Integration of Language Education into Everyday Life: Promoting Language Acquisition in Children

14. June 2023



Daniel Reinhardt

Language education that is integrated into everyday life promotes language acquisition in children

The CDU federal executive proposes improving the educational opportunities of children with compulsory German courses for preschool children with language deficits, a child future allowance and closer integration of kindergartens and schools. Daniel Reinhardt, spokesman for early childhood education for DIE LINKE in the Thuringian state parliament, is of the opinion that this approach is flawed in many ways:

“I don’t understand what a child future allowance is supposed to do to raise the quality in the kindergartens and to improve the language deficits of the preschool children. Giving money to families where the simplest language-promoting measures are obviously lacking has little chance of success. Above all, affected families need self-empowerment. Educational specialists are needed in the kindergartens in order to be able to deal with the deficits of all kinds of children and to support them in the best possible way. Social workers are needed for families in the kindergartens in order to solve the multiple problems together,” explains Reinhardt.

“With the program “Language Kitas. Because language is the key to the world”, which was discontinued by the federal government but continues to be financed by the state of Thuringia, we have the opportunity to systematically improve the language education offered in the facilities. With this concept of language education integrated into everyday life, everyday life in a kindergarten is geared towards promoting language acquisition. This creates integration instead of social exclusion. I think this is where we have to start to ensure that the program will continue to be funded beyond 2023,” Reinhardt continued.

“In my view, early, comprehensive diagnostics to show the developmental status of children between the ages of three and four make little sense. This demand from the CDU shows how little they know about the kindergarten system. Firstly, the developmental status of children is recorded at least annually and secondly – what else should the educators do in addition? In addition, I am of the opinion that the kindergarten is not a school. We have an education plan for ages 0 to 18, which sets out the educational needs of children and young people, and language education is part of it,” concludes Reinhardt.