This chapter reports on the 'Corona teaching' in a department of English studies at a German university of technology. It discusses the general frame in the German university system and in this specific department, faculty and university. It focuses on the responses depending on participants and learning objectives. One larger lecture for 1st year…

: Bookmapped storytelling, a pedagogical approach designed by Terence W. Cavanaugh and Jerome Burg (2011), allows students to trace a character's trajectory on a digital map. The use of this digital tool in foreign language education and its effectiveness in helping students reach proficiency remains little studied. In this article I explore the…

Universities across the country are experiencing a decline in the number of undergraduates choosing to major in the humanities in general, and similar trends have been observed specifically in the study of foreign languages (FLs), cultures, and literatures. The educational and social psychological literature has explored uptake, or a student's…

Addresses the foundational concerns that pertain to the existing configuration for language and literary cultural studies in collegiate foreign language departments. Outlines two areas in need of attention--creation of intellectual foundation that can accommodate all aspects of a department's work and determination of a suitable goal for…

Offers lists of goals and criteria and refers to various approaches to the teaching of area/culture studies. Concludes that such studies have only an ancillary function in FL teaching, where the primary goal is achieving ability to communicate. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

One of the intriguing aspects of the cultures goal in the national standards for foreign language learning is the relationships that are highlighted among cultural perspectives, practices, and products. In classrooms, teachers may already address cultural practices and products but may not consider philosophical perspectives of culture. Purpose of…

This paper reflects the work of the AATG Task Force on the Teaching of Culture, established in 2004. It seeks to define the issues and challenges related to the teaching and development of cultural competence in the German language classroom, including the lack of professional consensus regarding appropriate definitions of culture for classroom…

Ideas and guidelines are offered for teachers interested in creating a simulated French village for French language instruction. The discussion includes the rationale and process of inventing a village scenario and its necessary components, educational objectives, and linguistic content of the exercise. (MSE)

A brief description of language requirements and course offerings at the University of Texas. The variety of cultural courses and other components are an attempt to relate legitimate course content and objectives to students' lives and community needs. The impetus given by the National Endowment for the Humanities to language instruction and…

This paper discusses Wilga Rivers' seven language teaching objectives. Particular focus is on the following three language teaching objectives: (1) giving students the experience of expressing themselves linguistically and culturally in a context different from that in which they grew up; (2) fostering students' understanding of other peoples'…

Research has disclosed several misconceptions regarding language goals and related messages, the relationship between second language acquisition and cultural identification, and what "linguistic ability" is, or who the "average" language learner is. This article discusses these misconceptions and provides examples of a strategy for "understanding…

A rationale for the study of second languages focuses on problems encountered in communication which impede the development of interpersonal and international understanding. Difficulties caused by faulty translation, word order, stress, juncture, and intonation are illustrated. As a means of maintaining interest in second language learning, the…

Foreign language departments must strike a balance between what students want and what they need, and at the same time pass on to students the aesthetic and humanistic values inherent in the learning of any foreign language. (Author/DB)