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last mo.

Refugee Children Learn German Faster in Regular Classes, Study Finds

Researchers attribute weaker German proficiency to prolonged enrollment delays in segregated welcome programs.

Willkommensklassen erschweren laut der Studie vielen Flüchtlingen den Deutscherwerb
Image
Lehrer vor einer Willkommensklasse
Geflüchtete lernen laut einer Studie am besten Deutsch, wenn sie möglichst schnell in eine Regelklasse kommen und nicht zunächst eine Willkommensklasse besuchen. Das geht aus einer Untersuchung der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) hervor.

Overview

  • The study used ReGES panel data from 2016 to 2021 to track German proficiency among 1,097 refugee adolescents across Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony.
  • Participants who began in welcome classes scored lower on German assessments years later than their peers placed directly in regular classrooms.
  • Waiting periods of six months or more before enrollment correlated with persistent language deficits due to limited interaction with German-speaking classmates.
  • Refugees experiencing legal uncertainty over their asylum status demonstrated weaker German skills, suggesting that precarious residence dampens investment in language learning.
  • Researchers recommend streamlining enrollment processes for refugee children and phasing out separate preparatory classes in primary schools to boost integration.