Theresa Summer

• PhD Teaching English as a Foreign Language
• Professor at University of Bamberg

Language learner attitudes have been linked to motivation, willingness to communicate, and attainment in second language (L2) learning research. Yet, explorations of learner attitudes remain scarce, especially concerning learners' perspectives on the language instruction they receive in schools. To contribute to a more complete picture of L2 Englis...

The digital world opens up a vast number of spaces such as immersive virtual reality, digital book corners, and discourses marked by hashtags. In this volume, we argue that newly emerging digital spaces and textualities should play a more central role in English language education, as their multimodality and interactivity opens up manifold opportun...

This volume explores the potential of poems and song lyrics in English language education through theoretical considerations, interdisciplinary insights, and case studies. Focusing on traditional forms of poetry as well as spoken-word poetry, poetry on social media, and pop songs, the contributors demonstrate a wide range of applications for these...

This introductory chapter introduces basic issues related to lyrical texts (poems and song lyrics) and their relevance for English language education. It discusses scientific terms and teacher worries in relation to practical teaching while also exploring pedagogical affordances and task types, empirical findings, and the importance of concentratin...

Schulbezogene Praktika im Lehramtsstudium sind die ersten und frühzeitigen Einblicke Studierender in ihre zukünftige professionelle Praxis. In den vergangenen Jahren wurde diesen Lerngelegenheiten im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs viel Aufmerksamkeit zugewandt. Unterschiedliche Akteurinnen und Akteure in den Schulen und an der Universität sind damit be...

Vor dem Hintergrund der zunehmenden Bedeutung von E-Portfolios in Bildungskontexten stellt der vorliegende Beitrag ein entsprechendes Konzept vor, welches für das fachdidaktische Praktikum Englisch an Sekundarschulen im Rahmen einer Arbeitsgruppe an der Universität Bamberg entwickelt und evaluiert wurde. Die Evaluation basiert schwerpunktmäßig auf...

This study explores how mental health is represented and discussed in English-language pop song lyrics. To this end, a specialized corpus of mental health songs, understood as songs that explicitly mention or refer to issues related to mental health and resilience, is analyzed through a combined linguistic/language-educational lens. The aim is to d...

The threat of climate change to our planet has made addressing environmental issues a global educational priority, encompassing various subjects and school levels in numerous countries, including Germany. As a result, English teachers are required to promote English language skills and global citizenship education (GCE) in their classrooms. Several...

Schulbezogene Praktika im Lehramtsstudium sind die ersten und frühzeitigen Einblicke Studierender in ihre zukünftige professionelle Praxis. In den vergangenen Jahren wurde diesen Lerngelegenheiten im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs viel Aufmerksamkeit zugewandt. Unterschiedliche Akteurinnen und Akteure in den Schulen und an der Universität sind damit be...

Schulbezogene Praktika im Lehramtsstudium sind die ersten und frühzeitigen Einblicke Studierender in ihre zukünftige professionelle Praxis. In den vergangenen Jahren wurde diesen Lerngelegenheiten im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs viel Aufmerksamkeit zugewandt. Unterschiedliche Akteurinnen und Akteure in den Schulen und an der Universität sind damit be...

Schulbezogene Praktika im Lehramtsstudium sind die ersten und frühzeitigen Einblicke Studierender in ihre zukünftige professionelle Praxis. In den vergangenen Jahren wurde diesen Lerngelegenheiten im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs viel Aufmerksamkeit zugewandt. Unterschiedliche Akteurinnen und Akteure in den Schulen und an der Universität sind damit be...

This article discusses the use of eco-picturebooks for older learners, presenting features of these picturebooks, selection criteria, and practical suggestions focusing on the United Nation's SDGs.

This edited volume provides innovative insights into how critical language pedagogy and taboo topics can inform and transform the teaching and learning of foreign languages. The book investigates the potential as well as the challenges involved in dealing with taboo topics in the foreign language classroom traditionally subsumed under the acronym P...

This volume focuses on the teaching of English as a foreign language to young learners at primary school. The volume features an introduction that covers essentials of teaching English to young learners from a theoretical, empirical, and neuroscientific perspective while also discussing the notion of a principled mindset, competence development, tr...

This article provides an overview of taboos in ELT through the lense of critical pedagogy and by focusing on teacher education.

“If music be the food of love, play on!” – This opening line of William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night is programmatic. Programmatic for the play, which is the most “musical” of Shakespeare’s plays, and programmatic for Shakespeare’s oeuvre overall. Many of the Bard’s plays feature songs at crucial points of the plot, serving dramatic or narrativ...

