two people in conversation gesturing with their hands, their faces are not visible

Learner conversations as models of spoken language in second language German

The project is aimed at creating innovative digital resources based on the learners’ needs to promote language learning. A materials bank has been created as an open-access, constantly updating and expanding resource.

The number of students studying Modern Languages in the UK, in particular German, has been in decline for many years. This project aims to address the problem by developing motivating conversational materials which are authentic to learners of German in the UK and which respond directly to their conversational needs. Although conversational skills are often prioritised by learners, there is a lack of practice materials for the specific requirements of UK HE learners.

The materials will be for use by speakers and teachers as an open access resource. In addition, a template will be developed to allow teachers to work with their advanced learners to produce similar materials for their peers who are studying at a lower level. While we focus on German in the first instance, the approach will be disseminated to those teaching other languages to create similar up to date resources.

The link of materials can be found by clicking here. 

Lead investigator: Dr Chris Jones (English)
Co-investigator: Dr Ulrike Bavendiek (LCF)
Research assistant: Dr Sandra Strigel

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