Julius Fogelstaller, integration guide in the Dachau district, wants to help asylum seekers speak more German.
For his project, which he calls “chatting godparents”, he is therefore looking for volunteers who are available for regular walks, visits to the playground or café meetings.
Dachau
- Fogelstaller, who initiated the successful training sponsorship project (as we reported) two years ago, is of the opinion that it is one thing to learn vocabulary and grammar in a language course, but a significantly different one, as is the language knowledge you have learned apply. Fogelstaller compares the situation of many asylum seekers with that which, for example, German holidaymakers in Spain experience: “It was a while ago since the last Spanish course. Nevertheless, one would like to try it on vacation - and find out at the latest when ordering in the restaurant how rusty everything is. "
Similar to his apprenticeship mentors, where volunteers help asylum seekers learn about vocational school material, there should also be fixed tandems with the “chat mentors”.
Fogelstaller would put the tandems together depending on their place of residence, interests, gender or age.
In the run-up to the first meeting, he will also offer a training course in which he prepares the volunteers for their task and provides them with documents and possible topics.
For Julius Fogelstaller, knowledge of German is the key to successful integration.
“Even if at some point we can communicate while shopping, we need more to talk to the neighbor or to other parents in school or kindergarten.
Above all a lot of practice, but also courage and overcoming. "
Interested parties should plan around an hour a week for their chatting partner, they should be open in dealing with foreign cultures and be patient while listening.
Important: You should not act as a German teacher, but rather "support the German competence of people with a refugee history on a personal, individual level", as the integration guide calls it.
In principle, the sponsors are insured through the collective liability and accident insurance of the Free State of Bavaria.
The first tandems should start this November.
Anyone who wants to be available as a “chatterbox” or has any further questions can contact Julius Fogelstaller in the district office at any time on 0 81 31/74 18 75 or email at integrationslotse@lra-dah.bayern.de .