FAU develops new football-focused German language course

Self-taught language learning programme centred around football developed at FAU

Football stirs up excitement in people – regardless of where they come from or what language they speak. Because both shared interests and language are integral to successful integration, researchers at FAU and the University of Bayreuth have developed a language course that brings together football and language.

The interested public can take part in the course “Deutschlernen mit Fußball – Fachsprachentraining (ab Niveau A2)”. Participants will learn, among other things, to describe the work environment of a referee, to conduct interviews, to write a game report and how to prepare – verbally – for training.

The course was developed by Professor Madgalena Michalak, who is Chair for Teaching German as a Second Language at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Theology at FAU, and Professor Susanne Tittlbach, of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Bayreuth, as well as their respective teams. The language course can be taken virtually and free of charge at VHB Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern (vhb). Participants will be taught football-related terminology and vocabulary and how everyday language differs from the specialised language of football. The course supports the transfer of learned language to everyday situations.

People from all over the world are encouraged to enrol. The only requirement is that they should bring German knowledge at level A2 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). In over six chapters participants can improve their language skills to B1 level of the CEFR. They virtually accompany Kamal, who decides to become a referee and therefore wants to improve his command of German. Everybody can work through the lectures in their own time.