As yet, no answer has been given to the question of how the native language of students of migrant background and the lingua franca (German) should be dealt with by the school and in the classroom. The author critically evaluates pertinent research, focussing on the methods applied, and reaches the conclusion that the native languages apparently do not foster the learning of the lingua franca. He furthermore inquires into the relevance of broader studies on school learning and discusses consequences for school practice as well as for future research.

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