Multilingual Pre-school Education as an opportunity (7,5 ECTS) - Shared course content

1. Introduction

Within the Erasmus+ Project KINDINMI (KA 2 2017-1-SE01-KA203_034587) the development of a curriculum has been achieved which aims to professionalise participating educators in terms of diversity- based inclusion of multilingual children in European educational institutions.

The curriculum “Multilingual Pre-School Education as an opportunity” (7,5 ECTS) can be used as the basis for an individual course. Moreover, the curriculum can also be adapted for specific professional groups (teachers, native language teachers, social workers) by choosing individual modules for their training.

Qualification Profile

Aims of the series of courses for undergraduate education / continuous professional learning.

The most important educational aim of this series of courses for undergraduate education and continuous professional learning for professionals in preschools and primary schools is to promote communication and cooperation with parents in multilingual and multicultural educational settings.

Outcomes

Participants undertaking the courses will experience a pedagogical professionalisation within the context of working with parents in a migrant society. The preschool and primary school professionals who have received training will play an essential role in the development of multilingual environments in a variety of educational settings. Most importantly, participants will develop skills and professional competencies to support multilingual children and their parents with transitions.

The concept of teaching, learning and evaluating

Assessments are part of teaching and learning and are linked to the competencies which need to be developed.
The competence orientated creation of teaching and learning processes assumes that the student will achieve the formulated learning outcomes and that they can demonstrate their competencies through application of appropriate assessment strategies.
Student performance assessments will be criterion based and will outline how these competencies can be achieved.

Expected learning outcomes / competencies

The participants will acquire basic knowledge about the following topics:

Didactic concepts, tools and pedagogic strategies for the constructive inclusion of the multilingual world of the child
Support from elementary and primary school professionals in how to communicate with children and families living in multilingual environments (especially during periods of transition).
Self-reflection as a pedagogical participant in multilingual settings.
Creation of positive self-concepts of children in linguistically heterogeneous groups
Multilingualism and its emotional and cognitive effects.

References
Altrichter, H./Posch,P. (2007): Lehrer und Lehrerinnen erforschen ihren Unterricht. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt.
Elliott, J. (1981): Action research: A framework for self-evaluation in schools. TIQL- Working Paper No 1. Institute of Education: Cambridge.

2. General guidelines

Time frame and extent of the undergraduate education/ CPL courses

The full course is written as two modules, to be completed over one academic year.

Requirements for admission

Target group and requirements:

Working as a preschool and/or primary school professional
Working as linguistic/pedagogical professional at a preschool and/or primary school
Working as pedagogic professional at a preschool and/or primary school (e.g. professional for teaching mother tongue or (English) as an Additional Language)]

Study achievement with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

The credit rating for the outlined undergraduate education / CPL courses is 7.5 ECTS points.

Course methodology

Seminars support the idea of scientific discussion around content and methodology in a particular field; shared experience and practice orientated with an end of course assessment. The teaching team will select topics which are of a medium degree of difficulty. The aim is to build competencies to be able to understand and find solutions for professional, didactic and practical tasks. Ways of learning will include literature reviews and other forms of research; development of own questions, correct and media relevant demonstration of events, including critical reflection and discussion. Work on the themes can be carried out either independently as well as within a team or in projects. Seminars can be offered online if communication and cooperation of all participants is guaranteed with help of suitable resources (electronic platforms, chats, e-mail etc.).

Study guidelines/Exam guidelines as per each partner University

Requirements for participation/ranking criteria

Access will depend on the number of study places available. In the event of the courses being over-subscribed, the following criteria will be applied in this order:

Qualified preschool and primary school professionals with current employment in preschool and primary schools
Preschool and Initial Teacher Education students on undergraduate programmes
People with completed basic pedagogic training in areas of social work/ social engagement and/or elementary pedagogy or a similar basic credit rated pedagogic training abroad

Although each partner university must follow the regulations and requirements for their own programmes, there is a shared understanding that the course structure should involve professional and academic learning and also a practice element. The content of these courses should be created from the following suggestions:

