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Pre-Conference Workshop

The best way out is always through – Shaping the crisis of English Language Teaching at German universities

Tim Dittmann (Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg)

The field of English Language Teaching (ELT) in German higher education is currently experiencing a phase of notable turmoil. Demographic change has resulted in decreasing numbers of students attending most German universities. English language programs have felt this change rather acutely, often remaining stuck in a “post-corona slump” with significantly lower attendance numbers than 6 years ago and administrative pressure to adapt or shrink. German universities have responded to falling enrolment by boosting their internationalization efforts in order to attract more foreign students. One result of internationalization has been a proliferation of study programs with English as the medium of instruction (EMI), however, rarely do universities provide the appropriate training in EMI or language support offers for the subject instructors now required to teach in a foreign language.

This workshop invites teachers of English, in particular heads/coordinators of English language sections, to share their experiences on how they are responding to and shaping this current “crisis”.

  • How can ELT prove its value to university decision makers in times of shrinking demand and the widespread availability of supposed quick-fix AI tools?
  • Do we need to find new allies and collaborate more with other institutions at our universities?
  • How can we entice more students to develop their English skills while attending university? What new offers or approaches appear promising?
  • How can we support EMI instructors and develop their understanding for the challenges of teaching in a L2 to students studying in a L2?

These and participants' questions can & will be discussed.

 

Participation in this pre-conference workshop is free of charge. For participation, a separate registration via https://zfa-anmeldung.de/form/pre-conference is required.

Participation in the workshop is also possible if you are not attending the 33rd AKS Conference 2025 in Bochum. If you would also like to attend the conference, you must register separately for the conference.