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Teaching and Student Showcases

Have a glimpse at the projects some of our students have worked on and the kind of tasks our instructors have designed.

We strive for communication-focused, functional tasks that allow our students to use language while respecting their own progress and proficiency level.

, Filed Under: Teaching and Student Showcases

Reflections on the German language and the roll of language in society and identity

Students in GER 347L spent the semester discussing “Language & Society in German-speaking Countries”, analyzing the relationship between language and its speakers in both European and non-European contexts. As part of the course, each student was asked to write a 500-750 word blog post in German on a sociolinguistic topic related to the language varieties and communities we addressed. Students got to choose their topics, and many wrote fantastic entries about linguistic phenomena such as Jugendsprache (‘youth slang), their own experiences with language while studying abroad, and even Texas German! At the end of the semester, students then worked in pairs or small groups, creating short podcasts to respond to their classmate’s blog posts and think critically about the topics we learned about and discussed in class. You can read their blog posts (in German) here: https://sites.google.com/utexas.edu/ger-347l-blog/startseite?authuser=0

, Filed Under: Teaching and Student Showcases

GER 348D’s production of Draußen vor der Tür

The upper-division students in GER 348D, under the supervision of prof. dr. Alex Fulk and TA Sascha Daniels, released their student-production of Draußen vor der Tür, based on the class’ interpretation of Wolfgang Borchert’s play. The play is entirely student-run, from the technical aspects to the analysis of the play itself and the voice-acting.

The Hörspiel (radio play) is fully available on Spotify, YouTube and on the production’s website. Go check it out!

Picture of the cast and crew of the student production of Draußen vor der Tür. It shows a group of 17 people, standing in three rows: the top row is composed by three students, the middle row is led by professor Fulk, followed by five students and then the teaching assistant, Sascha Daniels. The front row shows six students, all with their hands joined in front of their hips. The background shows the UT campus, with folliage between the cast and crew and the UT tower. The UT tower rises in the middle of the picture into a blue sky.
From Top Row Left: Trevor, Michal, Daniel, and Noel W.
Middle Row: Dr. Fulk, Sarah, Noel A., Samantha, Corinne, Paige, and Sascha
Bottom Row: Mia, Vildan, Andye, Aaron, Veronica, and Jeanette
Source: https://www.draussenvdt.com/
Poster with a black background and red text, showing a gas mask and the QR code to visit the website. The title of the play is displayed on the left side and says "Draussen vor der Tür"; the subtitle is at the top and says "ein Stuck, das kein Theater spielen und kein Publikum sehen will". On the right side, a red text says "A German student production". Below that is a white highlight that invites to follow the production on Twitter and Instagram @weoutside47. The bottom shows the release date of the play, May 6 2022.