Kirschner

Assessment of the Language Ed Kirschner

Thesis (M. A.) from the year 2010 in the subject Communications - Intercultural Communication, grade: Distinction, Anglia Ruskin University, course: Language, Identity and Policy, language: English, comment: Professors's comments: [...] Overall this is an excellent piece of work that shows a student with extremely good research skills, an ability to organise, assess and critically appraise data, the ability to implement an empirical study in accordance with ethical guidelines and very advanced skills in English. It is thus worthy of a very good mark. [...] , abstract: Assessment of the Language Education Policy in Austria and its Fitness for Purpose within the European Union The EU language policy, which is directly linked to the EU language education policy, has been constantly developing since the establishment of the EEC more than fifty years ago (Treaty of Rome, 1957). The Council Resolution of 31 March 1995 on improving and diversifying language learning and teaching within the education systems of the European Union made it clear that in language learning and teaching, as in education in general, the principle of subsidiarity applies. In this respect, this work examines the existing Austrian language education policy regulations and the country's educational practices, in the light of the EU language education policy, focusing on the groups of Austrian nationals with German as their first language, non-indigenous minorities and Austria's officially recognised autochthonous ethnic groups. The question of whether Austria adequately prepares pupils for the purposes of a multilingual social and economic interaction within the EU is equally considered. An up-to-date insight into the minority language education practice of a Burgenland-Croatian ethnic sample group is delivered, based on data obtained by self reporting questionnaires. The analysis shows that the language education practice for all three groups can be largely regarded as a successful implementation