The education politicians in Germany and France agreed: At a time when Europe is facing challenges, they want to build bridges of understanding and enter into dialogue. Essential for this: mutual understanding. That is why the ministers adopted a Saarbrücken Declaration on Friday at Halberg.
Exchange programs and digital offers are intended to help with multilingualism
They want to work towards acquiring the partner language at an early stage. Multilingualism is a decisive competitive advantage for later professional life and creates access to both cultures, according to the current cultural representative Anke Rehlinger. This should be done, among other things, with the help of digital offers and exchange programs.
“It’s not just about sitting dry in the classroom and dealing with the subjunctive, but also about being able to experience what this language opens up to you. It’s about sport, it’s about culture, it’s about getting to know each other and in this respect it is a question of motivation and enthusiasm, which can also be achieved through meeting opportunities,” said Rehlinger.
French Education Minister sees need for action
However, there are no concrete timetables or target agreements in the declaration. The French Education Minister Anne Genetet sees a need for action given the declining number of students learning each other’s languages. Speaking your neighbor’s language shows a necessary openness to the world.
The SR info news also reported on this topic on the radio on November 15, 2024.
