Giessen TEFL Prize 2024
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 Cultures) 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 It is awarded to the best unpublished papers written by students during the previous year.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 can be found here: TEFL Prize Winner 2024: Sara Rashed – Adapting Education in the Digital Age: Incorporating Podcasts in the EFLC – A Teaching Unit on The Blue Planet
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