Papers by Elisabeth Wielander
Info DaF. Informationen Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Jun 1, 2013
UCL Press eBooks, Dec 1, 2022
Over the past two decades, student numbers in Modern Language undergraduate degree programmes in ... more Over the past two decades, student numbers in Modern Language undergraduate degree programmes in the UK have declined at an alarming rate. (See Tinsley / Han 2012, Tinsley / Doležal 2018). Between 2000 and 2006, the number of universities in Great Britain offering German undergraduate programmes fell by 48%, from 126 to 65 (Reershemius 2010: 1678), and the remaining German departments often look to ab initio provision “to ensure the survival of the subject” (Leder et al. 1996: 2). This well-documented trend has been counter-balanced by an increase in undergraduates taking language electives alongside their main degree (cf. Coleman 2004). The annual UCML-AULC surveys demonstrate a healthy picture in post-18 education regarding demand for German in particular. This chapter investigates these two phenomena. First, we outline policy changes and developments in the UK MFL landscape, evaluating their extensive impact on German degree programmes across the British HE sector. Then, we focus on reasons for the increase in uptake of beginners’ German by non-ML degree undergraduates and challenges faced by tutors and students of these courses. We also provide a snapshot of of ab initio provision today and outline likely future developments in the UK sector. Finally, we discuss the reasons for and experience of introducing ab initio German in two different contexts: the new ab initio route in German undergraduate programmes at Aston University, and ab initio language electives offered through the Language Centre at Keele University, enabling students to gain ‘with competency in German’ enhancements of non-language degree titles. Coleman, J.A. (2004). ‘Modern Languages in British Universities: Past and Present’. Arts & Humanities in Higher Education 3:2. Leder, G. / Reimann, N. / Walsh, R. (1996). ‚Introduction. The emergence and development of ab initio language courses. In: Ab initio language learning. A guide to good practice in universities and colleges. The example of German. Eds G. Leder, N. Reimann, R. Walsh. London. Reershemius, G. (2010). Deutsch in Großbritannien. In H.-J. Krumm, C. Fandrych, B. Hufeisen, & C. Riemer (Eds), Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache. Volume 2. (pp. 1674–1680). Berlin: de Gruyter. Tinsley, T. / Han, Y. (2012). Language Learning in Secondary Schools in England. Findings from the 2011 Language Trends survey. Reading: CfBT Education Trust. Tinsley, T. / Doležal, N. (2018). Language Trends 2018. Language Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools in England. British Council.
Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education
In many European universities, the second language (L2) English is used to teach nonlinguistic di... more In many European universities, the second language (L2) English is used to teach nonlinguistic disciplines such as business or engineering. In anglophone UK, integration of content and language (ICL) generally features in Modern Languages undergraduate programmes where content is taught through the L2 to maximise exposure. However, few programmes employ a structured approach, and there is currently little research on ICL in UK universities. This paper reports on the extent to which German is used as the medium of instruction in UK undergraduate German programmes and discusses the institutional parameters which influence the integration of content and language. It appears that the practice of teaching subject-specific content in the target language is more widespread than previously thought. Content provision in the L2 is in fact quite common, but the extent, timing, and purpose of ICL depend on the type of university. I. Introduction The past decades have seen a remarkable proliferation of research in educational settings where a second language is used as medium of instruction in higher education. Some countries-the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, to name but a few-have clearly led the way in this endeavour to investigate the integration of content and language in Higher Education (HE), mainly featuring English as the language of instruction. Anglophone UK is-perhaps understandably-characterised by a dearth in ICL research which may indicate that CLIL 1 is far less common in British tertiary education than in the rest of Europe. This paper reports on the findings of an empirical study investigating German departments across Britain to determine how widespread L2-medium instruction is in undergraduate (UG) content modules. Reasons for-and against-ICL and institutional parameters which fosteror hinder-its implementation are discussed. In order to set the scene, we first give a short overview of the current situation in the UK modern languages landscape and provide a brief introduction to German Studies in the UK. 1 While ICL and CLIL differ slightly in their origin, geographical application, institutional implementation and didactic-theoretical framing (cf. Gustafsson et al. 2011), both are based on the idea that an L2 is used in the teaching of subjects other than the language itself. In the UK context, the term ICL is virtually unknown; instead, CLIL is used to describe educational scenarios across the spectrum, from primary to tertiary education. Accordingly ICL and CLIL will be used interchangeably in this paper.
Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design, 2018
The use of video in the language learning classroom has long been seen as a way to enrich the stu... more The use of video in the language learning classroom has long been seen as a way to enrich the student experience and to increase student engagement. This case study presents a good practice example of student-led video production tasks. The project which is analysed here was conducted with undergraduate students of German at Aston University in Birmingham, UK. It examined student responses and student achievement in relation to a number of different video-based learning activities and explored the potential of student-led digital video production in a language for business context. Results of the study highlighted the various benefits of using video production tasks with language learners. In particular, the data demonstrated how video-based tasks embedded in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach and supported by adequate scaffolding, such as task-based learning structures, provide collaborative learning opportunities and increase students' confidence.
Informationen Deutsch als Fremdsprache, 2013
Informationen Deutsch als Fremdsprache, 2013
Informationen Deutsch als Fremdsprache, 2011
Informationen Deutsch als Fremdsprache, 2011
This thesis investigates Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in German undergraduate ... more This thesis investigates Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in German undergraduate programmes in the UK. At its core is a study of how one German department integrates the teaching of language and content in its undergraduate programmes and how instructors and students experience this approach. This micro-context is embedded in the wider macro-context of UK Higher Education and subject to outside forces - be they political, economic, socio-cultural - whose effects will manifest in more or less obvious ways. Data was collected via an online survey of Heads of German at British universities to determine the status quo of CLIL in UK Higher Education and to investigate how certain institutional parameters determine the introduction of CLIL in Higher Education. This project employs a mixed-method case study approach and is based on student questionnaires and semi-structured interview with German teaching staff. The study brings to light a number of significant aspects. For ...
Books by Elisabeth Wielander
Ab Initio Language Teaching in British Higher Education, 2022
Over the past two decades, student numbers in Modern Language undergraduate degree programmes in ... more Over the past two decades, student numbers in Modern Language undergraduate degree programmes in the UK have declined at an alarming rate. (See Tinsley / Han 2012, Tinsley / Doležal 2018). Between 2000 and 2006, the number of universities in Great Britain offering German undergraduate programmes fell by 48%, from 126 to 65 (Reershemius 2010: 1678), and the remaining German departments often look to ab initio provision “to ensure the survival of the subject” (Leder et al. 1996: 2).
This well-documented trend has been counter-balanced by an increase in undergraduates taking language electives alongside their main degree (cf. Coleman 2004). The annual UCML-AULC surveys demonstrate a healthy picture in post-18 education regarding demand for German in particular.
This chapter investigates these two phenomena. First, we outline policy changes and developments in the UK MFL landscape, evaluating their extensive impact on German degree programmes across the British HE sector. Then, we focus on reasons for the increase in uptake of beginners’ German by non-ML degree undergraduates and challenges faced by tutors and students of these courses. We also provide a snapshot of of ab initio provision today and outline likely future developments in the UK sector.
Finally, we discuss the reasons for and experience of introducing ab initio German in two different contexts: the new ab initio route in German undergraduate programmes at Aston University, and ab initio language electives offered through the Language Centre at Keele University, enabling students to gain ‘with competency in German’ enhancements of non-language degree titles.
Coleman, J.A. (2004). ‘Modern Languages in British Universities: Past and Present’. Arts & Humanities in Higher Education 3:2.
Leder, G. / Reimann, N. / Walsh, R. (1996). ‚Introduction. The emergence and development of ab initio language courses. In: Ab initio language learning. A guide to good practice in universities and colleges. The example of German. Eds G. Leder, N. Reimann, R. Walsh. London.
Reershemius, G. (2010). Deutsch in Großbritannien. In H.-J. Krumm, C. Fandrych, B. Hufeisen, & C. Riemer (Eds), Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache. Volume 2. (pp. 1674–1680). Berlin: de Gruyter.