This volume focuses on the teaching of English as a foreign language to young learners at primary school. The volume features an introduction that covers essentials of teaching English to young learners from a theoretical, empirical, and neuroscientific perspective while also discussing the notion of a principled mindset, competence development, tr...

This volume focuses on the teaching of English as a foreign language to young learners at primary school. The volume features an introduction that covers essentials of teaching English to young learners from a theoretical, empirical, and neuroscientific perspective while also discussing the notion of a principled mindset, competence development, tr...

David Gerlach’s edited volume Kritische Fremdsprachendidaktik: Grundlagen, Ziele, Beispiele [Critical Foreign Language Education: Basic Issues, Goals, Examples] explores how foreign language education can be enriched and transformed through critical foreign language pedagogy. Focusing particularly on Germany, this publication fills an important res...

This paper examines ecomusicology from the perspective of foreign language education. As a relatively new field of research, ecomusicology can generally be described as an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on topics related to the environment, music, and culture. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, it offers new research directions for for...

In considering the development of global competence and ecological literacy as key goals, this chapter seeks an integrative approach that combines foreign language learning through songs with environmental education. The development of global competence and critical environmental literacies can thus be defined as the ability to interpret environmen...

This contribution discusses various concepts of grammar education and presents a guideline for grammar activity design. Practical examples such as guessing stories and milling around illustrate how grammatical competence can be developed in educational practice.

In this symposium we would like to address the integration of taboo topics in foreign language education.

This paper presents a 3-phase model of grammar instruction focusing on how to integrate movement/motion in grammar teaching.

Multimodal literature can be a motivating educational resource for learners due to the integration of different modes, their visual appeal, and learner-centred themes. Researchers today agree that reading authentic texts and helping learners develop an interest in free voluntary reading (FVR) can have great benefits for the development of foreign l...

This paper provides a lesson outline for secondary school ELT (grade 9/10) including photocopiable worksheets. Link: https://www.friedrich-verlag.de/bildung-plus/gesundheit-und-schule/corona-virus-schule/covid-19-what-does-it-really-teach-us/

This paper introduces the concept of pop culture literacy in English language education. (Englisch 5-10, 49/2020, Friedrich Verlag)

In the context of foreign language education, the importance of cultural and literary studies has grown continuously in our globalising world. Language educators and researchers are looking into ways in which inter- and transcultural awareness and competence can be developed so that learners become responsible global citizens. This volume invites t...

Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet has been subject to a range of modern adaptations. These include graphic novels, films, and songs. This paper offers an overview of methodological options for developing literature-related competences with Romeo and Juliet in EFL education. Interactive activities and a guideline for developing literature-based ta...

Children and adolescents consume, embrace, and discuss numerous texts from pop culture on a daily basis. Yet, the potential of pop culture texts for foreign language education has not been fully exploited in theoretical as well as practice-oriented discussions. This chapter addresses this gap by defining the term text followed by an outline of impo...

Popular culture surrounds adolescents on a daily basis. Watching music videos (MVs) is one of the ways in which they encounter the English language. But it is not only that. By consuming artefacts from popular culture such as MVs, learners of English are presented with specific images and identities of individuals, which can have an influence on th...

Foreign language teaching is a profession that comprises a wide range of issues and is from its very nature an interdisciplinary field of education. This volume provides an insight into twelve basic components of English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching. These include the concept of method/postmethod, competences, skills, vocabulary teaching, g...

This chapter provides an insight into significant teaching methods and approaches that have been proposed throughout the history of EFL teaching. Key terms will be defined and discussed by reviewing influential literature in the field of foreign language teaching methodology. Traditional teaching methods ranging from the Grammar-Translation Method...

Oral exams are a central component of both international tests as well as national school curricula. After a brief introduction into the importance of developing speaking skills as a vital part of communicative competence, this paper looks at the role oral exams play in the assessment of current EFL teaching programmes. It is shown that the importa...

The textbook is a significant medium of instruction in foreign language learning and teaching. Materials writers claim to implement the most recent foreign language acquisition research findings as well as modern approaches that are proposed by methodologists for the successful development of communicative competence. In spite of this, recent studi...

Learner autonomy is an important pedagogic concept in foreign language learning and teaching today and in addition, it is considered to be a significant educational goal. For the learner to become autonomous, he must identify, rehearse and apply learning strategies, structure his own learning, and critically reflect upon his own learning processes...

Link: http://anglistik. univie.ac.at/views/