Second Language Courses in Germany: A big step towards a cohesive integration policy

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Second Language Courses in Germany:A big step towards a cohesive integration

policy

Jens Reimann

Germany

Federal Office for Migration and Refugees

www.bamf.de

www.integration-in-deutschland.de

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Topics

• Immigration into Germany

• Important Federal Second Language Programmes:

- Integration Courses- Vocational Language Training Programme

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Three important groups of immigrants

• „Guest Workers“ and their descendants

• „Ethnic German Repatriates“ (4,500,000)

• Immigrants coming in the context of family reunion

A very heterogenuous group (20 percent of the German population)

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Implementation of Second Language Courses: Integration Courses

• Extent of immigration and the needs for integration were underrated for a long time Before 01.01.2005: Unstructured system of language courses in Germany

• 01.01.2005: New Immigration Act setting new standards for German integration policy.

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Integration Courses: Basics

• 01.01.2005: Unification of language courses for adult migrants, establishment of „Integration Courses“

• Foundation of a permanent commission to accompany the conception and implementation of Integration Courses

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Integration Courses: Goals

• Language Level B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference

• Basic knowledge of society, politics, culture, history and legal system in Germany

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Integration Courses: Current Structure (1)

• Language course: 600 teaching units

• Orientation course: 45 teaching units

• Special Integration Courses for young adults, women, parents, illiterates and long-term residents (945 teaching units)

• Possibility to complete the Integration Course in only 430 teaching units

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• One final test for the language course, one final test for the Orientation Course

• Design for the language test: Goethe-Institut

• Design for the Orientation Course test: IQB (Institute for Educational Process) at Humboldt University Berlin

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• If participants pass the two final tests they receive the „Zertifikat Integrationskurs“

• Possibility of repeating 300 teaching units and the final test if main goal (B1) has not been achieved

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Integration Courses: Numbers and Figures(31/03/2010)

• More than 46,000 Integration Courses

• Total number of those with the right to attend an integration

course: more than 830,000

• Participants: More than 630.000

• Number of participants who have finished the course: More than 330,000

• Budget 2010: 233,000,000 €

Integration courses are a „Story of Success“

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Integration Courses: Perspectives

• Level B1 will remain the first goal

• Number of participants who passed the final language exam is rising

constantly

• Coalition agreement from 26/09/09 is stating:- Quantitave and qualitative improvement of the

integration courses- Extension of the Orientation Course from 45 to 60

teaching units- Stronger labour-market orientation

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Vocational Language TrainingCo-financed by European Social Funds

• Goal: Integration of migrants into the labour

market

• 330,000,000 € from the European Social Fund

(ESF)

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Vocational Language TrainingCo-financed by European Social Funds

• 730 teaching units

• Course components:

- Language training

- Qualification and practical work

• Start in February of 2009

• Local organization by specialised course providers

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Vocational Language TrainingNumbers and Figures

• More than 1.200 courses (750 finished)

• Around 21.800 participants (13.500 finished)

• Good placement rate

• Detailed evaluation expected for next year

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Conclusion

• Language is the key to integration

• „Language is not everything, but everything is nothing

without Language“

also true for education.

• Most other German integration programmes have

directly or indirectly to do with language training

programmes.

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Thank you very much for your attention!

Jens ReimannGermany

Federal Office of Migration and Refugees