around 6.5 million people.14,584 language courses abroad with 184,438 participants.
2. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) promotes the German language at the interface with Germany as a study location: DAAD lecturers teach German language, literature, culture and other subjects with a German connection at universities abroad. Furthermore, the DAAD arranges and supports study and research scholarships at German universities and offers language courses for students about to embark on studies in Germany.
A few figures: 543 lecturers teaching at universities abroad for between 2 and 5 years. Total budget € 20.5 million (2009).Increase in 2010: € 21.5 million.1500 scholarships for language courses in Germany (2009). Budget € 3.5 million. Language courses abroad: funding totalling € 3 million for 2000 people receiving assistance (2009).
3. The Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) promotes 135 German Schools abroad as well as 825 language diploma schools in 95 countries by seconding some 2000 German teachers abroad and providing them with support on pedagogical matters. It seeks globally recognized qualifications in line with international standards and promotes quality oriented schools development.
4. The Educational Exchange Service (PAD) promotes exchanges and cooperation between German schools and schools abroad. Its programmes are directed at:
schools which run school partnerships;
German teachers looking for further training courses, secondments or a one year further training programme. Education experts from Europe wanting to arrange study visits. Students who help in class in a school over the course of a school year.
pupils with an excellent knowledge of German, who are invited for a stay in Germany.
5. The Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) promotes German language and culture abroad through German-language media, exchange programmes, up to 150 German courses and other activities. Its work focuses on German minorities in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
6. Deutsche Welle offers German-language radio, television and internet, as well as language courses based on these programmes. Multimedia company and virtual classroom in one – that’s what’s special about Deutsche Welle. The German language courses for beginners and advanced students take a multimedia approach. Special material for teachers provides inspiration for how to apply this in language lessons. Interactive German courses, audiovisual material, news texts and commentaries. Deutsche Welle attaches great importance to developing modern, contemporary formats.
Last updated 25.02.2010
