English Language Education

A very warm welcome to the world of TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language!

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What does the field of TEFL do?

Our video provides an insight into our department and the TEFL degree programme.

The Department of English Language Education or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) engages with central theoretical, practical, and research-based developments in the field of English language education. By engaging in (inter)national research and adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, we aim to develop key skills and competencies in future English language educators. We offer an interactive introductory seminar for all of our students as well as thematic and practice-oriented courses. These address key issues in the teaching and learning of English, such as:

  • grammatical competence
  • critical literacy
  • teaching young learners
  • global education
  • extended/virtual reality and digital learning
  • songs and poems
  • diversity and gender
  • lesson planning
  • and many more

In internships and preparatory courses, we support pre-service teachers during their first encounters with English language education across different types of schools.

In our research, we address a variety of issues. Two of our current research projects include:

  • DiSo-SGW  in which we are part of a project consortium that aims to develop, test, and implement research-based training programs for teachers focusing on the development of digital competence. 
  • ELT Survey in which we investigate learners’ perspectives on English lessons 

What is Fachdidaktik Englisch / English Language Education?

Translating Fachdidaktik Englisch is not an easy undertaking. Common terms used in English include English Language Education (ELE), English Language Teaching (ELT) or Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Some scholars have also started to use the term English Didactics. It is an academic discipline concerned with the rationale, goals, content, evidence-based strategies and methodological approaches as well as the evaluation of English learning in schools.

What will you learn in your studies?

Studying English language education will enable you to develop key competencies that are important for high quality teaching. By learning about central conceptual models, pedagogical approaches, and evidence-based strategies, you will develop an understanding of the ‘What’s’, ‘Why’s’, and ‘How’s’ of English language education. For example, you will learn about important principles and core practices of English language education that relate to the teaching and learning of English(es), English-speaking cultures, literatures, and pop cultural artefacts. In our teaching, we put a key emphasis on illustrating the practical application of certain strategies by analysing and trying out tasks and lesson sequences. Our TEFL Reading List(703.9 KB, 25 pages) provides an overview of some central books and journals in the field.

Find out more about your studies here.  

How can I keep up to date with the latest news?

Please join our NEAS-VC for regular updates related to your studies.

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... any more questions?

If you click on the subpages, you will find information about your studies, the lecturers, our research projects, scientific transfer, and events.

Andreas Müller will support you as our subject-specific advisor if you have further questions related to your studies.

Where to find us