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Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a disruptive technology is not only changing our everyday life and the business world, but also the way we learn and generate new knowledge. Such breakthrough disruptions by new technologies are also taking place in the fields of foreign language learning. The focus of this paper is on AI-based applications that have an impact on the writing skill. This paper is structured to guide from general concepts to concrete ones. In the first section, a short overview of the possible applications of artificial intelligence in foreign language teaching is given. The second section focuses on writing with the help of AI-based applications for text generation. In the third section didactical-methodical considerations are formulated for the use of AI-based applications for text generation in GFL teaching. The paper finishes with a reflection which outlines conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students of German as a foreign language begin their pedagogical studies with a fairly precise idea of the role of the teacher and of the teaching/learning process. Their ideas about effective teaching and the role of the teacher are based on their subjective, mostly unreflective experiences during their school years and strongly influence all subsequent didactic-pedagogical decisions during and often after their studies. Students' subjective theories about teaching have an extremely strong in- fluence on the entire study process. In order for students to be able to formulate and reflect on their own subjective theories, it is very important that they are given sufficient opportunities during their studies to reflect, to question and evaluate pedagogical practices in different contexts, and to prepare themselves to relate theory to practice so that they can at least partially dismantle or dissolve their own beliefs. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study conducted with students of German as a foreign language on their perceptions of the role of the teacher and teaching, offering insights into the current situation. The results can serve as a guide for planning specific didactic courses and as a starting point for planning the development of reflection as a teacher development tool. The analysis of the 86 student essays shows what students think is effective teaching of German, what they think is a good teacher of German, and the interplay between learning and teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning a musical instrument such as the flute requires the mastery of certain acquisitional steps. The same applies to the acquisition of German as a foreign or second language as widely demonstrated by second language acquisition research. The paper argues that it is inacceptable that the didactics of German as a foreign or second language has been consistently ignoring these findings in a way that also contradicts the CEFR the German translation of which, as shown, leaves much to be desired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job-related language skills in German are an important topic in today's educational policy - not only concerning integration within Germany (German as a Second Language), but also abroad (German as a Foreign Language). This is especially true in China, where the dual vocational system, which was introduced 35 years ago, is booming now, with some major German companies acting as trainers (e. g. BMW, Daimler, Schleich, Siemens and others). Consequently, at vocational schools and for in-company trainings, there is a growing need for suitable materials in order to teach German as a technical and job-related language. This paper presents the bilingual textbook German Language for Automobile Production in China (A2-B1), developed by students of the MA program "Intercultural German Studies / German as a Foreign Language" at the University of Göttingen in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut Beijing and the Association for German as a Foreign and Second Language (FaDaF). These materials are meant for courses at Chinese vocational schools or for in-service trainings). This paper focuses on the following aspects: the general framework and implementation of the project, the concept and didactic features of the textbook (textbook structure, regionalization and target group, the concept of functional multilingualism, scenario didactics and intercultural learning in technical and job-related language education), its sustainability and generally the adaptability of collaborative activities like textbook development to different contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the example of formative evaluation data collected from the Chinese-German double degree program in mechanical engineering at the Chinese- German Technical Faculty in Qingdao (China), this paper discusses opportunities and challenges of integrating content and language learning as well as ways of optimizing preparatory and academic German language courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I will first review the history of advanced training for Chinese German teachers in the first phase (from 2006 to 2009) and the second phase of the development of the Department German Studies in China. The current situation of the young Chinese German teachers is presented and analyzed by the result of a research based on the newly founded departments of German Studies from 2000 to 2009 at 40 universities. This is also considered to be an argument for the second phase (2010-2017) of the advanced training, namely that the training courses should be aimed at special fields of German Studies. After the report on the second phase of the advanced training, I try to evaluate the impact of the training courses by analyzing comments in video interviews as well as e-mail surveys in 2016. By comparing the results conducted with the same target group in 2009 and 2017, the continuous impact of the teacher training can be brought to light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the future of German Studies in China. After an introduction sections on the history and the contemporary situation of German Studies in China are given. The focus is on perspectives for the future, such as e. g. the growth of German Studies, publication opportunities, the structure of the broader concept of German Studies, and the situation of prospective future professors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

German Studies in China is a new-born academic field where philological education takes the first place and focuses on training of language specialists. With far-reaching economic reforms and the intensification of China's cooperation with German-speaking countries, the philological German Studies oriented on language education has been slowing to meet the new demands of the labor market and falling gradually into the crisis. Based on the training profile of students majoring in German Studies, this paper examines the crisis and further discusses the ways of modernizing Chinese German Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper focuses on teacher training of German as a foreign language in China. On the background of a long historical development and the tendency to speak multiple languages at present, teaching German language is experiencing a boom in China today. At the same time the adaptation to the great need of qualified teaching staff, the improvement of teaching content and methods of learning as well as the use of modern teaching methods are important factors for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]