Translang²: New path to intercultural education in teaching!

Translang²: New path to intercultural education in teaching!

Internationalization is taking teacher training at German universities into new dimensions. The Translang² project, which was launched as a successor to the Translang initiative project, focuses on promoting multilingualism within teacher training courses. According to the University of Hildesheim [uni-hildesheim.de], Translang² aims to network international actors in research and teaching and strengthen the DAAD model project network.

A central concern of the project is the creation of intercultural learning experiences for different groups of teacher training students. The focus is on the concept of translanguaging, which promotes the flexible and creative use of all linguistic resources. This should not only be used in language lessons, but also in other subjects, such as mathematics.

Structured approaches to promoting multilingualism

The main goals of the project include identifying and critically questioning the monolingual habitus in educational institutions. This perspective is considered in the context of social justice and postcolonial criticism. Translang² builds on the experiences of the first project phase (2021-2024), which showed that longer stays abroad are difficult for many teacher training students.

In order to meet these challenges, low-threshold formats such as the Teacher Translanguaging Camp and Intercultural Coffee Breaks are offered. The Teacher Translanguaging Camp will take place from June 23rd to 27th, 2025 and integrates hybrid offerings on multilingualism and translanguaging in subject teaching. The newly established funding also enables two-month stays abroad during the bachelor's or master's thesis, which student surveys confirm as increased flexibility during these phases.

Challenges and support from the DAAD

The DAAD program “Lehramt.International” also supports the internationalization of teacher training courses at universities by reducing structural obstacles. In recent years, the program has published a number of studies that examine the internationalization of teaching professions in Europe and the framework conditions in Germany. As the DAAD [daad.de] reports, these publications are intended to promote political dialogue in Germany and Europe.

Almost all federal states allow stays abroad, but there are major differences in the legal framework. Only six federal states take specific internships abroad into account, which is often seen as a hurdle for prospective teachers. In Germany, the perceived lengthening of study time in particular is seen as the biggest barrier to international mobility, while at the European level financial hurdles are seen as more important.

The DAAD working paper also highlights new strategic priorities for the internationalization of teacher training. The expansion of intercultural learning opportunities is identified as an important measure to underline the social relevance of internationalization in teacher training. In the first funding phase, 36 model projects were funded and over 3,000 scholarships were awarded for school internships abroad. The aim of the coming funding phase (2025-2029) is to further increase international mobility and promote an intensive dialogue between politics and universities.

Overall, the DAAD project pursues a holistic approach that focuses on students as well as universities and political institutions. The coming period will determine to what extent the goals of internationalization in teacher training can be achieved and what sustainable structures will be created in the process.