Past and present trends and methodologies used in Maltese German as a Foreign Language (GFL) learning context : a comparative multimodal investigation

Abstract

This study aims to explore past and contemporary teaching approaches within the Maltese educational context since German was introduced as a foreign language option in State secondary schools in 1969. To reach the aims of this study, a comparative investigation between past and present trends and methodologies used within the Maltese German as a foreign language (GFL) context was adopted. This investigation is based on a multimodal analysis of the different textbooks chosen by the Directorate of Education in Malta for the teaching and learning of GFL over the years; accompanied by a bibliographic analysis of past and present official curricular documents designed for the teaching and learning of GFL, which aims to delve into the strengths and challenges of contemporary teaching approaches. From this analysis, multimodal suggestions were then derived for secondary GFL teachers as ideas of how they can keep on scaffolding educational practices on what is relevant to 21st-century students. The pedagogical suggestions may be adapted and used by GFL teachers to provide their students with meaningful educational experiences that are based on the students’ interests and realities for more effective learning.