Change Coming to Primary Schools

Since 2023/24, a new curriculum has been in effect in primary schools. The modern foreign language - usually English - will become a compulsory subject with grading in the last two years, transitioning from an elective exercise. For third graders, a numerical grade in English will already appear on this semester's report card, and next school year, the fourth grades will also be adjusted. Despite the grade, the joy of learning languages should remain the focus, and the English grade is not relevant for AHS qualification.

Also Reading and Writing

The goal of the new curriculum is for children to express themselves simply according to their age, enjoy learning English, and dare to speak. Cultural studies - such as comparing festivals and lifestyles in English-speaking countries with their own daily life - should also promote a positive attitude towards linguistic diversity. While in the past, foreign language learning in primary school initially focused mainly on listening comprehension and speaking, reading and writing should now play a role from the beginning.

In the first and second grades, the modern foreign language will still only have the note "participated" in the school report at the end of the semester or in the annual report. However, teachers are encouraged to observe and assess their development from the start, as emphasized in a guideline from the Austrian Language Competence Center.

Performance Assessment Required

In the third and fourth grades, the new curriculum requires a performance assessment adapted to the age. Formal correctness or pronunciation should not influence the grade. Instead, students should be encouraged to speak English, even if mistakes occur.

In the assessment, participation should be "foremost," along with "meaningful performance tasks in a respectful and anxiety-free atmosphere." The ministry recommends a portfolio in which the individual student's achievements are collected. Small written tests (a maximum of two checks per semester, each lasting 15 minutes) or oral exercises lasting a maximum of ten minutes, such as mini-dialogues, are also allowed. Written exams or grammar tests in English are not permitted, and the same applies - as generally in primary school - to oral exams.

For admission to the first grade of AHS, the grade in the "Modern Foreign Language" is not a criterion. At least formally, a positive assessment in English is sufficient, as long as there is an "Excellent" or "Good" in German and Mathematics on the report card. However, at popular grammar schools, it can already be difficult to secure a place with a pure "straight A" report card from the fourth grade of primary school.

(APA/Red)

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