Pros and cons of bilingual primary schools in Austria. Analysis of the effectiveness for children

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Multilingualism
  • What is multilingualism?
  • Encouragement of individual multilingualism
  • Curricular background
  • Didactical approach and concept to expand the linguistic capacity to act
  • Multilingualism in Viennese classrooms
  • Multilingualism in school
  • Language use in school
• Bilingual education and effectiveness
  • When is a child considered bilingual?
  • How does the language development for children with German as a second language work?
  • Which role does the mother tongue/first language play?
  • How can the parents support the multilingual development of their child?
  • How can educators help children with German as a second language?
• Austrian examples
  • Innsbruck Elementary School
  • Goals, Beliefs & Values
  • Expectations
  • Accreditation
• pros and cons of bilingual education
• summary

Objectives and Key Themes

The objective of this Bachelor thesis is to explore the effectiveness of bilingual elementary schools in Austria. The author aims to analyze the benefits and challenges of bilingual education for students, teachers, and the wider community.

• The impact of multilingualism on language development and cognitive skills.
• The effectiveness of bilingual education programs in improving language proficiency.
• The role of parental support and teacher training in successful bilingual education.
• The potential benefits of bilingual education for the social and cultural development of students.
• The challenges and limitations of implementing bilingual education in Austria.

Chapter Summaries

The first chapter provides an introduction to the topic of bilingual education in Austria, highlighting the importance of multilingualism in a globalized world. The second chapter explores the concept of multilingualism, examining its influence on language development, the role of curricular background, and the importance of a didactical approach to expanding linguistic capacity. Chapter three focuses on the effectiveness of bilingual education, examining the definition of bilingualism, language development for children with German as a second language, the role of the mother tongue, and the importance of parental and educator support. Chapter four presents Austrian examples of bilingual elementary schools, highlighting the goals, beliefs, expectations, and accreditation process of these institutions.

Keywords

The central keywords and focus topics of this Bachelor thesis include multilingualism, bilingualism, effectiveness, and school. The work explores the benefits and challenges of bilingual education in the Austrian context, aiming to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the best practices for promoting language acquisition and cultural diversity within the education system.