| Abstrakt: |
When, in 2023, the latest version of the national educational standards (KMK, 2023a) was published in Germany, policymakers had a real chance to cement the social aims of education, such as sustainable development, social justice, and global citizenship, in foreign language education once and for all. They did not seize this opportunity. Instead, the new guidelines promote language education that is aimed at the development of functional communicative skills, devoid of social aims; and the question remains, functional skills to what end? The document's silence on the potential of language education for global development speaks volumes, but there has not been critical engagement with the new curriculum yet, which is bound to influence language teaching and learning in Germany in the years to come. This Perspectives article critically reviews the latest version of the national guidelines against the background of two central questions: first, what are the goals of language education? This question highlights the relationship between language, communication, and being/acting in the world for a better future for all. It invites a potential argument for a stronger positioning of language education in line with the overarching efforts for education for sustainable development and global citizenship. And, second, why is it important to reflect social aims in curricula for modern foreign languages? This question highlights the significance of a balance between functionality and criticality in language education. Embedded in this question is an argument for the progressive cultivation of sustainability, social justice, and global citizenship in the foreign language classroom starting from the very beginning of language education. While the focus of this contribution is on German educational standards, the discussion yields generalisable implications for foreign language education in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
