Multilingualism and Education
Lines of research within the research group
LeesLab - education programme for linguistically diverse primary school class rooms
In the LeesLab project we develop an educational programme for linguistically diverse class rooms, together with primary schools in Rotterdam.
Multilingual teaching assistants as brokers in newcomer education
Three pressing societal issues are addressed: the increased number of newcomer children, the alarming teacher shortage and insecurities regarding newcomers and multilingualism among current teachers.
Publications
- Transforming foreign language teaching practices through communicative classroom-based assessment programs
- Virtual exchange as a tool for intercultural communicative competence development in contemporary foreign language education.
- Constructive alignment in foreign language curricula An exploration of teaching and assessment practices in Dutch secondary education
Education
Working in multilingual contexts is a key issue in teachers’ education and professional development. We aim to prepare teachers to choose pedagogically and didactically-informed ways of working, which fit their students’ needs, learning goals, and school environment.
“Language is a means of transport that takes you to the places you want to go. You see more when you enjoy the ride; you enjoy more when you are well prepared”
Rick de Graaff Professor of Multilingualism and Education
“Language is a means of transport that takes you to the places you want to go. You see more when you enjoy the ride; you enjoy more when you are well prepared” Rick de Graaff Professor of Multilingualism and Education
“A lot has changed in foreign language education over the past fifty years. And yet there is also much that has not changed. Most schools still use textbooks with rules, lists of words, fill-in exercises and illustrative texts. There is still little actual communication in the foreign language, either between the students or with the teacher. Many people only fully realise the limitations of this training when their mind has to scroll down a list words when they find themselves in a French bakery, Austrian ski resort or in the London metro. Perhaps that isn’t surprising, because if you want to learn how to swim well, swimming laps will get you further than knowing Archimedes' law by heart.”
Rick de Graaff
Collaboration
The research group works together with various regional, national, and international parties to strengthen a communicative, intercultural and content-oriented approach to foreign language education. Among others teachers who received their education at the Hogeschool Utrecht and the Universiteit Utrecht, and different teaching schools in the region. As well as internationally with the University of Malmö, Sweden, and Innland University for Applied Sciences, Norway.
