In 2022, German students achieved the worst result so far in the international performance comparison PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). One of the many reasons discussed is that the teaching methods in classes with students of different heritage languages have to be further improved.
The conference will bring together specialists from cognitive science, linguistics and pedagogy with the aim to describe and discuss the so-called multilingual advantage which multilingual learners “bring to school” with the aim to contribute to the development of ideas about how advantages can be used as resources in the institution. This is rather challenging because some of the concepts are cognitive in nature and thus apply to all the learner’s languages, other concepts are linguistic in nature and thus related to the specific structure of the languages. But school teachers are often not competent in all of their pupils’ heritage languages and there is a strong need for teachers’ support in developing knowledge about multilingualism and in establishing teaching materials.

Organizers: Natascha Müller, Rosalba Kärst, Gisela Resmja
Location: Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Campus
Grifflenberg, Gaußstraße 20, D-42119 Wuppertal, room:
Vortragsraum der Bibliothek at BZ 07 (building.level)