German

Instructor: Yukiko Sato, Project Assistant Professor, et al.

How many students took the course?

About 18 students.

What was the class format?

We used WebEX and Zoom to conduct live-streamed classes that emphasized communication and discussion.

In my classes, I tried to incorporate various online tools to enable students to learn about 1. German grammar, 2. German language skills such as writing, listening, and speaking, and 3. the culture of German-speaking countries, all in alignment with the textbook content in each session. For 1), I used WebEX's test form to create and administer mini-tests so that students could review important grammatical points for each lesson. For 2), I set tasks in contexts where German is actually used and conducted project-based classes in small groups using Zoom's breakout room feature. For example, students wrote and exchanged letters as a group with a German exchange student preparing to come to Japan, worked on listening tasks to solve problems in groups by sharing German videos and audio sources, and held German conversations within group sessions on set themes. For 3), I conducted classes where we introduced the culture of German-speaking countries and Europe and discussed differences with Japan by sharing web screens and original documents. In online classes, I believe it is important to maintain students' motivation to access and participate in the class. To reduce the online distance, I made sure to allocate plenty of time for students to communicate with each other, including with me (the instructor). And rather than having the instructor provide the answers, I was conscious of my role as a facilitator who gives advice, especially during group work, so that students could make discoveries within their groups. After class, I kept the online room open for about 10 minutes as a place for questions and for students to continue their conversations. Also, in these online classes, the presence of SAs (Student Assistants) who supported communication between the instructor and students, including troubleshooting, was indispensable. Since the SAs from the German language lab are also senior learners of German, they also practiced model conversations with me, serving as future role models for the beginner- to intermediate-level German students.

In terms of learning, at first, all students seemed to participate reservedly, but gradually they began to actively ask questions, either directly through their microphones or via chat. Regarding their German language learning, students who worked hard showed visible improvement. From a communication standpoint, I received feedback that the language class provided a lot of time for students to talk with each other, which also helped them build peer connections. In the final class, there was excitement with everyone saying, "Let's all move on to Intensive 3!" and during the summer break, an extra class was set up as an opportunity to freely discuss various topics about Germany and the German language. Through this change in class format, opinions varied. Some students who commute to SFC from far away preferred the online format, while others felt that in-person classes in a classroom were better for maintaining concentration and motivation. I believe that various challenges regarding future class formats have become clear for language classes as well, and I would be happy if we could discuss best practices with everyone.