Linguistic diversity in Germany德语多样性.docVIP

Language Minority Education Policy: Turkish Immigrant Pupils in Germany Anne Crutchfield Introduction As an exchange student in Tübingen, Germany from 2001-2002 I observed an obvious segregation between Germans and Turks in the community that I belonged to. The Turkish people that I came into contact with seemed to be torn between two cultures and exposed to two sets of prejudices at the same time. Later, as a teacher in Germany from 2004-2006, it became even more apparent to me that the Turkish population was very much disadvantaged in society. My experiences prompted me to investigate the link between language policy and the integration of Turkish minority group members into German society. In this paper I will survey the historical and political circumstances that have contributed to Turkish and, in particular, language minority (LM) students being socially and educationally underserved in Germany. I will also assess the impact of current language policies and classroom practices on LM students. Finally, I will advocate for recognition within the German school system of the language and educational rights of LM students, the promotion of curriculum that encourages linguistic and cultural diversity, German as a second language (GSL) instruction and bilingual education initiatives grounded in theory and research, and increased collaboration between German schools and the Turkish community. Linguistic diversity in Germany The official language in Germany is Standard German, sometimes referred to as High German or Hochdeutsch. Unlike in the United States, where there is no official language policy, Standard German is by law the medium of spoken and written communication is virtually all public sectors of society. Considering Germany’s official language policy, it might come as a surprise that the majority of native German speakers grow up speaking a regional or local dialect at home and in the community and are first formally exposed to Standard German on