Performative teaching in the middle school. A report on practice

Abstract

The focus of this interview is on teaching English as a foreign language in Waldorf schools from grades 4-8. After the first wholly oral and immersive phase in grades 1-3, the gradual progression to more conscious language learning begins in grade 4 with the introduction of writing and reading in the foreign language. Silvia Albert-Jahn describes the Waldorf approach to teaching pupils from this point on (roughly the age of 10-13). On hand the different developmental stages occurring during these years, she discusses both the contents and methodology which are used and elucidates the reasons for these choices. At the end of the interview, she considers the general goals of language teaching for this period and discusses the importance of the teacher’s relationship to her pupils.