The project "Language of origin and language at school: are language skills transferable?" was initiated to explore potential transfers between the language of origin and the language spoken at school in schoolchildren who attend heritage language and culture (HLC) courses. A particular focus was placed on reading and writing skills.

Project conducted by the University of Teacher Education Graubünden PHGR The project "Rumantsch receptiv" was created to develop teaching material for independent study and/or use in language courses. The goal of the project was to design a method to help learners develop receptive language skills in Rhaeto-Romanic (i.e. its idioms). In particular, the method should enable target groups to acquire skills in listening and reading comprehension – the foundation of receptive language competence...

Concluded at the end of 2013, the project "Italiano ricettivo" developed the teaching material Capito?, which is intended for use either in classroom settings or as self-study tools. The aim of  Capito? is the development of receptive skills in Italian, allowing learners to gain access to the language and culture of the Ticino (and Graubünden). Concentrating on receptive multilingual skills advances a form of communication based on mutual ability to understand one another and...

Project conducted by the University of Teacher Education Schaffhausen (PHSH) and the University of Teacher Education Graubünden (PHGR) Texts in the social sciences at schools are often difficult even for children with average scholastic abilities; weak learners or children who speak German as a second language are over-challenged. Consequently, internally differentiated texts – i.e. different versions of the same content – are necessary to create an inclusive learning environment....

Project conducted by the University of Teacher Education Lucerne (PH Luzern) This project examined how teaching foreign languages advances – or can advance – (inter-)cultural competence and the reflection of transcultural elements as defined by ELBE. The project focused on the theme of food/eating culture and possible ways of exploring this topic when teaching a second Swiss national language at the secondary level I.

In cooperation with the University of Lausanne UNIL

The aim of the current project it to evaluate the learning impact of an age-appropriate, feasible exchange setting (two short, direct interactions embedded in contact via e-mail and video) at the primary level in Eastern and Western Switzerland. The focus is placed on the motivation to learn a foreign language as well as on changes in the productive language skills of the school children.

This project was realised within a DORE project of the University of Teacher Training Valais and examined the influence the bilingual study requirements have on future teachers’ ability to acquire professional skills. Valais students’ skills in German and French were assessed before and after the two-semester exchange at the institution’s location in the other linguistic region of the canton.

In this project, commissioned by NWEDK, EDK Ost and BKZ, suitable lingualevel test packages were compiled to test the levels of the foreign languages French and English in public schools in the German-speaking cantons, years 6 through 9. These assessments allow planners to accurately gauge the current abilities students have in the foreign languages and to provide useful information for more efficient planning in the future.

The three German-speaking countries in Europe have developed a cooperation to revise and develop international diplomas for German as a foreign or second language – a very interesting topic for and in Switzerland. The University of Fribourg has been commissioned by the EDK to participate in the project with the German partners Goethe Institute (GI) and The European Language Certificates (telc) as well as the Austrian association Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch (ÖSD).