Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Innovation in learning and development in multilingual and multicultural contexts: Principles learned from a higher educational study programme in Luxembourg

  • Published:
International Review of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Multilingualism in education is a conceptual as well as a pedagogical challenge of the 21st century. Luxembourg, with its three statutory official languages (Luxembourgish, French and German), is an especially complex setting. The gap between traditional principles of language education on the one hand and the challenging impacts of today’s multilingualisms on the other led the University of Luxembourg (founded in 2003) to set up a developmentally-driven Master’s programme in 2007, entitled “Learning and Development in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts”. After a presentation of the general multilingual settings in Luxembourg, this paper discusses the constellation of the multilingual University’s staff and students and provides an analysis of the concept of the course by outlining its innovative approach, its principles and lessons learned with regard to running a trilingual higher education programme.

Résumé

Innovation dans l’apprentissage et le développement en contexte multilingue et multiculturel : principes tirés d’un programme d’enseignement supérieur au Luxembourg – Le multilinguisme dans l’éducation représente au XXIe siècle un défi à la fois conceptuel et pédagogique. Le Luxembourg, doté de trois langues officielles (luxembourgeois, français et allemand), connaît une situation particulièrement complexe. Le fossé qui existe entre d’une part les principes classiques de l’enseignement linguistique, et d’autre part le défi lancé par l’impact des situations multilingues d’aujourd’hui, a conduit l’université du Luxembourg (fondée en 2003) à instaurer un programme de maîtrise axé sur le développement, intitulé « Apprentissage et développement dans les contextes multilingues et multiculturels ». Après une présentation générale des contextes multilingues au Luxembourg, l’auteure examine la composition plurilingue des employés et étudiants de l’université, et analyse le concept de ce programme en exposant l’approche innovante, ses principes ainsi que les enseignements tirés pour la réalisation d’un programme trilingue d’enseignement supérieur.

Zusammenfassung

Innovationen für Studium und Entwicklung in multilingualen und multikulturellen Kontexten: Schlussfolgerungen aus einem Hochschulprogramm in Luxemburg – Mehrsprachigkeit im Bildungsbereich ist sowohl eine gedankliche als auch eine pädagogische Herausforderung des 21. Jahrhunderts. Luxemburg ist mit seinen drei Amtssprachen (Luxemburgisch, Französisch und Deutsch) ein besonders komplexer Schauplatz. Die Diskrepanz zwischen den althergebrachten Prinzipien des Sprachunterrichts auf der einen und den Herausforderungen der heutigen Mehrsprachigkeiten auf der anderen Seite veranlasste die (2003 gegründete) Universität Luxemburg im Jahr 2007 zur Einführung eines entwicklungsorientierten Master-Studiengangs mit dem Titel „Lernen und Entwicklung in mehrsprachigen und multikulturellen Kontexten“. In diesem Artikel wird zunächst allgemein auf die Mehrsprachigkeit in Luxemburg eingegangen. Anschließend wird die Zusammensetzung des multilingualen Personals und der Studentenschaft der Universität diskutiert und das Kurskonzept analysiert, wobei dessen innovativer Ansatz und seine Prinzipien sowie die Schlussfolgerungen dargestellt werden, die daraus für die Durchführung eines dreisprachigen Hochschulprogramms zu ziehen sind.

Resumen

Innovación en aprendizaje y desarrollo dentro de contextos multilingües y multiculturales: principios aprendidos de un programa de estudios superiores en Luxemburgo. – El multilingüismo en la educación es un reto, tanto conceptual como pedagógico, del siglo XXI. Luxemburgo, con sus tres idiomas oficiales establecidas por la ley (luxemburgués, francés y alemán), presenta un cuadro particularmente complejo. La brecha entre los principios tradicionales de enseñanza de idiomas por una parte y los impactos desafiantes de los multilingüismos actuales por la otra, llevaron a la Universidad de Luxemburgo (fundada en el 2003) a instalar en el 2007 un programa de maestría, fomentado desde la perspectiva del desarrollo, titulado “Aprendizaje y Desarrollo en Contextos Multilingües y Multiculturales”. Tras una presentación de las características multilingües generales de Luxemburgo, este trabajo se ocupa de la constelación del equipo de colaboradores y de los estudiantes multilingües de la Universidad y provee un análisis del concepto del curso delineando su enfoque innovador, sus principios y las experiencias ganadas con respecto a la puesta en práctica de un programa trilingüe de educación superior.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Bilderbuch is the German word for a children’s picture book. The term “Bilderbuch vision” refers to a simplified and idealised vision which fails to present an issue in its de facto complexity.

  2. In this article, the term public schools refers to the majority of schools in Luxembourg, run by the state.

  3. The Plan pour le réajustement des langues is a governmental initiative to adjust language teaching schemes inside and outside of school (e.g. certification of informal language learning).

  4. The term congé linguistique refers to the option for employees in Luxembourg to study a statuary language during their working hours.

  5. The contrat d’intégration is an option launched in 2011 for newly-arriving migrants to benefit from language courses and civic education.

  6. Translation: Article 3 of the law concerning the creation of the University of Luxembourg (12 August 2003) states that “the functioning of the university is rooted in (…) the multilingual character of its teaching”:

    1. The academic languages of the university are the following: French, English and German.

    2. All students studying bachelor’s degrees must be bilingual, with at least 25 per cent of the programme being in the minor language, except for bachelor degree programmes with a language major.

    3. The majority of students studying master’s degrees must be bilingual, with at least 25 per cent of the programme being in the minor language, and a minimum of 20 per cent in English, except for master’s degrees with a language major.

