Performing Language in the Foreign Language Classroom – An Experiential-Interactive Approach

The German Department and the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics hosted a two workshops titled “Performing Language in the Foreign Language Classroom – an Experiential-Interactive Approach” on Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15. These workshops were led by Dr. Sabine Gross, Professor of German and Affiliate Professor of Theater and Interdisciplinary Theater Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Friday’s event was open to all FLL faculty and graduate students, and the content of Saturday’s workshop was tailored for the German Department specifically. During the workshops, Dr. Gross explored how learning and speaking a foreign language is a process of discovery that can produce anxiety and stress in students. Relaxing the usual emphasis on meaning and conventional verbal communication allowed the participants to experience language in new ways that can contribute to learner enjoyment and success in the classroom.

The workshops offered participants a different way of engaging with language that can be utilized at any level of language instruction. Participants acquired strategies suitable for a wide range of applications in the foreign-language classroom, from the first week of instruction through advanced literature classes. Friday’s workshop also incorporated examples from a wide variety of foreign languages, based on participants’ language backgrounds.