Interkulturelle virtuelle Kooperationen mit eTwinning in der Primarstufe als Potenzial für den Sprachenunterricht?

Abstract

A changed living and working environment characterised by changeability, complexity and ambiguity requires a new approach to learning. In Austria, "Lebende Fremdsprache" was introduced as a compulsory subject at primary school in the new curriculum 2023/24. The literature shows that digital encounters with Europe can make lessons more attractive and promote teachers’ and pupils' digital, intercultural and linguistic skills. In this qualitative study design, 11 primary school teachers from Austria who work with European partner schools (n=11) via eTwinning, an educational platform for virtual cooperation, were followed over two school years. The results from group discussions show the conditions for the willingness to cooperate and for innovative teaching units with the foreign language. The teachers confirm that, among other things, self-motivation is indispensable for successful collaboration, which in turn leads to positive teaching development. To summarise, the study shows that, even at primary school, eTwinning is an innovative tool for global networking and openness to new foreign languages and different cultures, even if this means that negative experiences have to be overcome in order to achieve a high-level of cooperation.