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Deutsch Lehren Lernen

Learning how to teach German

An insight into learning how to teach German

This presentation provides you with information about the professional development series Learning how to teach German (DLL) at the Goethe-Institut.
You will learn about the units, the concept and the formats. You will also be given information about further training with DLL and the requirements for successful participation.

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Learning how to teach German – What is it about?

DLL is an instrument for qualifying teachers to teach German as a foreign language and German as a second language. The current didactic knowledge in DLL will extend your teaching expertise and also enable you to gain a formal qualification in teaching German as a foreign language (DaF). This does not replace a university certificate, but it is recognised, for example, within the framework of the Goethe-Institut's internal German teacher training (Green Diploma).

In this presentation, you will learn about the content of DLL:

  • The theoretical principles of further education with DLL,
  • The instrument "practical exploration projects" (PEP)
  • The methodological and didactic principles for good teaching.
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Methodological didactic principles for good teaching

Methodological didactic principles for good teaching are based on observable principles. Here are four examples:

Here are four examples:

  • Focus on the student: the teacher takes into account age, socio-economic background, existing languages and interests.
  • Student engagement: the students participate as actively as possible in the class activities and in the learning process.
  • Focus on interaction: students are encouraged to cooperate in a social context through a variety of activities.
  • Focus on tasks: students have the opportunity to deal with real questions that are relevant to real life.
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Why DLL?

Based on the current standards for further education and training, DLL helps you to:

  • put the ideas from the further education into practice and expand your teaching expertise;
  • experience lessons in different contexts in an interactive exchange and with the help of more than 300 videos;
  • obtain a recognised teach German as a foreign language (DaF) certificate with a scientifically based series of further education.

The modular structure and the online format enable a DLL training course to be tailored flexibly to your personal goals.

Click here to gain a first impression of DLL.

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Target group

DLL is aimed at teachers with or without teaching experience. You teach German as a foreign language, for example, at a school or in adult education. You have vocational training and several years of language teaching experience, a university degree or are currently undergoing DaF training. You should have a language level of at least B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference. The participants and the tutors are involved in a lively exchange with one another.

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Further education with DLL

Bildquelle: Goethe-SLZ China/Yoan Boselli

The units

The DLL basic qualification consists of the units DLL 1 to DLL 6. These units provide the foundation for teaching German as a foreign language and are an integral part of the Green Diploma, the standard qualification for DaF teachers at the Goethe-Institut.

The completion of the 6 basic units may be recognised by the Federal Office for Migration and refugees as a DaF/DaZ certificate. You also have the opportunity to complete individual DLL units as a further education course. The sequence in which you work through these units is flexible.

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Basic qualification:

  • Teaching competence and lesson planning
  • How do you learn German as a foreign language?
  • German as a foreign language
  • Tasks, activities, interaction
  • Learning materials and media
  • Curricular requirements and lesson planning

You complete each module with a practical exploration project (PEP), in which you will explore your own teaching with a specific question. You record the PEP and the results from this in the form of written documentation.

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Formats for further education

DLL further education courses are usually conducted online. It is also possible for them to be held as face-to-face events or as a hybrid format, that is to say, to combine face-to-face and online phases. This depends on the institution holding the courses.

All DLL units are available in print format. They contain a DVD and QR codes for the videos with the teaching documentation.

For further education in online format, the content of a DLL unit is available on MEIN GOETHE.DE learning platform at the Goethe-Institut. These online training courses are supported by certified DLL trainers of the Goethe-Institut.

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Taster course

The taster course gives you an initial impression of the content and exercises in the online course.

Registration is not required for access:

Taster course DLL 1

View the book:

DLL 5: Teaching and learning materials

More information about DLL at the publisher:

Ernst Klett languages

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Registration on MEIN GOETHE.DE

Once you have registered for a DLL-further education course, your study materials will be available on the learning platform. In order to use these materials, you must register on MEIN GOETHE.DE.