    4. Across all programmes offered by the university, each of the three academic languages needs to hold a share of at least 20 per cent.

    Students, faculty as well as administrative staff should be trilingual if possible.

  7. Translation: The student will develop a study topic and apply a research methodology according to the following study steps: defining a theoretical as well as a methodological framework, its empirical as well as its analytical implementation, its thesis writing and its final viva (…) In particular, the student will (…)

    • conceive new forms of reasoning as regards the analysis of the dynamics of multilingualism, multiculturalism and their developments;

    • explore possibilities to foster resources of and for learning as regards their diversity and their development in general;

    • analyse and implement processes of construction on the individual, social and systemic level as well as activities and negotiations of regarding development which are concerned with the construction of identities in and through interaction and discourse;

    • identify and highlight the importance, the nature and the dynamics of semiotic systems, of cultural artefacts as well as of socio-cultural mediation.

References

  • Carli, A., & Ammon, U. (Eds.). (2007). Linguistic inequality in scientific communication today. AILA Review 20, 72–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Council of Europe. (1997). Plurilingual and pluricultural competence. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, J. (2008). Teaching for transfer: Challenging the two solitudes assumptions in bilingual education. In J. Cummins (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and education, Vol. 5: Bilingual education (pp. 65–75). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, H., Edwards, A., Engeström, Y., Gallagher, T., & Ludvigsen, S. R. (Eds.). (2010). Activity theory in practice. Promoting learning across boundaries and agencies. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Haan, M., & Elbers, E. (2009). From research to practice. What the study of multiethnic classrooms has to offer. In M. César & K. Kumpulainen (Eds.), Social interactions in multicultural settings (pp. 171–202). Rotterdam: Sense.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2004). European profile for language teacher education – A frame of reference. Brussels: European Commission. Accessed August 15, 2011, from http://europa.eu.int/education/policies/.

  • European Commission. (2006). ELAN: Effects on the European economy of shortages of foreign language skills in enterprise. Brussels: European Commission. Accessed August 15, 2011, from http://europa.eu.int/education/policies/.

  • European Commission. (2009). Study on the contribution of multilingualism and creativity. Brussels: European Commission, Directorate General Education and Culture. Accessed August 15, 2011, from http://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu.

  • Gouvernement du Luxembourg. (1984). Loi du 24 février 1984 sur le régime des langues. Luxembourg.

  • Gouvernement du Luxembourg. (2003). Loi du 12 août 2003 sur la création de l’Université du Luxembourg. Luxembourg.

  • Grosjean, F. (1984). Life with two languages. An introduction to bilingualism. Harvard: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual. Life and reality. Harvard: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maulini, O., & Montandon, C. (Eds.). (2005). Les formes de l’éducation: variété et variation. Brussels: De Boeck.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministère de l’éducation nationale, Luxembourg. (1989). Plan d’études. Luxembourg: Ministère de l’éducation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministère de l’éducation nationale, Luxembourg. (2009). Plan pour le réajustement des langues 2007–2009. Luxembourg: Ministére de l’éducation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohanty, A. K. (2008). Multilingual education for indigenous children: Escaping the vicious cycle of language disadvantage in India. In UNESCO-UNU international conference on globalization and languages—Building on our rich heritage (panel on “education and learning”), Tokyo, 27–28 August 2008.

  • OECD. (2010). Educating teachers for diversity: Meeting the challenge. Paris: OECD Publications.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ouane, A. (2008). My journey to and through a multilingual landscape. Paper presented at The implications of language for peace and development conference, Oslo, 2–3 May 2008.

  • Statec. (2008). Service central de la statistique et des études économiques Luxembourg. Recensement de la population. Luxembourg. Accessed August 15, 2011, from http://www.statistiques.public.lu.

  • UNESCO. (1996). Notre diversité créatrice. Rapport de la Commission mondiale de la culture et du développement. Paris: Editions UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (2003). Education position paper. Education in a multilingual world. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (2004). Global Monitoring Report 2005. Education for All: The quality imperative. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO/ACCU. (2009). Tales of hope II. Innovative grassroots approaches to education for sustainable development (ESD) in Asia and the Pacific. Tokyo: Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Université du Luxembourg. (2008). Rapport d’activités. Luxembourg: Université du Luxembourg. http://www.uni.lu.

  • Université du Luxembourg. (2010). Page Facebook. Accessed August 15, 2011, from http://www.facebook.com/uni.lu?ref=share.

  • Zarate, G., Lévy, D., & Kramsch, C. (Eds.). (2011). Handbook of multilingualism and multiculturalism. Paris: Editions des archives contemporaines.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, G. (2010). Studyguide – Master (académique) learning and development in multilingual and multicultural contexts (pp. 1–43). Luxembourg: University of Luxembourg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, G. (2011a). From the learner to the actor: Categorizations as loci of language acquisition. In G. Zarate, et al. (Eds.), Handbook of multilingualism and multiculturalism (pp. 29–32). Paris: Editions des archives contemporaines.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, G. (Ed.). (2011b). Multilingual language teacher education. Special issue, ForumSprache 5. Accessed August 15, 2011, from http://www.hueber.de.

  • Ziegler, G., & Moser, S. (2010). Multilingual study programs. Visions and realities, pp. 1–15. In International conference paper: Professionalising multilingualism in higher education. Luxembourg: Multilingual Universities.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université du Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Gudrun Ziegler

Authors
  1. Gudrun Ziegler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gudrun Ziegler.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ziegler, G. Innovation in learning and development in multilingual and multicultural contexts: Principles learned from a higher educational study programme in Luxembourg. Int Rev Educ 57, 685–703 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-011-9252-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-011-9252-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation