Tag Archives: Teaching

28 September 2022Teaching ToolsAmerica, German American Day, German Language Students, Germany, Language, Learning Langauges, Leuphana, Leuphana University, Mark Twain, Teaching, Teaching Language, The Awful German Language, United StatesSabrina Völz

Having Fun with Language on German American Day 2022

By Sabrina Völz

In countries, such as Poland and the Netherlands, learning German is on the rise. Yet, in the U.S., it’s been declining for the past hundred years. Numbers of students learning German have decreased from roughly two million in 1910 to a little over one million today. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that German programs have been closing all over the U.S. The very liberal arts college I attended as a bachelor student in Indianola, Iowa – Simpson College – eliminated its German program a few years ago. So in preparation for this German American Day (Oct. 6), I decided to attempt to do some PR for German.

Recently, while I was surfing the web, I came across something that almost knocked me for a loop. It’s nothing bad, just a 58-letter word. So let’s hear that drum roll….

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ViZqQkddCc

That word is: Kurzfristen-energie-versorgungs-sicherungs-maßnahmen-verordnung.

11 November 2020Access AmericaCompassionate Language, Discrimination, Discriminatory Language, Diversity, Education, Epoch Education, Equity, Inclusion Training, Inclusive Cultures, Interview, Leuphana, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Nancy Dome, Race, Racial Issues, Racist Remarks, Students, Teachers, Teaching, Understanding DiversityHenrike Kattoll

“My Goal Would Be To Go Out of Business and Go Back to the Classroom”: An Interview with Nancy Dome

By Sabrina Völz

At the dinner table, on the train, or at work, we witness discriminatory language or racist remarks from time to time. We often know that we should say something, but we – for one reason or another – do not always get involved. Many people would like to do more but don’t always know how. Dr. Nancy Dome, who has worked with children and educators for over 20 years, has literally made that quandary both her business and mission. This week’s blog features an interview with the CEO of Epoch Education about fostering the understanding of diversity and the development of inclusive cultures.

27 May 2020Teaching ToolsLeuphana, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Poem Analysis, Poems, Poetry, Teaching, WritingHenrike Kattoll

A Changing Mindset: Teaching “A Mown Lawn” by Lydia Davis

By Sabrina Völz

Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 (10:47 a.m.)
Lydia Davis (1947- ) is a lover of language and an American writer, probably in that order. She’s best known for her minimalist writing style and works of brevity (short stories, flash fiction, and narratives made up of only a couple of lines). One of my favorite prose poems is “A Mown Lawn.” It is literally one-of‑a kind. Well, almost. I think Davis wrote two political pieces, of which “A Mown Lawn” is one. If you aren’t familiar with it, please read it, otherwise this blog might not make sense (see image below).
As some of our loyal readers might recall, my colleague Maria Moss has written several blogs on how to teach poetry, including “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost and Haikus. But I’m not like her. To be honest, I’m somewhat leery of the long faces students often make when they hear the word ‘poetry.’ Determined to give it a try, I prepared a lesson that would hopefully help my students appreciate Davis’s poem, engage with the topics, and think about language – the power of language, or should I say, the lack thereof? Anyway, here are my notes:

12:10 p.m.
Off to class. Let’s see how it goes.
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