Multilingualism is now part of everyday life in day-care centers and schools. Experts wish for more recognition and promotion of this competence. The demand for books and materials for the young target group is growing.
Multilingualism is a reality in many families in Germany. As the Mercator Institute for language support in its “Fact check on multilingualism in kindergarten and school” from February 2022, more than a third of the pupils speak at least one other language in addition to German when they start school. Mastering a language other than your mother tongue is now considered a key qualification for many professions and is an important educational goal, albeit mostly related to the common school languages English, Spanish or French. However, according to the Mercator Institute, growing up with two or more languages is still a controversial topic in the educational sector: multilingualism is sometimes considered a risk because the children do not fully learn any of the languages. This, in turn, has a negative impact on school performance. Another widespread view: Parents support their children best if they only speak German with them at home.
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