Are routines boring? Not in the least! They can help structure our everyday language-learning efforts and are an important and effective process in natural learning. Working authentic materials into your learners’ everyday lives is the best preparation for the Goethe, telc and ösd C1-level exams.

“Too complicated”, “too much lost time” or “I don’t have any control over what my pupils are doing there” – this is how some teachers spontaneously react to the idea of using task-based language learning in a digital context.

What do we want the “new normal” after the pandemic to be and what are the insights for modern-day teaching?

Using conferencing tools as a synchronous online element in blended or online learning is now an integral part of the portfolios of Goethe-Instituts and other language schools. These tools can be a sustainable approach to group learning – provided they are used in certain ways, as presented in the following practical tips.

German learners want and should have contact with people and ways of life in German-speaking countries and regions (DACH). Learners all over the world can do that virtually now over the Internet, as well as getting a good look inside other cultures. Here are some practical suggestions on the use of digital media for cultural learning.

Changing conditions also create new opportunities – especially in socially distanced teaching. Teachers are spoilt for choice in this regard: here are some tips on how to choose from among the multitude of existing methods, techniques and approaches the ones best suited to interactive learning for your learners.

Moin, Servus or Grüezi (“hello!” in North Germany, Bavaria/Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland respectively)? Möhre, Karotte or Rüebli (regional words for “carrot”)? Is it die or das Mail (“email”)? All these words and forms are correct. And they are expressions of how varied the German-speaking world is, both linguistically and culturally – a reality that ought to be reflected in German teaching. But how to go about it?

Climate protection, clean energy, responsible consumption – young people are taking to the streets nowadays to demonstrate for these issues, which are also economic, social and environmental development goals set by the United Nations. So let’s talk to kids about sustainable development in the classroom.

Teachers face challenges every day at work. Studies show a particularly high level of psychological stress in the teaching profession. Hence the high incidence of burnout among their ranks. So how can we stave off stress while keeping teachers motivated and enthusiastic about their jobs year after year?

Successfully using scenarios in vocational German language teaching in a healthcare setting. How can it work? Five tips for using scenarios in job-related German lessons to practice language and communication skills as an aspect of professional competence. Part Two: TIP 3–5.

Successfully using scenarios in vocational German language teaching in a healthcare setting. How can it work? Five tips for using scenarios in job-related German lessons to practice language and communication skills as an aspect of professional competence. Part One: TIP 1 and 2.

The Goethe-Institut's "My Way to Germany" web portal provides German language exercises as well as useful information about living and working in Germany. We show four ways in which teachers of German as a foreign language can use the collection of materials for their teaching and independent learning.