TEFL Research
News
Celebrating the “place-to-be” of foreign language teaching
JLU has been considered a stronghold of foreign language pedagogy ( Fremdsprachendidaktik ) since the 1990s. The renowned GCSC Research Colloquium, which is a core part of this tradition, now celebrated its 20th anniversary. A disciplinary Who-Is-Who consisting of alumni and current affiliates met for an informal anniversary event on 05 May 2023 in the Alexander-Humboldt-Saal of the JLU and discussed achievements of the colloquium.
After an outline of the colloquium’s historical development by Eva Burwitz-Melzer and Daniela Caspari, a welcoming speech was given by Michael Basseler (GCSC). In the second part of the event, David Gerlach, Friederike Klippel, Michael Legutke, Dietmar Rösler and Nevena Stamenković discussed the success factors of foreign language research conducted by young academics.
Germany has achieved some international renown in the discipline by incorporating literature in foreign language teaching. This leadership role is not least owed to the research conducted at JLU. As a representative of this field, Wolfgang Hallet addressed the fruitful relationship between the triad of foreign language teaching, literature and cultural studies in his short lecture. Finally, all participants exchanged views on future perspectives for doctoral and postdoctoral colloquia.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the colloquium, it was possible to bring the representatives of foreign language pedagogy, who are now spread all over Germany, back to the place where their academic work once began.
Lea Korell and Leo Will
Recognising Outstanding Student Achievements in TEFL
Every semester, numerous term papers in the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) are written, submitted, and marked. Yet, they often end up forgotten in the Institute’s archives. To change this and to acknowledge the effort and quality of student work,
Professor Ivo Steininger
(
Teaching Anglophone Literatures and Culture
s) and
Dr Leo Will
(
Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
have initiated the annual
Giessen TEFL Prize
for excellent term papers.
The Giessen TEFL Prize is an important step in recognising and promoting exemplary student research. It is awarded to the best unpublished papers written by students during the previous year. Winning papers must not only fall within the scope of Teaching English as a Foreign Language and meet the department’s requirements, but also be convincing through careful research, insightful analyses and innovative ideas.
On 26 July 2024 , the first Giessen TEFL Prize was awarded to four students from Justus Liebig University for their term papers. Their achievements stood out from the more than 200 student papers considered for the award, as Prof Steininger emphasised in his congratulatory speech.
The first prize, endowed with 150 euro, was presented to Sara Rashed . In her prize-winning term paper, “Adapting Education in the Digital Age: Incorporating Podcasts in the EFLC – A Teaching Unit on The Blue Planet ”, Ms Rashed demonstrates extraordinary academic commitment. She explores the intersection of digital technologies, sustainable development, and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, thereby showcasing her dedication to advancing educational practices in the digital age. Her paper not only highlights the potential benefits of integrating podcasts into the EFL classroom but also offers practical suggestions for implementation to enrich the educational experience for both teachers and learners. A slightly revised and annotated version of her paper will soon be published as an exemplary model on the TEFL Department website.
The second and third prize winners also submitted term papers showing innovative approaches. Lorena Chiavino , who won the second prize of 50 euro, tackled the question as to “How […] Play-Based Teaching Approaches [Can] Foster the Writing Ability of Elementary Students in the EFL Classroom” . Esra Karavar (“Mindsets for Inclusive Teaching: How Teachers Can Create Better Teaching Environments for SEN and Regular Students by Strengthening Class Community, Friendship and Anti-bullying”) and Saskia Freisler (“Teaching Short Literary Texts: Mirror Image – A Teaching Proposal”) shared the third place and each received a book prize. All entries reflect the students’ profound understanding of the subject matter and its implications in modern education.
We would like to take this opportunity to once again extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners!
f.l.t.r.: Prof Dr Ivo Steininger, Lorena Chiavino, Sara Rashed, Esra Karavar and Dr Leo Will / Photo: Jennifer Ehrhardt
Projects
Development and professionalization in the second phase of foreign language teacher training
Based on the question of how teachers in the second phase of English teacher training perceive their own professionalization process and how their development can be described, a group of teachers in preparatory service was scientifically accompanied over the entire period of the second training phase.
Reading and understanding picture books: A study of learners’ engagement with aspects of ambiguity in literary texts
The project focuses on explorative research into the reading processes and sense-making of lower-intermediate learners of English.
Find out more
Sustainability and the EFLC
The project’s overall objective is to communicate English didactic considerations on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to regional educational institutions (schools, Studienseminare , school boards).
Find out more