Foreign languages ​​in class: Kretschmann's controversial proposal is causing a stir!

Foreign languages ​​in class: Kretschmann's controversial proposal is causing a stir!

Winfried Kretschmann, the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, is causing a stir with his controversial statement: He no longer believes a second foreign language is necessary for students! At a recent media conference in Stuttgart, he explained that modern technologies such as translation devices make the effort of learning languages ​​unnecessary. “I put a button in my ear and my phone translates – regardless of whether the person I’m speaking to speaks Spanish, Polish or Kiswahili,” said Kretschmann and suggested replacing the foreign language subject with “digital media literacy”. This proposal was met with strong criticism, particularly from education experts and teachers' associations. The ex-president of the teachers' association, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, described the idea as "horrible" and warned against underestimating the educational value of language learning, as he pointed out Merkur.de emphasized.

Criticism from education experts

The Philologists' Association is also horrified by Kretschmann's suggestion. The state chairwoman, Martina Scherer, said: “It is far too short-sighted to simply hand over all of your own competencies to ‘the AI’.” According to her, learning a second foreign language is not just a question of communication, but also of cultural identity and intercultural understanding. She warned that forgoing the second foreign language could put German schools behind when it comes to dealing with other cultures in a multilingual and competent manner. The education union GEW agreed with this view and criticized that such proposals send the wrong signal for schools and existing school partnerships News4Teachers reported.

In summary, it can be seen that Kretschmann's views on language education in Baden-Württemberg are met with resistance. Experts advocate maintaining the second foreign language as an essential part of a comprehensive education that not only promotes language acquisition, but also cultural and social skills. In view of technological developments, the ongoing debate about the necessity of foreign languages ​​in the education system remains anything but complete.