German: The German language in education in Romania

TY - BOOK

T1 - German: The German language in education in Romania

AU - Iunesch, Liana Regina

AU - Pfützner, Robert

A2 - Thomas, Katharina

A2 - Robinson-Jones, Charlie

A2 - Ybema, Jan

A2 - Jansen, Martine

PY - 2025/4/23

Y1 - 2025/4/23

N2 -  German and its status in education in RomaniaGerman is a language of instruction in public and private schools andkindergartens in Romania, as autochthonous minorities in Romania have a rightto education in their first language. German can also be chosen as the firstforeign language in schools where Romanian is the language of instruction or asthe second foreign language. German-language schools and kindergartens can befound primarily in the historical settlement area of the Transylvanian Saxonsin Transylvania, but also in large cities such as Bucharest, Timișoara, andother important cities in Western Romania. As most of the German minorityemigrated in the 1990s, German-language schools are now mainly attended bypupils from the Romanian majority population. German is taught in the form ofGerman as a first language, a second language, or a third language. There arealso German-language subject lessons, for example in the history of the Germanminority or Protestant religion. Schools with German language of instructionendeavour to offer all subjects in German. German in educational researchConsolidated and institutionalized educational research in German aboutGerman education takes place at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca and atLucian Blaga University in Sibiu. Some research in the field is also pursued atother universities offering German Studies programmes. The research is carriedout by the employed lecturers and professors; as of 2024, there were nodoctoral students in educational studies in German. Current research focuses onlanguage 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 alsoresearched. Prospects for German in the RomaniaCurrently, interest in aschool career in German is very high in Romania, and schools with German as thelanguage of instruction enjoy a good reputation in Romanian society. As long asthis attractiveness is maintained, this school system will also be available tothe few members of the minority. If access for Romanian citizens is notrestricted 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 bepermanently attended by children from the minority is a question of thedemographic stabilisation of the minority, which is difficult to predict.

AB -  German and its status in education in RomaniaGerman is a language of instruction in public and private schools andkindergartens in Romania, as autochthonous minorities in Romania have a rightto education in their first language. German can also be chosen as the firstforeign language in schools where Romanian is the language of instruction or asthe second foreign language. German-language schools and kindergartens can befound primarily in the historical settlement area of the Transylvanian Saxonsin Transylvania, but also in large cities such as Bucharest, Timișoara, andother important cities in Western Romania. As most of the German minorityemigrated in the 1990s, German-language schools are now mainly attended bypupils from the Romanian majority population. German is taught in the form ofGerman as a first language, a second language, or a third language. There arealso German-language subject lessons, for example in the history of the Germanminority or Protestant religion. Schools with German language of instructionendeavour to offer all subjects in German. German in educational researchConsolidated and institutionalized educational research in German aboutGerman education takes place at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca and atLucian Blaga University in Sibiu. Some research in the field is also pursued atother universities offering German Studies programmes. The research is carriedout by the employed lecturers and professors; as of 2024, there were nodoctoral students in educational studies in German. Current research focuses onlanguage 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 alsoresearched. Prospects for German in the RomaniaCurrently, interest in aschool career in German is very high in Romania, and schools with German as thelanguage of instruction enjoy a good reputation in Romanian society. As long asthis attractiveness is maintained, this school system will also be available tothe few members of the minority. If access for Romanian citizens is notrestricted 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 bepermanently attended by children from the minority is a question of thedemographic stabilisation of the minority, which is difficult to predict.

KW - Friulian

KW - Italy

KW - language education

KW - minority languages

KW - regional languages

KW - multilingualism

KW - multilingualism in education

KW - multilingual education

KW - lenghe furlan

M3 - Report

T3 - Regional Dossier series

BT - German: The German language in education in Romania

PB - Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning

CY - Ljouwert/Leeuwarden

ER -