The discipline of German Studies in English-speaking countries is in crisis and the situation in British Higher Education can be seen as a paradigmatic example. Symptoms of the crisis are a dramatic decrease in the number of students, financial difficulties and the resulting closures of German Departments. Furthermore, the language skills which finally emerge from universities are not always satisfactory. The present book sheds light on key aspects of the institutionalised teaching and learning of German language in the UK. The first part - the macro-context - surveys the socio-political developments that have recently affected the sector of modern languages and specifically the discipline of German Studies. The second part - the micro-context -, zooms in to the teaching and learning as experienced from both students' and teachers' perspective. Ultimately, by linking the macro-analysis with the micro findings, the present book proposes a number of strategies which could contribute to the optimisation and enhancement of teaching and learning German in British Higher Education.

Drawing extensively on the expertise of teachers of German in universities across the UK, this volume offers an overview of recent trends, new pedagogical approaches and practical guidance for teaching at beginners level in the higher education classroom. At a time when entries for UK school exams in modern foreign languages are decreasing, this book serves the urgent need for research and guidance on ab initio learning and teaching in HE. Using the example of teaching German, it offers theoretical reflections on teaching ab initio and practice-oriented approaches that will be useful for teachers of both German and other languages in higher education. The first chapters assess the role of ab initio provision within the wider context of modern languages departments and language centres. They are followed by sections on teaching methods and innovative approaches in the ab initio classroom that include chapters on the use of music, textbook evaluation, the effective use of a flipped classroom and the contribution of language apps. Finally, the book focuses on the learner in the ab initio context and explores issues around autonomy and learner strengths. The whole builds into a theoretically grounded guide that sketches out perspectives for teaching and learning ab initio languages that will benefit current and future generations of students.

A collection of studies on the role of English in German-speaking countries, covering a broad range of topics.

Drawing extensively on the expertise of teachers of German in universities across the UK, this volume offers an overview of recent trends, new pedagogical approaches and practical guidance for teaching at beginners level in the higher education classroom. At a time when entries for UK school exams in modern foreign languages are decreasing, this book serves the urgent need for research and guidance on ab initio learning and teaching in HE. Using the example of teaching German, it offers theoretical reflections on teaching ab initio and practice-oriented approaches that will be useful for teachers of both German and other languages in higher education. The first chapters assess the role of ab initio provision within the wider context of modern languages departments and language centres. They are followed by sections on teaching methods and innovative approaches in the ab initio classroom that include chapters on the use of music, textbook evaluation, the effective use of a flipped classroom and the contribution of language apps. Finally, the book focuses on the learner in the ab initio context and explores issues around autonomy and learner strengths. The whole builds into a theoretically grounded guide that sketches out perspectives for teaching and learning ab initio languages that will benefit current and future generations of students.

This Handbook discusses the theoretical and disciplinary background to the study of English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education worldwide. It highlights issues relating to EMI pedagogy, varying motivations for EMI education, and the delivery of EMI in diverse contexts across the world. The spread of English as a teaching medium and the lingua franca of the academic world has been the subject of various debates in recent years on the perceived hegemony of the English language and the ‘domain loss’ of non-English languages in academic communication. Encompassing a wide range of contributions to the field of EMI, the chapters of this Handbook are arranged in four distinct parts: Part I provides an overview of English-medium instruction in higher education worldwide; Part II focusses on EMI in Europe; Part III on EMI in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa; and Part IV on EMI in the Asian region. The overall scope and level of expertise of this Handbook provides an unrivalled overview of this field of education. It serves as an essential reference for many courses dealing with applied linguistics, English language education, multilingualism, sociolinguistics, and related subjects at many levels of education, including Master’s and PhD-level studies. This Handbook serves as a valuable edition for university libraries across the world and an essential read for many faculty, undergraduate and postgraduate students, educators, and policymakers.

This book presents an in-depth look at the state of transnational education and comparative perspectives on education systems between Germany and other nation states. It explores how a transnational education identity in secondary and tertiary institutions has developed in the German and other national contexts and which lessons can be learned from current challenges and successes of education systems. It uses detailed case studies to promote critical rethinking of current educational practices in high schools and universities, specifically of race, gender, religion and learner ability in educational settings. It understands learning and teaching as an arena to discuss transnational education opportunities in the 21st century as an emerging or evolving discourse on contemporary forms of transnationalism.