Dr. Victor Saudan (PH Luzern)
Elke-Nicole Kappus et Claudia Wespi (PH Luzern)
Project conducted by the University of Teacher Education Lucerne (PH Luzern)
This project examined how teaching foreign languages advances – or can advance – (inter-)cultural competence and the reflection of transcultural elements as defined by ELBE. The project focused on the theme of food/eating culture and possible ways of exploring this topic when teaching a second Swiss national language at the secondary level I.
Work in the project included the investigation of the theoretical background in various disciplines and the analysis of curricula, teaching materials and examination regulations and other formal aspects as well as interviews with experts (such as persons in education policy and administration, practitioners). Moreover, case studies and examples of good teaching practices from all language regions in Switzerland as well as workshops with affected teachers were organised.
MEMO pursued two overall goals. The first was to establish a description of current teaching practices in all of Switzerland's language regions; this was done under consideration of didactic and methodological approaches, but also with respect to how teachers understand their role as cultural mediators and how they understand the concept of culture (for instance, inter-/trans-/multicultural aspects, multilingualism, mastery of foreign languages). In the second step, findings from both theory and practice have been employed to develop recommendations for ELBE at secondary level I (using the topic of food/eating culture). The recommendations are designed to serve as a basis for developing teaching materials and the curricula as well as for teacher training and further training.
For more information: http://www.phlu.ch/forschung/forschungsgruppen/sprachen-schrift-abgeschlossene-projekte/les-mets-et-les-mots-von-speisen-und-sprachen-memo/