Abstract
German and its status in education in Romania
German is a language of instruction in public and private schools and kindergartens in Romania, as autochthonous minorities in Romania have a right to education in their first language. German can also be chosen as the first foreign language in schools where Romanian is the language of instruction or as the second foreign language. German-language schools and kindergartens can be found primarily in the historical settlement area of the Transylvanian Saxons in Transylvania, but also in large cities such as Bucharest and Timișoara, and other important cities in Western Romania. As most of the German minority emigrated in the 1990s, German-language schools are now mainly attended by pupils from the Romanian majority population. German is taught in the form of German as a first language, a second language, or a third language. There are also German- language subject lessons, for example in the history of the German minority or Protes-tant religion. Schools with German as the language of instruction endeavour to offer all subjects in German.
German in educational research
Consolidated and institutionalised educational research in German about German education takes place at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca and at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu. Some research in this field is also pursued at other universities offering German Studies programmes. The research is carried out by the employed lecturers and professors; as of 2024, there were no doctoral students in educational studies in German. Current research focuses on language acquisition, language didactics, and teacher training in German. Doctoral programmes in German are only available at chairs of German studies, where German language didactics or interdisciplinary topics are often also researched.
Prospects for German in Romania
Currently, interest in a school career in German is very high in Romania, and schools with German as the language of instruction enjoy a good reputation. As long as this attractiveness is maintained, this school system will also be available to the few members of the minority. If access for Romanian citizens who do not belong to the German minority is not restricted in the future, an increase in the number of pupils is possible, provided that the demand for teachers can be met. Whether the schools will be permanently attended by children from the minority is a question of the demographic stabilisation of the minority, which is difficult to predict.
German is a language of instruction in public and private schools and kindergartens in Romania, as autochthonous minorities in Romania have a right to education in their first language. German can also be chosen as the first foreign language in schools where Romanian is the language of instruction or as the second foreign language. German-language schools and kindergartens can be found primarily in the historical settlement area of the Transylvanian Saxons in Transylvania, but also in large cities such as Bucharest and Timișoara, and other important cities in Western Romania. As most of the German minority emigrated in the 1990s, German-language schools are now mainly attended by pupils from the Romanian majority population. German is taught in the form of German as a first language, a second language, or a third language. There are also German- language subject lessons, for example in the history of the German minority or Protes-tant religion. Schools with German as the language of instruction endeavour to offer all subjects in German.
German in educational research
Consolidated and institutionalised educational research in German about German education takes place at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca and at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu. Some research in this field is also pursued at other universities offering German Studies programmes. The research is carried out by the employed lecturers and professors; as of 2024, there were no doctoral students in educational studies in German. Current research focuses on language acquisition, language didactics, and teacher training in German. Doctoral programmes in German are only available at chairs of German studies, where German language didactics or interdisciplinary topics are often also researched.
Prospects for German in Romania
Currently, interest in a school career in German is very high in Romania, and schools with German as the language of instruction enjoy a good reputation. As long as this attractiveness is maintained, this school system will also be available to the few members of the minority. If access for Romanian citizens who do not belong to the German minority is not restricted in the future, an increase in the number of pupils is possible, provided that the demand for teachers can be met. Whether the schools will be permanently attended by children from the minority is a question of the demographic stabilisation of the minority, which is difficult to predict.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Leeuwarden, Netherlands |
| Publisher | Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning |
| Commissioning body | Fryske Akademy and the Province of Fryslân |
| Number of pages | 86 |
| Publication status | Published - May 2025 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Publication series
| Name | Regional Dossier series |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning |
| ISSN (Electronic) | 3050-5232 |
Bibliographical note
Copyright the Publisher 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.Keywords
- German
- Romania
- minority language education
- multilingual education
- regional languages
- multilingualism
- language education
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