The teacher and the arts educator at the interface of museum and school-based language learning

Sinje Steinmann, an experienced arts educator based in Berlin, in dialogue with Lynn Williams, an English teacher and teacher educator living in north-western Switzerland

Abstract

The potential rewards of non-formal education in language learning and teaching should not be underestimated. At the heart of this contribution, then, is an extensive dialogue between a language teacher and a museum guide. Together, they explore how their different disciplines can complement each other, with the overall aim of maximising the (language) learning effect for students, whilst also motivating them to engage in the art exhibition itself. They discuss the benefits museum learning can offer upper-secondary language learners and what challenges teachers and arts educators may face. It becomes clear that language learners can benefit from a collaborative relationship between their school and a museum, especially if the respective educators join forces in this shared mission.