“Future Competence: German”: 50th Annual Conference on German as a Foreign and Second Language

From October 9 to 12, 2024, the 50th Annual Conference on German as a Foreign and Second Language (DaF/DaZ), organized by the Association for German as a Foreign and Second Language (FaDaF), took place under the theme “Future Competence: German”.

Michél Müller and Dr. Christian Jennerich attended the FaDaF anniversary conference on behalf of Zessko and the Successful Start for International Students Department. The academic workshop day, held online on October 9, focused largely on current discussions around AI applications, internationalization, and German for professional purposes.

From October 10 on, attendees could gather in Göttingen, the renowned university and “German Studies” city and home of FaDaF, to celebrate the anniversary and participate in discussions around DaF/DaZ. The event reflected on 50 years of field history and looked toward the future. In Göttingen, key topics included both the potential and limits of AI in DaF/DaZ instruction, as well as issues of internationalization in studies—particularly relevant given the shortage of skilled professionals across various fields. Over the past decade, the number of international students and English-language degree programs in Germany has nearly doubled, a trend that is debated in academic and political contexts.

For example, Prof. Winfried Thielmann (TU Chemnitz) highlighted concerns about the Anglophonization of academic programs in Germany without adequate English language preparation (such as Bavaria’s reduction of entry-level requirements for English-language programs to B1+) and without sufficient German language instruction. This puts the successful transfer of knowledge in German universities at risk and could prevent achieving goals in industry. While DaF/DaZ experts emphasized the importance of mandatory German training up to B2/C1 levels—essential for employment opportunities and meeting linguistic demands post-study—many English-language programs offer voluntary and insufficient German course offerings.

Although the next annual conference is expected to be somewhat smaller, there certainly will be stimulating opportunities for exchange on DaF/DaZ theory and practice.

Contact: Michél Müller, Dr. Christian Jennerich

Published on: 6 Nov. 2024