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, in 2024 and 2025 Professor Ivo Steininger (Teaching Anglophone Literatures and Cultures) and Dr Leo Will (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) offered the Giessen TEFL Prize for outstanding term papers in TEFL II and III.
The Giessen TEFL Prize was an important step in recognising and promoting exemplary student research. It was awarded in 2024 and 2025 to the best unpublished papers written by students during the previous year. Winning papers had to fall within the scope of Teaching English as a Foreign Language and meet the department’s requirements, as well as be convincing through careful research, insightful analyses and innovative ideas.
With the authors’ permission, a slightly revised and annotated version of the winning papers was published on the English Department’s website as instructive examples for future students (see below).
Winners
2025
1st place
Stefanie Katharina Seyfert (Fostering the Awareness of Sound Modifications in Connected Speech in the EFLC with the Rap Song Changes by 2Pac)
2nd place
Sina Chiara Wintzer (Using Virtual Reality in the EFLC for Auditory Learning)
3rd place
Mikhail Kann (Easing LTI Tensions through the Use of the L2 Motivational Self System: an Autobiographical Approach)
2024
1st place
Sara Rashed (Adapting Education in the Digital Age: Incorporating Podcasts in the EFLC – A Teaching Unit on The Blue Planet)
2nd place
Lorena Chiavino (How Can Play-Based Teaching Approaches Foster the Writing Ability of Elementary Students in the EFL Classroom?)
3rd place
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)
Saskia Freisler (Teaching Short Literary Texts: Mirror Image – A Teaching Proposal)
Winning Papers
Explore the links below to access commented versions of the winning term papers. These papers are exemplary in both research quality and academic writing, offering critical insights and interpretations on various topics. While they serve as excellent learning resources, please note that these papers are copyrighted by their respective authors, and we kindly ask you to respect these copyrights.
