Outreach in linguistics: Working with educators
Kerstin Mehler
mehler@mazem.de
Mannheimer Zentrum für empirische Mehrsprachigkeitsforschung (MAZEM, Mannheim, Germany)
Continuing initiatives and projects which have been realised at the University of Mannheim since 2002, MAZEM tries to improve early language education through workshops and on-the-job trainings for kindergardeners or (pre-school) teachers and by designing and implementing theoretically grounded intervention programmes focussing on German as L2.
In this talk, I will present possibilities to translate research findings on multilingualism into pedagogical practice and to professionalise (early) educators with respect to language support/intervention.
After briefly outlining the educational frameworks and laws in Germany, I will talk about our practical experience with different groups of educators, the challenges we face and about creating synergies between outreach work and research.
Linguistics and Knowledge about Language in Education 