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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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Teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Geography</strong> <strong>in</strong> English at Austrian SchoolsModels, Practice and Intercultural Ga<strong>in</strong>Barbara Kathar<strong>in</strong>a MayerhoferUniversity of Salzburg, Department of <strong>Geography</strong>, Geology and M<strong>in</strong>eralogy,Hellbrunnerstraße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austriae-mail: barbara.mayerhofer@sbg.ac.atAbstractS<strong>in</strong>ce the <strong>in</strong>troduction of ‘bil<strong>in</strong>gual’ teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>Geography</strong> at the end of the 1980s <strong>in</strong> Austriamany schools have met the challenge. Models of ‘bil<strong>in</strong>gual’ teach<strong>in</strong>g, practice <strong>in</strong> the classroomand figures about its spread <strong>in</strong> the country will be presented. The role the teach<strong>in</strong>g ofdidactics plays <strong>in</strong> this context will be depicted. The <strong>in</strong>tercultural ga<strong>in</strong> of teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Geography</strong><strong>in</strong> English – also <strong>in</strong> the context of web-based teach<strong>in</strong>g – will be po<strong>in</strong>ted out.Key words: Teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Geography</strong> <strong>in</strong> English, models, spread, teacher-tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g at university,<strong>in</strong>tercultural ga<strong>in</strong>, schoolIntroductionWhile the new challenges of the political and social changes <strong>in</strong> Europe have triggeredfirst activities of us<strong>in</strong>g a foreign language as a medium of <strong>in</strong>struction at schools <strong>in</strong>Austria, a recommendation of the European Council (Lidauer 2001) and later theEuropean Commission’s 1996 White Paper have <strong>in</strong>tensified activities <strong>in</strong> this field. InAustria English is the predom<strong>in</strong>ant foreign language used <strong>in</strong> this context.Models of teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Geography</strong> <strong>in</strong> EnglishBeside full-time use of a foreign language as a medium of <strong>in</strong>struction (English <strong>in</strong> mostcases) <strong>in</strong> so-called bil<strong>in</strong>gual schools four other models characterise current practice<strong>in</strong> Austrian schools (Abuja and He<strong>in</strong>dler, 1993). Two of them are outl<strong>in</strong>ed here:1. Use of the foreign language for a limited period of time. This approach is takenwhen pupils first experience the use of English <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Geography</strong> and Economicsclasses (<strong>in</strong> Austria the subject is called “<strong>Geography</strong> and Economics”, thus <strong>in</strong>addition to geographical topics economic topics are also dealt with). It is oftenpractised <strong>in</strong> the lower grades of schools which have full-time “bil<strong>in</strong>gual” teach<strong>in</strong>gfrom grade 9 to 12 (students between 14 and 18 years of age).2. Aquir<strong>in</strong>g “skills” <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terdiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary teach<strong>in</strong>g is another way of tak<strong>in</strong>g the firststeps towards full-time “bil<strong>in</strong>gual” teach<strong>in</strong>g. Describ<strong>in</strong>g observations, experiments,procedures, compar<strong>in</strong>g and evaluat<strong>in</strong>g are among these skills. Theseuniversal skills are supposed to enable students to tackle various geographicaland economic problems <strong>in</strong> the foreign language.Currently there are some 30 “bil<strong>in</strong>gual” schools <strong>in</strong> Austria. In these schools some(for example: <strong>Geography</strong>, History, Biology and Mathematics) or all subjects are247

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