Principles of teaching foreign languages to students in higher education institutions in Germany

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal the principles of teaching foreign languages to students in higher education institutions in Germany. The main tasks of teaching foreign languages in higher education institutions in Germany are determined. They are: achieving a high level of language proficiency by students (often B2/C1 according to CEFR), which is sufficient for successful study and professional activity, preparation for international academic mobility, development of students’ critical thinking and skills of adaptation to changing living conditions, etc. The approaches on which the process of teaching foreign languages to students in higher education institutions in Germany is based are highlighted. They are: communicative approach, competency approach, personality-activity approach, research approach etc. The main principles of teaching foreign languages to students in higher education institutions in Germany are characterized. They are: student-centeredness of the learning process; individualization and differentiation of the learning process; autonomy of the higher education institution in organizing the educational process and increasing the level of students’ autonomy and independence in the learning process; connection of learning with life; intercultural orientation of the educational process; target orientation of the learning process; orientation of the learning process towards the personality’s holistic development and formation of various skills; communicative orientation of the process of teaching foreign languages; integration of a foreign language with other academic subjects, combination of learning foreign languages with students’ main specialization, which is particularly important for students of non-philological specialties; integration of traditional educational practices and educational innovations, in particular digital technologies, non-traditional forms and methods of learning; use of authentic (original) educational materials; orientation of the process of learning a foreign language to CEFR standards; introduction of a research approach to teaching languages in German universities; contextual learning of foreign languages.