Teaching Gifted and Talented Children in A New Educational Era

Abstract

Promotion of giftedness is the development of an individual's potential taking into account their environment and personal character traits. However, while extracurricular enrichment activities, pull-out courses and other didactic interventions focus on the individual's potential, personalization in regular classrooms is still an area in need of improvement in school systems worldwide. The aim of this research paper is to examine possible didactic adaptions in the English foreign language classroom in Austria. The concept of English as a Lingua Franca, in other words the international use of English in different linguacultural settings, sets the basis for English classes that focus on students' linguistic capabilities and further developing these. As nowadays students are likely going to engage more in conversations with non-native speakers, it is necessary to teach strategies to cope better with ELF situations influenced by diverse lingua-cultural backgrounds of the interlocutors. By analysing the learners' linguistic and cultural background as well as the purpose for which they study the language, it is possible to meet the challenges of classrooms diverse in cultures and potential. The main goal of English language teaching should, therefore, not be the illusive native-speaker-like knowledge of English but the development of students' own language capabilities. This means that students should be capable of using English as a resource with all its conformist and non-conformist realizations depending on their personal potential and the lingua-cultural settings they communicate in. This way students' individual potentials are the focal point of language instruction and their development can be promoted accordingly.