Teaching German as a Second Language

Teaching German as a Second Language is not a stand-alone degree programme, it is a supplementary programme for teaching degree programmes for all school types. This means that is it only open to students of teaching degree programmes (Lehramt) as a third subject in addition to their other two chosen subjects. Detailed information about supplementary programmes is available on our information page for teaching degree programmes.

Many pupils have migrated to Germany from other countries or do not speak German at home although they were born here. For these pupils German is a second language. In this supplementary programme you will learn how to plan your lessons to accommodate this target group. There are currently two possible options for this subject: you can study the supplementary programme for students of all teaching degrees, or you can choose it as a secondary subject if you are studying to become a teacher at a Grundschule or Mittelschule (for these schools you choose one main subject and three secondary subjects).

You will learn how a second language is acquired and how to determine language proficiency, enabling you to support pupils on the basis of this. You will also learn how to deal with diverse groups of learners as a teacher.

You should be interested in other languages and cultures. You should also have very good German skills.

• The number of pupils for whom German is not a first language is continuously increasing, meaning that teaching German as a second language is becoming ever more important in schools.
• With this supplementary qualification you will also be able to work outside of the school environment, such as as a teacher for language courses.

As part of the programme you must also learn a common migrant language, such as Turkish or Russian.

Teaching German as a Foreign Language is part of the Department of Didactics in Nuremberg (Regensburger Str. 160). The following options are available to students wishing to take this subject:

• Teaching German as a Foreign Language can be chosen as a secondary subject by students of teaching degrees for Grundschule or Mittelschule. At FAU it is currently not possible to choose Teaching German as a Foreign Language as a main subject.
• Students and graduates of teaching degree programmes for all school types can study Teaching German as a Foreign Language as a supplementary programme which is completed with a State Examination. It is possible to start the supplementary programme in any semester, although you must start at least three semester before the end of your degree programme.