Moscow
Taking German to the Title!

You’re never too young to get a feel for the ball.
You’re never too young to get a feel for the ball. | Photo: Goethe-Institut Moscow

The project Mit Deutsch zum Titel! gives language acquisition a sporting edge. Prior to the 2018 Football World Cup in Russia, the Goethe-Institut is inviting about 1,000 pupils across the country to special football-related German lessons. The best teams can look forward to the Goethe Cup. The patron is German team manager Joachim Löw.
 

“Football, like language, enriches our lives and draws nations together,” emphasised Joachim Löw, the manager of the German national team. The project Mit Deutsch zum Titel! demonstrated how this athletic international understanding can look in practice.

During this school year in Russia, where the next Football World Cup will be staged from 14 June until 15 July 2018, approximately 1,000 children between the ages of 11 and 13 will take part in a fun programme that will enable them to achieve early rankings in the top league of German learners. Joachim Löw could be won as the patron.
 

  • Rüdiger Bolz, Leiter des Goethe-Instituts Russland, gibt den Startschuss zum Projekt Foto: Goethe-Institut Moskau
    Rüdiger Bolz, Leiter des Goethe-Instituts Russland, gibt den Startschuss zum Projekt
  • Die deutsche Nationalelf hat auch in Russland ihre Fans Foto: Goethe-Insitut Moskau
    Die deutsche Nationalelf hat auch in Russland ihre Fans
  • Stadion, Tor, Sieg – die Grundbegriffe sind schnell gelernt Foto: Goethe-Institut Moskau
    Stadion, Tor, Sieg – die Grundbegriffe sind schnell gelernt
  • Auch in Russland ist Fußball längst nicht mehr Männersache Foto: Goethe-Institut Moskau
    Auch in Russland ist Fußball längst nicht mehr Männersache
  • Übung macht den Meister Foto: Goethe-Institut Moskau
    Übung macht den Meister

“Every week, the kids have an hour of special football-related German class and an hour of football training with a sport instructor,” explains Maria Lukjantschikowa, project leader at the Goethe-Institut. Highly motivated learners can additionally enhance their specialised knowledge and their football vocabulary with an online programme.

Nationwide, classes from 62 schools are taking part in eight World Cup venues. The focus is on team spirit. At the end of the year, the classes will take a quiz – in German, of course. They will also compete in football matches against other participating schools. Based on their performance on the quiz and on the pitch, a winner will be selected in each city and rewarded with the Goethe Cup.

“Football is fun; language learning is fun, too,” sums up Rüdiger Bolz, director of the Goethe-Institut in Moscow. “And a combination of the two can really lead to a goal.”