49. Annual Conference of the "Fachverband Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache"

After more than three years, the in-person annual conference of the Fachverband Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache (FaDaF; Professional Association of German as a Foreign and Second Language) could finally take place again at the University of Kassel from September 1 to September 3, 2022.  
Dr. Christian Jennerich, Head of the Division “Successful Start for International Students,” represented Zessko at the event. Under the motto "Mittendrin in DaF und DaZ" ("At the heart of German as a Foreign [GFL] and German as a Second Language [GSL]"), there were many opportunities to take part in both the academic program and the workshops in the heart of the Documenta city, Kassel. The participants were able to discuss the latest developments in the field of German as a foreign and second language and to improve networking.
As part of the academic program, Professor Nicole Marx (Language Development and German as a Second Language, University of Cologne) held her very interesting plenary lecture, "Where is the Didactics of Writing in GFL Teaching Headed?" Starting with an analysis of numerous GFL textbooks and a critique of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), she drew attention to the neglected development of writing skills in foreign language or GFL teaching. She particularly emphasized the lack of progression (e.g., Goethe A2 – C1) from a "language of closeness" to a "language of distance" (Koch/Österreicher 1985) and the resulting deficits course participants have when starting their studies or their profession.
At the well-attended workshop "Planning Steps in the Preparation of a DSH [German Language Test for University Admission]–Process and Product," using samples of reading texts from other universities, guests from many other DSH sites participated in a lively exchange on planning and developing a DSH.

After this successful forty-ninth FaDaF conference, 2023 will be a transition year featuring smaller FaDaF events. The FaDaF fiftieth anniversary conference is scheduled to take place in March 2024.   
 

Contact: Dr. Christian Jennerich

Published on 11 October 2022