Review of a German as a Second Language Textbook Used at a Japanese University

　Schritte International Neu, published by Hueber Verlag, is a three - level textbook series designed for German language learners aligned with the pedagogical goals outlined in the Common European Languages of Reference (CEFR) levels A1, A2 and B2. This global textbook series seeks to prepare learners to live and/or work in German speaking countries by acquainting them with everyday communication situations that they may encounter while spending time there. In my review, I examine the most basic level textbook in the series: Schritte International Neu 1 - A1.1 authored by Daniela Niebisch, Sylvette Pennig-Hiemstra, Franz Specht, Monika Bovermann, Angela Pude and Monika Reimann. This textbook is a half-volume of the A1 level. In this review, I examine the textbook’s pedagogical rationale, its content, its usage by Japanese university students who are learning German for the first time, and its strengths and weaknesses. I also describe the textbook’s overall appropriateness for my students based on my perspective as a German language instructor

The Views of Advanced Learners of English on Content and Language Integrated Learning

As a language learning methodology, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has become increasingly prevalent at Japanese universities and is viewed by many educators as a positive step toward improving the English proficiency skills of Japanese university students. This educational trend is reflected in Japan’s Ministry of Education Global 30 Project that seeks to expand and enhance the number of degree programs conducted in English and to hopefully lead to an increase in the number of international students studying at its institutions of higher learning. In this article, I provide transcriptions of interviews I carried out with four Japanese university students who are highly proficient learners of English and have taken content courses in English and Japanese. The aim of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of CLIL as seen from the perspectives of students who have actually experienced the methodology firsthand. Although the interviewees expressed positive points about learning various subjects through English, they also stated specific reservations in regard to the implementation of English as the medium of instruction in content courses

A Total German Approach: Reflections of Teaching in the Target Language

In this brief paper I write about my reflections on teaching the first half of an introductory German as a Second Language course (Deutsch als Fremdsprache) exclusively in the target language. I compare and contrast my teaching in the target language with my past experiences in using a multilingual approach. The reason for recording my reflections was to learn more about my own teaching in terms of my successes, problems and concerns related to teaching in the target language. In teaching previous German courses, I used a multilingual instructional approach made up of a language combination of German, English and Japanese that did not adhere to any set classroom language policy as to when or how long I should teach in any one of the three languages

The Development of German as a Foreign Language Discipline in a Multilingual Europe

In this paper, I review the development of German as a Foreign Language （Deutsch als Fremdsprache）（GFL）discipline in Germany. Many of the changes in GFL have been greatly influenced by the social, economic and political changes which impacted Germany and Europe from the post-war period till today. By recognizing how these changes have directly and indirectly influenced GFL, we can better understand how and why foreigners currently learn German in Germany. I provide brief overviews of these changes: the official acceptance of multilingualism as a cornerstone of a new European language policy, the influence of the Council of Europe and the European Union in furthering multilingualism throughout its member states including Germany, immigration to Germany and the present economic situation there; and describe how each change has influenced German language education in its own right. I conclude my paper with a description of the German Adult Association（DVV）and explain how it has become a major institution in fostering and developing GFL in a multilingual Europe as a result of these influential changes

Multilingual Instruction in the German Language Classroom

This paper focuses on multilingual instruction in the German language classroom. I describe a study that engaged 58 Japanese university students who learned German through German, English, and Japanese in the same class(es). The purpose of this study was to analyze students’ reactions to multilingual instruction. I provide a context of the study, describe the course content and then report on my observations and comments and the results derived from a questionnaire administered to students. My observations and the questionnaire findings appear to confirm the view that students prefer multilingual instruction in the German language classroom but that there is a considerable amount of variation in the language preference dependent on the specific language skill that is taught

The Application of ‘Can-Do’ Statements in an Introductory German Language Classroom at a Japanese University

In this paper, I write about my students’ use of A1 can-do statements that correspond to level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in an introductory German as a Second Language course. I briefly explain the CEFR, the academic direction it has taken in Japan, foreign language education at Japanese universities in general, and discuss how the A1 level can-do statements were received by my students. The purpose of this paper was to determine whether the use of CEFR A1 level can-do statements can play an effective role in an A1 level German as a Second Language classroom. Keywords: foreign language education, CEFR, CEFR-J, can-do statement