Wege zu einer grenzüberschreitenden deutsch-französischen Fremdsprachendidaktik. État des lieux, enjeux, perspectives.

The editor's extensive introduction provides a summary of all the significant models, concepts and contributions to cross-border German-French modern language teaching methodology. The other articles in the collection address different aspects connected to the cross-border issue in modern language teaching and seek, on the one hand, to broaden the scholarly debate on the topic and, on the other, to give some suggestions for a greater integration of border (area)-related educational aspects of teaching.

Various examples of existing cross-border initiatives in education are considered: first, an integrated French-German teacher training course in the field of primary education is presented as a successful model for enhanced cross-border modern language teaching. Graduates of this course are qualified to teach in Baden-Württemberg elementary schools as well as in bilingual classes in Alsace. Another article is devoted to multilingual education in early childhood and presents different models of bilingual daycare in the Upper Rhine area, among others.

It goes on to identify particular challenges in foreign language learning and teaching in border areas; based on empirical data the importance of teachers' attitudes and approaches in their teaching is emphasised. In this context the role of initial and continued teacher training is stressed, beginning with pre-school and nursery school. Here enhanced intercultural and inter-regional competencies are advocated to enable better exchanges. In the higher education field more intensive border (area)-related educational research is required to drive future cooperation.  In the school sector a concrete example of enhancing historical awareness by means of a series of German-French history schoolbooks is discussed.
The book concludes with a critical reflection on the concept of the border and new insights from the field of language contact research.

Table of contents:

• CLAUDIA POLZIN-HAUMANN/JULIA PUTSCHE/CHRISTINA REISSNER: Wege zu einer grenzüberschreitenden deutsch-französischen Fremdsprachendidaktik. (Towards a cross-border German-French language teaching methodology) Current situation, challenges, perspectives
• ANEMONE GEIGER-JAILLET: Bilinguale Kindertageseinrichtungen als Labor Europas: Sprachliche Bereicherung oder Kulturschock? (Bilingual daycare facilities as a laboratory for Europe: linguistic enrichment or culture shock?)
• JÜRGEN MICHAEL SCHULZ: Wege zu einem gemeinsamen europäischen Geschichtsbewusstsein? Zur Bedeutung der deutsch-französischen Lehrbuchreihe Histoire/Geschichte für den mehrsprachigen Sachfachunterricht in der Grenzregion (Towards a common European historical awareness? On the significance of a series of German-French history schoolbooks for multilingual subject teaching in border regions)
• JULIA MONTEMAYOR GRACIA/VERA NEUSIUS: „Das ist doch keine Sprache!“ – Perzeptive Varietätenlinguistik und metasprachliche Reflexionen Romanistikstudierender in der Grenzregion (That's not a language! - Percceptive variational linguistics and metalinguistic reflections of Romance language students in the border region)
• CHLOÉ FAUCOMPRÉ: „L’allemand c’est pas juste pour aller faire des courses“ : tenir compte des représentations des élèves et des enseignants pour concrétiser une approche didactique transfrontalière ("German is not just for shopping": taking account of pupils' and teachers' representations to build a cross-border teaching approach)
• DOMINIQUE MACAIRE: La didactique du plurilinguisme dans une région frontalière entre France et Allemagne en tensions (The didactics of multilingualism in a border region between France and Germany subject to tensions)
• KARIN DIETRICH-CHÉNEL/CLARA FRITZ: 18 Jahre Cursus Intégré – Bedingungen für das Gelingen (18 years of integrated education - Conditions for success)
• SABINE EHRHART: Grenzregion und Fremdsprachendidaktik, auf ewig ein Paar? (Border region and foreign language teaching, forever together?)