Languages ​​of Origin – StudyCompass

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Many students at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences have spoken several languages ​​since childhood: German – and a language rarely taught in school, such as Turkish or Italian… They usually speak and understand these languages ​​well – but beyond everyday speech, there are many challenges: Almost no one can write in their native language. Some would like to use the language at university, but they don't know the appropriate academic terminology. Others wish to use their native language professionally, but lack the necessary specialized terminology.

From Arabic to Turkish

At the Language Center of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, students can learn 11 of these heritage languages, from Arabic, Chinese, and Kurdish to Russian, Serbian, and Turkish. Here, students can expand and improve their heritage language skills, always starting from their individual level: They can learn to write in self-study courses (currently for Persian and Russian). They deepen their academic and professional vocabulary and learn to write emails or short academic texts. They acquire intercultural competence and become mediators between German and their heritage culture.

Social work students, for example, can intervene to mediate social conflicts and stressful situations. Business administration students learn to demonstrate their expertise in an international context or in customer interactions in Germany, using both German and their native language, and strengthen their communication skills. In midwifery, linguistic and intercultural competencies help midwives find the right approach to the patient in a psychologically and emotionally challenging situation like childbirth. These examples could be multiplied many times over. They show that native speakers can play an important bridging role in their respective academic or professional environments. Multilingualism is relevant in professional life and for mobility – but also for social cohesion and for one's own personal development.

In this sense, heritage language skills are a resource that many students possess and that can be recognized and developed through the heritage language program at Frankfurt UAS. Unlike acquiring a foreign language, the foundations for heritage languages ​​are already present: the learning process is shorter, and a professionally viable level is reached much more quickly.

The heritage language is a resource in the context of globalization processes and, not least, a building block in the further development of German language skills. Knowledge of the heritage language is important for a successful educational career and professional life, for identity development and intercultural competence, and, through its bridging function, it is an important component of integration and social responsibility, including at universities.

To illustrate this, here are two statements from course participants:

"In the field of urban planning, there's a network responsible for exchange between German-Chinese companies (NAX Architecture Export). Since I've improved my Chinese, I'd like to continue using my Chinese language skills. My current internship provider (Schneider+Schumacher Architecture Office) is also interested in this qualification." (Sophie Simone Steiner, FB1)

“I am a native speaker of Polish and Russian and have benefited greatly from the courses offered… Speaking these languages ​​is not only advantageous in my personal life, but also in the professional world. As a trainee social worker, I have a lot of contact with people from diverse backgrounds at my job in a drug counseling center. My language skills in Russian, Polish, and Spanish are often not just helpful, but essential for communicating with clients!” (Lea Rassadin, FB 4)

Contact person in

Dr. Sabine Schmidt | Dr. Elena Tchernega Meinert, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences