ZBL [denk]anstoß-lecture: Mind the gap: Tips, tricks & tactics for bridging the language barrier with international students [ENG]
| Datum: | 20.01.2027, 10:00 - 11:30 Uhr |
| Kategorie: | Lehrende, Studierende, Lehre |
| Ort: | online |
| Veranstalter: | ZBL |
| Vortragende: | Dr. Darren Paul Foster |
Will you be teaching an international student group in English and are wondering about the practicalities? Are you worried about whether they will understand you, or whether you will understand them? And what about creating a learning environment in which everyone feels welcome, included, and encouraged to contribute? You will find answers to all of these questions in this keynote speech.
Divided into roughly four sections, with space for discussion in between, we will talk about:
Tips: For preparing for a class with an international group with varying levels of English
Tricks: For feeling more confident holding the class in English
Tactics: For quickly creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment
By the end of the talk, you will know
- how to make communication as effective as possible,
- how to positively work with the diversity of the group,
- and how to lower any anxieties you or your students have about the class being in English.
If any of the above speaks to you, please come along and let’s talk about it! There will also be a short workshop the day after to go more deeply into planning for your own teaching context.
About the speaker - Dr Darren Paul Foster, from Cornwall, England, is a language lecturer at the Freie Universität Berlin who specializes in academic and professional skills courses. With an MA in European Languages and Cultures and a PhD in Modern Languages from Exeter University, he additionally offers higher education workshops for other lecturers in intercultural competence, academic writing and professional presenting at various universities in Germany. As a qualified English teacher, he also offers workshops on classroom discussion, examining in English and using humour in seminars.
Target audience: university teachers and didactics
Credits: This lecture can be credited with 2 CU in Area B of the Certificate for Teaching in Higher Education awarded by the Bavarian universities. Please select the appropriate option in the registration form. (Der Vortrag kann mit 2 AE im Bereich B des Zertifikats Hochschullehre Bayern angerechnet werden. Bitte wählen Sie im Anmeldeformular die entsprechende Option aus.)
Date: Wednesday, 20th January 2027, 10-11:30 a.m.
Online lecture and discussion via Zoom
Click here to register for the lecture - you can also take part in the accompanying workshop on January 21st.
