Matthias Bergmann English 4CHIF

Foreign Language Learning

Introduction
The purpose of this report is to comment on the way foreign languages are studied in Austria, to
explain where they are taught and who takes courses, and to suggest improvements that could be
made to the system.

Languages in Schools

The vast majority of language education happens at school. Sometimes starting as early as
elementary school, every Student goes through a minimum of four years of English lessons, with
many continuing for another four to five years to the Matura. In these classrooms, Languages are
typically taught to groups of 15 to 25 young students by a single teacher, with the result that focusing
on strengths and weaknesses of single students is difficult or impossible in most systems, unless the
rest of the group is neglected.

Choosing a Language

While all schools must teach English to their students, further Languages are chosen by schools and
students based on personal preference, with some schools offering courses entirely optionally and
others letting students choose between a number of offers. Spanish and French are the most popular
options for a second foreign language, since they are widely used in many different countries, and
Latin is still prevalent in many schools, due to its widespread usage in university, especially for
medical subjects.

Recommendation

I recommend that schools should adopt education techniques that focus more on the needs of
individual students. One such opportunity is to increase the inclusion of technology in language
lessons. Language apps can provide real time feedback to students and teachers, while offering
tailored lessons based on past mistakes.