We suggest that complex tasks can be introduced to learners as early as primary school level with the help of digital media in the form of different apps. As a theoretical basis, we will first outline the principles of teaching English in (German) primary schools. Secondly, we will look at the framework of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)…

This contribution evaluates opportunities and challenges concerning the conception and utilization of visuals in current German geography textbooks from multidisciplinary theoretical perspectives. The designer's point of view, with insights from visual communications, information design, user experience design, and instructional design, will be…

Due to the 'global English bias' in the field of L2 motivation, many motivational constructs have been primarily investigated in relation to learners of English. One of these, international posture, has been recently found to hold some relevance to LOTE students. Despite this, no research has examined comparatively similarities and differences in…

The instrumental motivations of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) have been examined in detail, but there is a lack of studies exploring how they compare to those of learners of other languages (LOTEs). To address this gap, this study draws on a questionnaire (N = 312) and on semi-structured interviews (n = 20) and focuses on…

After a theoretical overview of the concept of heritage language (HL) from a plurilingual perspective, we will describe the project "Images on the (teaching of) Portuguese Language abroad". For this project, several drawings were collected, produced by lusodescendant children living in Germany and attending supplementary Portuguese…

Grundtvig programme are activities aimed at providing adults with ways to improve their knowledge and skills. This study examined the opinions of adults who participated in four workshops on history and culture organized throughout Europe between 2009 and 2014 under the Grundtvig Adult Education Programme and Lifelong Learning Programme of the EU.…

The dominant role of English as the global language of science entails a requirement for science teachers to equip their non-native English-speaking students with receptive and productive language skills for communication in scientific contexts. Although science courses with English elements are part of some schools' bilingual programmes, they are…

Despite its increasing popularity and adoption across Europe, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is not without its critics. It has been argued that CLIL programmes are highly selective, that is, the students possess more favourable learning prerequisites than their monolingually taught peers. The present study contributes to this…

The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a motivational intervention that consisted of explicit timing, immediate feedback through self-scoring, and display of high scores with the goal of encouraging four students with learning disabilities to write longer stories. All participants were initially very unwilling to engage in text…

The personalisation principle is a design recommendation and states that multimedia presentations using personalised language promote learning better than those using formal language (e.g., using "your" instead of "the"). It is often assumed that this design recommendation affects motivation and therefore allocation of…

Following recommendations by the European Commission, bilingualism has been promoted in various ways in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Language classes and the concept of immersion were gradually introduced in primary schools, while, at the secondary level, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programmes were…

In the study the emphasis is put on web-based trainings (WBT). WBTs are the most common form of e-learning in on-the-job trainings in the private and public sector in Germany, whereas blended-learning scenarios and virtual classrooms are only used by 55% and 41% respectively. In spite of the increasing distribution of e-learning applications in…

This article concludes that the logic of linear and inscribed media continues to predominate in schools, despite the advances in the use of digital technology as a pedagogic tool. With respect to both the interactionist-constructivist model of learning as well as the findings of educational theory and educational psychology, it is possible to…

This article reports on the possibilities and challenges of starting problem-oriented learning in geography lessons. The article focuses on the features of motivating problems, because one of the essential functions of the problem to start with is to animate learners to solve it. The analysis of various introductions to problem-oriented learning…

From a constructivist perspective on learning, mistakes are seen as natural elements of learning processes. A supportive and constructive way of dealing with student mistakes has shown to affect students' individual motivation and learning performances in a favorable way. In classroom settings, however, making mistakes is not just a personal but…