Unterrichtspraxis-Teaching German最新文献

There is a need for a continued focus on language learning in advanced language classes beyond the foundations that are formed in the beginning and intermediate levels. Despite this need, little work exists on how to implement language-focused instruction in upper-level courses. As one possible solution, this paper outlines a functional, meaning-based approach to teaching language that could be easily adopted by all instructors, regardless of their professional training and/or research interests. As an example of this approach, the study described in this paper investigates the instruction of Subjunctive 1 through its function as indirect speech in a literary context. Eight participants in a fourth-semester German course engaged with the Subjunctive 1 form through a lesson focused on Kafka's authorial choices in the text Vor dem Gesetz that create a sense of uncertainty. This approach complements the traditional teaching of Subjunctive 1, such as in journalistic contexts, by centering it as a tool for meaning making in an author's lexicogrammatical toolkit. An analysis of pre/posttests that included both quantitative and qualitative data was used to assess the effectiveness of the approach. The results indicate an overall positive effect for the instruction but also individual variation by the learner. These findings support both the utility of and need for functional, meaning-based approaches in upper-level courses. Finally, I discuss how this type of approach could be adopted for any linguistic feature and by any instructor teaching advanced courses to support students’ linguistic growth throughout the curriculum.

Second-language (L2) learner motivation has been a thriving subfield within L2 acquisition research for decades, particularly since the development of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS), a multi-faceted motivational theory. This survey-based study examines (1) whether L2MSS facets differ between students intending to continue (or discontinue) learning German past the language requirement and (2) whether any relationship exists between the different selves within the L2MSS, students’ L2 Learning Experience (L2E), and their Willingness to Communicate (WTC). Third-semester learners’ mean ratings of their Ideal Self, Anti-Ought-To Self, WTC, and Attitudes Toward the L2 Community were significantly higher among students intending to continue German study beyond the language requirement (N = 28) than those discontinuing study (N = 46). Multiple regression analyses predicted a positive effect of the Ideal Self on ratings of both L2E and WTC. Qualitative analysis revealed themes of fear and positive attitudes toward the German language/culture among learners intending to continue German study, while non-continuers predominantly mentioned the language requirement. Both continuers and non-continuers mentioned the concrete and abstract utility of language learning as an additional motivation. The implications of these results for student recruitment and retention in German language programs are discussed.

This paper provides concrete suggestions for teaching two Holocaust testimonies, Irene Hauser's diary and Ruth Klüger's memoir Still Alive. Hauser's and Klüger's texts effectively illustrate the differences between diaries and memoirs while recounting similar experiences. Such a comparative analysis, I argue, achieves two goals: First, by comparing two different types of autobiographical texts, students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities, contradictions, and tensions inherent in autobiographical writing, ultimately encouraging students to become more accepting of ambiguity in their learning. Second, by focusing on Holocaust testimonies, students learn about persecution, injustice, and oppression, increasing their awareness of global issues, interculturalism, and social justice. The pedagogical approach and teaching suggestions outlined here are easily adaptable and can be applied to the teaching of autobiographical writing in other thematic contexts.

This study investigated the relative ease or difficulty of grammar commonly taught in intermediate (second-year) German at the university level. Previous studies have investigated the ease or difficulty of specific grammar structures, factors that make it difficult to learn L2 grammar, and teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of difficult grammar. The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of a year's worth of grammar instruction to guide decisions about grammar sequencing, instructional approaches, and instructional time. Grammar was grouped into units consisting of a pre-test, an instructional sequence, and a post-test. Test data were gathered from 498 grammar pre- and post-tests over a 3-year period. The authors hypothesized that certain grammar topics (e.g., vowel-changing present-tense verbs; the perfect) would be relatively easy, while others (e.g., noun and pronoun case; pluperfect) would be relatively difficult. These hypotheses were only partially confirmed. Results showed the pluperfect, comparative and superlative, and preterite were relatively easily learned, whereas fixed prepositions, pronouns, relative clauses, dative verbs, and the passive were much more difficult to learn. The results suggest that instructors focus on easy and essential grammar, introduce difficult grammar without formal assessment, and use test data to sequence topics within and across course levels.