This conference intends to bring together international scholars whose research investigates various facets of the postsecondary curriculum for teaching and learning German as a foreign and/or second language and culture.
     Currently, the potential new influences on the discipline of German seem many and varied. New digital technologies, the information economy, globalization and multiculturalism, altered international spheres of influence, the changing manner of ommunication, the internationalization and corporatization of universities, the rise of cultural studies especially in the English-speaking world, second language acquisition research, and critical applied linguistics are just a few of the current external and internal influences. As a result, many traditionally widespread ideas and approaches in German postsecondary curricula have recently been challenged. The conference attempts to provide a forum for discussing the challenges of current transitions and their impact on German curricula.  
 

 
     We wish to attract a range of papers that critically reflect on traditional disciplinary concepts and practices and also explore or propose informed transitions in the organization of instructing and learning German. Papers may take the form of scholarly discussions, research studies, or professional reports of program and classroom initiatives. While concerning the curriculum for teaching German generally, papers may focus on specific developments or issues concerning concepts, contexts, contents, methods, means, materials, speakers, instructors, or learners, etc. Topics may include (but are not limited to) thoughts on traditions and transitions such as:  

• German as a foreign/second language – “DaF”
• German only – code-switching  
• Culture in the target language – culture in translation
• School German – college German
• German language as service programming – literary and cultural expertise
• Language in culture – culture in language
• Cultural knowledge – intercultural awareness
• Monolingualism – multiculturalism
• Language-to-literature – language-to-culture  
• The literature and culture specialization – the linguistics specialization
• Sequential and hierarchical language acquisition models – intensive, immersion, and mixed-ability models
• Textbooks – technologies
• Domestic curricula – study abroad opportunities
• German in the EU – German in the rest of the world  
• Native speakers – second-language users / intercultural speakers
• German the discipline – German across the postsecondary curriculum

We hope that scholars will contribute to evolving conversations on general questions
such as:  

• To what extent and for which reasons do traditional teaching and curricula persist in the field of German? • How and why have the pedagogical and curricular practices and interests of German shifted in recent times?  
• Under which circumstances have innovations in teaching German become new traditions?  
• Which critical and practical challenges and opportunities present themselves in the encounter between tradition and innovation?  

By bringing together international perspectives on curriculum and teaching for German around the broad concepts of tradition and transition, we hope to review and re-imagine our discipline in these changing times in order to achieve more sophisticated understandings of the myths, innovations, and current and future best practices in the field. The conference will mark a significant juncture in postsecondary German by mphasizing just how fundamental curriculum development, course design, and professional interrelations are to the effective teaching of German language and culture. It will serve as a beacon to colleagues around the globe who undertake such thoughtful and complex work for the sake of promoting cultural and linguistic awareness.    
     Abstracts for intended papers are welcome in English, German, or French. Please submit an electronic abstract of a paper proposal to the organizers at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Abstracts should be no more than 400 words. The body of the message should contain the author’s (or authors’) name(s), affiliation, and paper title.

     The proposal should be an attached word document, which for the sake of blind review must not include the name(s) of the author(s). The abstract should clearly state the topic, research question(s), and objectives. Abstracts on empirical projects should identify the data sources, procedures for data collection and analysis, and actual or expected outcomes. They should also indicate how the intended paper is particularly appropriate to the conference focus on curriculum traditions and transitions.
     Selections from the conference proceedings are planned to be published in an edited volume in 2011.

 
Deadline for abstract proposals:
June 15th, 2009

 

John Plews	Barbara Schmenk
St. Mary’s University	University of Waterloo
Halifax, NS B3H 3C3	Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
Canada	Canada
jplews ät smu.ca	bschmenk ät uwaterloo.ca