„Deutsch bewegt“ – The 14th International Conference for German Teachers (Internationale Deutschlehrertagung - IDT) in Jena and Weimar
„Deutsch bewegt„ - Move up with German - this was the motto which brought together some 3000 participants from 116 countries at the University in Jena. Over six days they discussed German as a Foreign Language and German Studies from a variety of angles. Topical issues from all sectors of education were aired in 44 sessions which offered talks, discussions, presentations and workshops to an audience of linguists, German teachers, students and delegates from the Education Department.
The work of the Goethe-Institut London featured in two sessions:
Uwe Rau and Karl Pfeiffer talked about new initiatives for the teaching of German in Britain. They explained the contributions the Goethe-Institut’s education department can make and presented projects such as PopKultur,
Zarife Soylucicek spoke about a brand-new
In addition to professional subjects the participants also enjoyed a wide cultural programme offering readings, concerts and plays.
This also benefited three students from St Marylebone School in London who were taking part in a summer language course in Bielefeld as part of the Schools: Partners for the Future initiative. Josephine Lyons, Ameera Rajabali and Christina Belous Pasichnyi travelled to Jena for a concert by German pop groups Silvester and Klee.
The highlight of the conference was a visit by the German Foreign Secretary, Bundesaußenministers Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier on 7 August who is the patron of the IDT conference. He spoke to students and teachers who had come from many countries of the world about the importance of culture and education in foreign policy as represented by the Schools: Partners for the Future and Kulturweit initiatives.
Zarife Soyluciced took the opportunity and spoke with Dr Steinmeier about the relevance of Schools: Partners for the Future in North-western Europe..