Tinsley, T. / Han, Y. (2012). Language Learning in Secondary Schools in England. Findings from the 2011 Language Trends survey. Reading: CfBT Education Trust.
Tinsley, T. / Doležal, N. (2018). Language Trends 2018. Language Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools in England. British Council.
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Papers by Elisabeth Wielander
Books by Elisabeth Wielander
This well-documented trend has been counter-balanced by an increase in undergraduates taking language electives alongside their main degree (cf. Coleman 2004). The annual UCML-AULC surveys demonstrate a healthy picture in post-18 education regarding demand for German in particular.
This chapter investigates these two phenomena. First, we outline policy changes and developments in the UK MFL landscape, evaluating their extensive impact on German degree programmes across the British HE sector. Then, we focus on reasons for the increase in uptake of beginners’ German by non-ML degree undergraduates and challenges faced by tutors and students of these courses. We also provide a snapshot of of ab initio provision today and outline likely future developments in the UK sector.
Finally, we discuss the reasons for and experience of introducing ab initio German in two different contexts: the new ab initio route in German undergraduate programmes at Aston University, and ab initio language electives offered through the Language Centre at Keele University, enabling students to gain ‘with competency in German’ enhancements of non-language degree titles.
Coleman, J.A. (2004). ‘Modern Languages in British Universities: Past and Present’. Arts & Humanities in Higher Education 3:2.
Leder, G. / Reimann, N. / Walsh, R. (1996). ‚Introduction. The emergence and development of ab initio language courses. In: Ab initio language learning. A guide to good practice in universities and colleges. The example of German. Eds G. Leder, N. Reimann, R. Walsh. London.
Reershemius, G. (2010). Deutsch in Großbritannien. In H.-J. Krumm, C. Fandrych, B. Hufeisen, & C. Riemer (Eds), Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache. Volume 2. (pp. 1674–1680). Berlin: de Gruyter.
Tinsley, T. / Han, Y. (2012). Language Learning in Secondary Schools in England. Findings from the 2011 Language Trends survey. Reading: CfBT Education Trust.
Tinsley, T. / Doležal, N. (2018). Language Trends 2018. Language Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools in England. British Council.
This well-documented trend has been counter-balanced by an increase in undergraduates taking language electives alongside their main degree (cf. Coleman 2004). The annual UCML-AULC surveys demonstrate a healthy picture in post-18 education regarding demand for German in particular.
This chapter investigates these two phenomena. First, we outline policy changes and developments in the UK MFL landscape, evaluating their extensive impact on German degree programmes across the British HE sector. Then, we focus on reasons for the increase in uptake of beginners’ German by non-ML degree undergraduates and challenges faced by tutors and students of these courses. We also provide a snapshot of of ab initio provision today and outline likely future developments in the UK sector.
Finally, we discuss the reasons for and experience of introducing ab initio German in two different contexts: the new ab initio route in German undergraduate programmes at Aston University, and ab initio language electives offered through the Language Centre at Keele University, enabling students to gain ‘with competency in German’ enhancements of non-language degree titles.
Coleman, J.A. (2004). ‘Modern Languages in British Universities: Past and Present’. Arts & Humanities in Higher Education 3:2.
Leder, G. / Reimann, N. / Walsh, R. (1996). ‚Introduction. The emergence and development of ab initio language courses. In: Ab initio language learning. A guide to good practice in universities and colleges. The example of German. Eds G. Leder, N. Reimann, R. Walsh. London.
Reershemius, G. (2010). Deutsch in Großbritannien. In H.-J. Krumm, C. Fandrych, B. Hufeisen, & C. Riemer (Eds), Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache. Volume 2. (pp. 1674–1680). Berlin: de Gruyter.
Tinsley, T. / Han, Y. (2012). Language Learning in Secondary Schools in England. Findings from the 2011 Language Trends survey. Reading: CfBT Education Trust.
Tinsley, T. / Doležal, N. (2018). Language Trends 2018. Language Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools in England. British Council.