German-English Bilingual Education at DSM

Bilingual education provides children and teenagers with the cognitive tools to develop multifaceted thinking by exposing them to multiple languages and, consequently, multiple ways of understanding and interpreting the world. Engaging in bilingual learning requires students to navigate and switch between language structures, vocabulary, and cultural contexts, which strengthens their cognitive flexibility, problem-solving skills, and adaptability. Our dual-language framework encourages a multi-perspective approach to learning, fostering skills such as empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. Ultimately, bilingual education shapes students into versatile thinkers who can view situations from various angles and communicate effectively across cultural boundaries.

How does our German-English bilingual education work?

At the heart of the bilingual education is the ‘one teacher-one language’ approach in which classes are conducted in the teacher’s native language - which is either German or English. In the Foundation Year, we start with a share of 80% lessons in German and 20% lessons in English to really immerse these young learners into the German language. The share of German then slowly decreases until we reach a 50%/50% split from Year 3 onwards. During the early primary school years, we work a lot with routines, repetitions, gestures and singing/dancing to teach children the German language in a playful, immersive way. New families are often surprised by how quickly their children pick up the German language even without any prior German knowledge or connection to Germany. We use German learning materials in the German-speaking classes and our library offers a huge collection of German books for children and teenagers. Our students learn to fluently read German books.

How do children benefit from our German-English bilingual education?

Benefits of a bilingual brain - Deutsche Schule Melbourne

Cognitive Benefits:

  • Enhanced Cognitive Development: Learning two languages from an early age enhances cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and multitasking skills.
  • Improved Memory: Bilingual students often have better memory retention and recall abilities.
  • Greater Creativity: Exposure to multiple languages can boost creativity and innovative thinking.

Academic Benefits:

  • Improved Literacy Skills: Bilingual students often show superior reading and writing skills in both languages compared to monolingual peers.
  • Higher Academic Achievement: Studies have shown that bilingual students tend to perform better academically across various subjects.
  • Language Proficiency: Proficiency in German and English can provide a competitive edge in future educational and career opportunities.

Cultural Benefits:

  • Cultural Awareness: Learning German exposes students to the rich culture, history, and traditions of German-speaking countries, fostering a broader cultural understanding.
  • Global Citizenship: Bilingual students often develop a greater appreciation for diversity and become more open-minded, global citizens.

Personal Benefits:

  • Enhanced Communication Skills: Being bilingual improves overall communication skills, including listening, speaking, and understanding.
  • Increased Confidence: Mastering two languages can boost self-esteem and confidence, particularly in social and academic settings.
  • Greater Adaptability: Bilingual individuals are often more adaptable and resilient in new or changing environments.

Long-term Benefits:

  • Career Opportunities: Fluency in German and English can open up diverse career opportunities in international business, diplomacy, tourism, translation, and more.
  • Higher Earning Potential: Bilingual individuals often have higher earning potential due to their language skills and cultural competence.
  • Lifelong Learning: Bilingual education fosters a love for learning and can make it easier to acquire additional languages and skills in the future.

Community and Social Benefits:

  • Community Engagement: Bilingual education can strengthen community ties and promote social cohesion within multicultural communities.
  • Collaborative Skills: Working in a bilingual environment enhances teamwork and collaboration skills, as students learn to navigate and appreciate different perspectives.

Research Sources:

  1. Enhanced Cognitive Development: Bialystok, E. (2011). Reshaping the mind: The benefits of bilingualism. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65(4), 229-235.
  2. Improved Memory: Morales, J., Calvo, A., & Bialystok, E. (2013). Working memory development in monolingual and bilingual children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 114(2), 187-202.
  3. Greater Creativity: Kharkhurin, A. V. (2010). Bilingual verbal and nonverbal creative behavior. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14(2), 211-226.
  4. Improved Literacy Skills: Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power, and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Multilingual Matters.
  5. Higher Academic Achievement: Genesee, F., Lindholm-Leary, K., Saunders, W. M., & Christian, D. (2006). Educating English language learners: A synthesis of research evidence. Cambridge University Press.
  6. Language Proficiency: Thomas, W. P., & Collier, V. P. (2002). A national study of school effectiveness for language minority students' long-term academic achievement. Santa Cruz, CA: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence.
  7. Cultural Awareness: Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Multilingual Matters.
  8. Global Citizenship: Garcia, O., & Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan.
  9. Enhanced Communication Skills: Kroll, J. F., & Bialystok, E. (2013). Understanding the consequences of bilingualism for language processing and cognition. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 25(5), 497-514.
  10. Increased Confidence: Cummins, J. (1998). Immersion education for the millennium: What we have learned from 30 years of research on second language immersion. In M. R. Childs & R. M. Bostwick (Eds.), Learning through two languages: Research and practice. Second Katoh Gakuen International Symposium on Immersion and Bilingual Education.
  11. Greater Adaptability: Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., & Luk, G. (2012). Bilingualism: Consequences for mind and brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4), 240-250.
  12. Career Opportunities: Gándara, P., & Hopkins, M. (2010). Forbidden language: English learners and restrictive language policies. Teachers College Press.
  13. Higher Earning Potential: Saiz, A., & Zoido, E. (2005). Listening to what the world says: Bilingualism and earnings in the United States. Review of Economics and Statistics, 87(3), 523-538.
  14. Lifelong Learning: Cenoz, J., & Genesee, F. (1998). Psycholinguistic perspectives on multilingualism and multilingual education. In J. Cenoz & F. Genesee (Eds.), Beyond bilingualism: Multilingualism and multilingual education. Multilingual Matters.
  15. Community Engagement: Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Multilingual Matters.
  16. Collaborative Skills: Garcia, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st century: A global perspective. Wiley-Blackwell.

'Bilingual education provides an excellent basis for children’s learning. It has benefits for literary and numeracy development in English and in this case German, as well as for children’s understanding and experience of the world around them. The model of learning at the Deutsche Schule Melbourne (DSM) is clearly defined, well developed and supported, and highly regarded in Australia. The benefits of bilingualism to an individual and to society cannot be understated. Bilingual education of the kind provided at this school should be available to all school children in this country.'
Professor John Hajek, University of Melbourne, School of Languages and Linguistics

'In an increasingly globalised world, it is not just about mastering another language; it's about truly understanding and valuing the richness of our global community. Learning through our bilingual education at DSM enables our students to appreciate different cultures and improves their ability to connect with people from around the world.' 

Jörg Dopfer, DSM Principal, 2024