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Process of a further education course with DLL

The process

In the region of North-West Europe, the content of a DLL unit is worked through online over a period of 8 weeks. In addition to the online phase, this includes the implementation and presentation of practical exploration projects (PEP).

Four live online sessions are held using a video conference tool to support working through the tasks on the learning platform, in which you go into the content in more detail and the results of the work are presented. In addition, participants exchange information on relevant content and experiences of the lessons.

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Bildquelle: #266241/colourbox.com

Dates of online live sessions

The times for the individual dates are determined at the beginning together with the DLL trainers.

All PEP presentations will be conducted in the final live online sessions.

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Process

The participants in a DLL-unit come from all countries of the North-West European region. They work on the exercises in self-study and, for example, via forums in exchange with the participants and DLL trainers of the DLL unit. You will receive significant assistance and support from our DLL trainers. For a DLL unit, you should allow for a self-study period of at least 40 hours. There are set deadlines for submitting the online tasks, but you are able to decide freely when and where you work on them.

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Practical exploration project

You will be given ideas on how to explore your own teaching in a DLL unit. You observe your own lessons and those given by others, trial new ways of working and also develop your teaching skills in exchange with others.

The so-called practical exploration projects (PEPs) allow you to observe, evaluate and possibly modify the way you teach in a question-led way.

In groups of three you deal with a topic, that is, you plan, reflect on and evaluate your project together with the other participants.

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PEP question

You formulate a PEP question. The starting point for the exploration is prompted by ideas found in the DLL unit. The exploration is defined more precisely in the form of a question.

For example:

You find that you sometimes use your students’ native language when giving task instructions in class. In your PEP, therefore, you will examine how the students react if you consistently give the task instructions in German instead. You observe the students and record the results.

A small introductory video about PEP's can be found here.

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PEP presentation and documentation

Successful conclusion of a DLL unit includes the presentation of the PEP and the formulation of documentation about the PEP.

The group will present its results in a PEP presentation. The presentation can take place in a classroom format or in an online live session.

The PEP documentation is an individual activity in which you reflect on and present your PEP in writing, detailing its results and the findings from the discussion on the PEP presentation.

To document the PEP, use a form and submit your documentation to your DLL trainer via the learning platform within two weeks following the PEP presentation (upload to the PEP results folder).

Examples of PEP presentations and how they are carried out face to face, can be found here.

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Completing a DLL entity

The following criteria must be met to successfully complete a DLL unit:

  • complete all mandatory exercises and actively participate in group work and fora
  • carry out a practical exploration project with PEP presentation
  • create PEP documentation
  • attend at least two online live sessions (a substitute can be provided for a maximum of two online live sessions if no participation is required)

If you have met the above criteria, you will receive confirmation of participation.

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Dates and advice

Dates and advice

You can find information about the dates and units on the website of the Goethe-Institut.

For a personal consultation, contact the Goethe-Institut in your country.

Contact: dll-nwe@goethe.de

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Quiz

How long does it take to work through a DLL unit?

Select the correct answer.

Show Solution
That’s the right answer. Unfortunately, that is not the right answer.
It takes a total of 8 weeks to work through a DLL unit.
You can refer back to this here again.

Bildquelle: Goethe-Institut e.V. / Bernhard Ludewig

Which methodological-didactic principles are important at DLL?

Choose the right principles. Multiple answers are possible.

Show Solution
That is the right answer. Unfortunately, that is not the right answer.
In DLL, the principles of student engagement and focus on skills are particularly important.
You can refer back to this here.

Read the following statement about working through the DLL units.

Then choose whether the statement is true or false.
"In order to successfully complete a DLL unit, you have to complete all the exercises in a timely fashion."

Show Solution
That is the correct answer. That is unfortunately not the correct answer.
You do not need to have completed all the exercises, but only those mandatory exercises that are not marked as optional within the specified processing period.
You can refer back to this here.