Languages connect and the languages of the New Irish: potential responses from the higher education sector

Ireland’s linguistic profile has been enriched by the arrival of the New Irish. It is incumbent upon the higher education sector to harness and support this linguistic diversity to aid the social, cultural and economic development of Ireland and all its people. Therefore, consideration should be given to new degree programmes and to the inclusion of Language Management Strategies in existing programmes

Politics: interest, participation and education. Comparing the Republic of Ireland with Germany.

In order to generate higher levels of interest in politics and participation in political processes, political, or citizenship, education, in schools must be at the heart of the curriculum and be characterised by active, learner-centred approaches. This paper hypothesises that, when compared with Germany, a more limited form of political education in Irish post-primary schools may be impacting negatively on the extent to which it is achieving such aims. In order to begin to explore this hypothesis, the results for seven items relating to interest in politics and participation in political processes from the most recent (2010) round of the European Social Survey (ESS) are compared for the Irish and German populations. In addition, the nature and status of political education in the German and the Irish school systems are compared. Conclusions are drawn and the implications for future research in this field and for political education in both countries considered

Towards a national policy for languages in education. The case of Ireland

This article presents an approach the development of national policies for foreign languages in education and applies it to the case of Ireland, a small, primarily Anglophone, EU member-state with a highly open economy and an increasingly diverse population. The approach proposes an analysis of the language ecology and language ideology of a state in its broader socio-economic context in order to create a basis for determining the optimum linguistic landscape. This process in turn assists in the identification of the language policy decisions and initiatives capable of encouraging individuals in the creation of such a landscape. The findings for Ireland indicate that a suite of measures are required to ensure that competence in at least one foreign language is fostered at every stage in the education system. These include the introduction of languages in a creative and holistic manner as compulsory elements at primary and secondary levels and their retention as a requirement for entry to university. In addition, university language policies and an awareness raising campaign regarding the need for increased foreign language competence nationally are required. Key words: Language policy, education, foreign language competence, European Union, plurilingualism, multilingualis

Language policies in higher education institutions in Ireland: Some preliminary findings

The format and nature of language policies differs from one institution to another. However, they usually take the form of a document outlining the languages offered at different levels to both specialist and non-specialist language learners. In other words, a language policy defines the language learning profile of an institution by presenting a considered view of the diversity of languages to be offered and to whom. Policies generally also describe the decision-making structures required to facilitate their development and implementation as well as at least some of the following: teaching and learning procedures designed to support and encourage language learning, desired language learning outcomes, the monitoring and evaluation of student achievement and the quality of language teaching and learning, and, finally, the training and professional development of language teachers. This paper contains the results of a preliminary study of a range of Irish higher education institutions (HEIs) regarding their language policies

Developing oral proficiency in German & learning to use language learning strategies: parallel processes

This study assesses changes in the use of language learning strategies by 18 Irish students of German over the course of their 4-year undergraduate degree. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning was used to assess the use of language learning strategies by these 18 students in year 2 and again in year 4. The 18 students were then classified as having “higher” or “lower” levels of proficiency based on their grades in their oral examination in year 2. This procedure was repeated on the basis of the grades attained by these 18 students in their oral examination in year 4. Strategic behaviour was compared for a) those achieving “higher” levels of proficiency in both years, b) those achieving “lower” levels of proficiency in both years, c) “improvers”, i.e. those with “lower” levels of proficiency in year 2 and “higher” levels in year 4, and d) “disimprovers”, i.e. those with “higher” levels of proficiency in year 2 and “lower” levels in year 4. The findings indicate that, in general, as language learners progress, they use more cognitive, metacognitive, social and memory-related strategies. This trend is particularly noticeable among more effective learners

German unification and educational reform in Eastern Germany: an analysis of the impact of unification on the education system in the new Bundesländer and in particular on instruction in political science

The political system of the German Democratic Republic (G.D.R.) was strictly centralised with the ruling communist party enjoying absolute power. Therefore, the "Wende" towards the principles of democratic pluralism had profound implications for every aspect of this society. Education in particular had served as a stabiliser of the communist system. It was distinguished by uniformity of structure, extreme selectivity in terms of content and an authoritarian approach to classroom instruction. Therefore, following the Wende, fundamental reform was considered essential. The purpose of this research is to provide an insight into the extent to which this reform has taken place. Chapter One consists o f an analysis o f the school system under the communist regime. Structural, curricular and didactic reforms legislated for since unification are outlined in Chapter Two. Chapter Three provides a more focussed account o f the historical development of education in eastern Germany from 1945 to the present, using political science as a case study. It presents the results of informal interviews with teachers and pupils (past and present), and of a postal survey of one hundred and seventy six second level teachers of political education in the former G.D.R.. These indicate that w hile curricular reform in this key subject has been implemented, teachers continue to favour an authoritarian approach to classroom instruction. Finally, factors influencing the nature o f educational reform in eastern Germany are considered in Chapter Four. These include both organisational factors within the school system and external social factors. Recommendations are made on the basis of conclusions drawn

Intercultural encounters and the European Language Portfolio (ELP): Some thoughts on the development of the intercultural dimension of the LOLIPOP-ELP and its potential role in language teaching and learning

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) is a language learning tool developed by the Council of Europe (CoE) and intended to support the development of both linguistic skills and intercultural competence in the user. It has to date, however, been used primarily in the development of linguistic abilities . This paper presents an online ELP, the LOLIPOP-ELP , which contains an enhanced intercultural dimension. It also discusses ways in which this ELP could be used to develop intercultural competence in the language classroom. The first section of this paper outlines the background to the ELP Initiative and goes on to describe the portfolio itself and its constituent elements. The second section presents the German version of the LOLIPOP-ELP with a particular focus on its intercultural dimension. Finally, the paper concludes with some remarks regarding the use of the LOLIPOP-ELP in developing intercultural competence in the language undergraduate

Dealing with educational baggage in the language classroom. Fostering autonomy among international students.

Internationalisation is central to higher education and international student mobility a significant manifestation of this process. As increasing numbers of students undertake some or all of their education abroad, many partake in foreign language courses at host institutions. This may include learning the language of the host country or one that is used elsewhere. A key question in this regard concerns potential gaps that may exist between the students’ and teachers’ expectations regarding the teaching and learning of languages. Approaches to education often differ from country to country and this may include an emphasis on either autonomy-oriented or teacher-centred modes of learning. In the European and Irish context, much attention has been paid to the former, particularly with the development of the Common European Framework of Reference (2001) and the European Language Portfolio. Based on case study findings, this article discusses the role that ‘educational baggage’, or prior experiences and subsequent expectations of learning, may play in hindering the development of autonomy among international students. It also suggests ways in which the negative impacts of such ‘baggage’ may be reduced