Extracurricular events in foreign language programs are often treated either as extra credit or an afterthought. And yet if organized creatively and systematically, activities that promote cultural engagement outside the classroom can enhance and extend the curriculum, deepen exposure to the target culture, create a sense of community among…

This article addresses a dual desire for teaching units that (1) incorporate green issues into the language curriculum, (2) fulfill the need for comparative cultural studies in the language classroom, and (3) incorporate the ACTFL "Standards for Foreign Language Learning." Included are a review of recent approaches to teaching culture in…

Through the example of a fourth-semester course on modern German history, this article explores the application of interactive and experiential learning models inspired by museum pedagogy. In response to the ACTFL "Standards" and the 2007 MLA report, the teaching of culture has become a priority and educators continue to seek innovative…

This article reports on the ways of incorporating paintings, posters, and film into an advanced German content- and language-integrated course called "Green Germany." It demonstrates how these visual media can be employed for enriching the exploration of various aspects of the course's environmental themes. In line with the research…

This article examines the importance of visual culture with regard to its pedagogical applications in the German language classroom. I begin by outlining the benefits and concerns associated with making visual art a part of the curriculum. Next, practical ideas are presented for using paintings in beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses.…

In her recently published book "The Multilingual Subject: What foreign language learners say about their experience and why it matters", UC Berkeley applied-linguist Claire Kramsch approaches language learning from a new, visionary perspective. Foregrounding the interplay of cultural aspects in language learning, Kramsch understands…

This article focuses on approaches to teaching dramatic comedy in an upper-level undergraduate course. In particular, it outlines how the genre of comedy permits a special focus on Austria, where the rich tradition of comedy holds a prominent place in German-speaking Europe. I argue that dramatic comedy grants language learners a unique…

This essay offers some direction for greater integration of Austria and Switzerland into every level of the German language and culture curriculum. By excavating a number of now nearly forgotten intercultural connections between these alpine countries and the U.S., it is possible to present a more complete and complex picture of German-speaking…

This essay focuses on advanced-level German instruction and advocates an open, flexible approach to integrating the recommendations of the much-discussed 2007 MLA report on "Foreign Languages and Higher Education." Specifically, language, literature, film, and cultural studies are combined to allow for the development of transcultural competence…

In calling for new governance structures and unified curricula, the MLA Report distinguishes between instrumental and constitutive views of language that characterize our often schizophrenic agendas of language acquisition on the one hand, and disciplinary knowledge on the other. This paper explores some common theoretical insights from the fields…

This article describes a four-week service learning abroad program. Students from a U.S. university assist and teach in elementary school English classes for one month in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany while living with their German partner teachers. The program description and students' feedback illustrate that this program provides students with the…

Culture has not always played a major role in foreign language instruction. Indeed, it was only in the 1980s that educators began giving serious thought to employing culture for language learning purposes. Exploring issues of otherness in Pepe Danquart's film "Schwarzfahrer", this article illustrates how one can address the more controversial…

Courses on the culture of the German-speaking world (GSW) have long dotted the landscape of undergraduate course offerings at North American colleges and universities. The primary purpose of this article is to share information about a new kind of undergraduate culture course that uses castles as a vehicle for introducing students to past and…

In the context of teaching culture, this article presents teaching materials that provide learners of German with opportunities to reflect about, analyze, and practice, how Germans commonly react to compliments. Based on findings from conversation analysis, the materials provide students with rich contextual information and a variety of…

This article presents information about the history of the German language and makes pertinent suggestions for teaching German as a Foreign Language. The reasoning for such an approach is presented, along with supportive new empirical data and a related professional directive. A selected survey of historical, explanatory points from the literature…