3. Course outline - taught module

Aims

Basic knowledge from a variety of disciplines (linguistics, educational sciences, language policy)
Basic knowledge about the importance of multilingualism in education settings
Professional handling of linguistic and cultural variety as a requirement for the facilitation of social participation
professional handling where stated cultural differences exist
awareness of own role as a pedagogic professional
ability to apply strategies for relation building work with parents to support a solid network for effective pedagogical work.
mastering of profession specific counselling strategies

Outcomes

The students will be able to:

show awareness of language as a marker for belonging and differentiation
identify dominant structures in language education
identify examples from familiar multilingualism to institutionalised monolingualism and to reflect upon them
discuss constructs of speechlessness and to reflect upon it
recognise the field of tension around language acquisition and to react appropriately,
how and discuss the current research on "growing up multilingual",
discuss and reflect upon language regime and politics,
reflect on racism and anti-racist strategies,
contribute one's own experience to learning partnerships systematically and to reflect upon them
support other preschool and primary professionals in their interaction with multilingual parents

Content

Processes of transitions in education: Accompanying, counselling and supporting multilingual children when entering educational establishments such as preschool and primary school
individual, institutional and societal multilingualism
language and identity
pedagogical perspectives around migration in relation to educational establishments: language, political power relationships, the inheritance of national language ideologies, discrimination
political and institutional handling of multilingualism
communication of traditional opinions and behaviours during communication and interaction with parents
participation, acknowledgement and solidarity as pedagogical concepts within the migration society ( anti-bias concept, etc.)
Education and curriculum for preschool and primary school as the normative framework for orientation regarding the support of multilingualism.
laws

4. Course Outline - practice element

Aims

Acquire knowledge, abilities and skills to plan, try, reflect and analyse multilingual settings in pre-school and primary in a responsible, independent, contextualised and developmentally appropriate way
Knowledge about one’s own role as a linguistically active professional and about the team’s role as a medium for reflection
Knowledge about factors which promote successful transitions
Knowledge about language pedagogy strategies and tools of reflection
Knowledge about resource orientated learning
Knowledge about language teaching, learning concepts and language pedagogy methods which support multilingualism in qualitative and quantitative ways (submersion, immersion, language- maintenance model, transitionary model and two-way immersion)
Acquire language biography orientated action and reflection competencies
Value the diversity of learners and create efficient learning models for heterogenous classes; be able to plan, implement and reflect on lessons
Be aware of individual needs, getting to know support systems within the school and out with.
Develop and create trusting relationships with learners and respect personal, professional role boundaries
Demonstrate inclusive behaviour where the variety of learners is used in a productive way and where learners are supported in their development according to individual strengths and needs.
Have a differentiated awareness of conditions in the pedagogic field based on knowledge acquired regarding diversity and intersectionality.
Apply knowledge about pedagogical methods to promote participation and inclusion.
Development of professional strategies regarding diversity issues based on the deconstruction of stereotypes
apply sensitive and differentiated awareness of oneself as a participant in social situations

Outcomes

Students will be able to:

Experience, try and reflect upon pedagogical language strategies
Fill a variety of roles in pedagogic situations and practise use of reflective tools
Recognise the multilingual resources of learners and support their development
Support children’s learning regarding their multilingual education in a resource orientated way
be able to support development of language of individual children, through acquiring an awareness of the child’s language history.
Be aware of one’s own language history in terms of languages spoken, levels of proficiency and be able to reflect on the socio-emotional affect experienced when using other languages
Experience, try out and reflect upon profession specific methods, led by interaction, for the advancement of multilingualism in a situation and person adequate manner

Content

Demonstration of the framework for multilingual educational settings with particular consideration of transitions ( home - nursery; pre-school - primary)
Development, planning, adaptation of multilingual settings
Analysis of multilingual educational settings
Analysis of one’s own role and one’s own behaviour using action research methodology (Altrichter/Posch 2007, Elliott 1981)
Critical evaluation of multilingual materials