Current Executive: Heide Doppmeier (President), Sandra Hoenle (Vice-President), Roswita Dressler (Secretary) and Tracey Holstein (Treasurer)
Stammtische
The Calgary Stammtisch group had a very informative meeting about the Sprachdiplom with our new Fachberater, Wieland Petermann. We also discussed other events at the various schools in Calgary that teach German.
Communications
The AATG is now also listed on the International Directory of Professional Associations and is working on a new bulletin board system in order to improve communication between our members and to let other organizations know who we are and what kind of work we are doing.
German Language Education Consortium
The Consortium held its last meeting on November 9, 2007. Here are some highlights:
1. German Language promotion
There are ongoing efforts to promote awareness of German programs (FL and Biling) and the importance of language learning. A subcommittee has been struck to discuss future strategies.
2. A Memorandum of Understanding has been drafted and circulated among members to be signed by their respective institutional leaders. Members include Alberta Education, U of Alberta, U of Calgary, a number of school boards from across the province, and a number of parent and business groups. The purpose of the Consortium is to support one another in our efforts promote and maintain German language learning in the province.
3. Alberta Education will not be implementing the grades 4-9 second language requirement, but will continue to support second language programs. They have developed these resources:
A guide for school administrators for implementing language programming. Brochures available from Alberta Education.
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/languages/schadm_rev07.pdf
4. Marketing Sub-Committee Report (From January 11, 2008):
General Discussion:
- We need to market the value of learning German in general and then indicate the options: language and Culture and Bilingual. We can market Language and Culture and Bilingual programs to the same demographics without hurting either program, because they appeal entirely different audiences within the demographic. The two programs target/attract different parents/students.
The Strategy:
- Develop a solid proposal for creating a model second languages marketing strategy that could be adapted for building enrolments for any language (including German) and submit the proposal to Alberta Education for a German pilot co-funded by Alberta Education and the German Language Education Consortium. The intent is to identify both key messages that we want to disseminate and identify also the best documents that we have available that we may want to reproduce as is for marketing purposes or adapt. The review would also be a chance to determine if there are gaps that need to be filled (audiences that we have not been targeting effectively, information gaps, marketing resource gaps, etc.). The review process could be part of the proposal to Alberta Education.
- Information being gathered will focus not only on German materials but also effective advertising and promotional material used for other languages, so that we can get ideas or content that could be useful for German as well.
- One idea was to create a website to serve as a clearing house for all information about German language Education. Copies of the best documents and information identified through the review of promotional materials would be posted on this site. Links to other good German and language learning sites would be included. For those who want more information, the website would include research documents, literature reviews, etc. It was noted that not all of our target audience has computer access so other means to get the information/messages out would need to be part of the strategy. One suggestion for capturing a passive audience was TV advertising. This option is very expensive but has the potential to reach a large number of people and may be the first time they encounter a message about learning German, which may make people more receptive to subsequent messages delivered in other formats (newspapers, bus advertising, billboards, pamphlets, brochures, flyers, radio spots, mail outs, displays, etc.)
- Another idea was to use the educational and technology expertise of the consortium members to make German language learning “events” (German field trips, discussions of topics of interest, mini-lessons, cultural events, etc.) available to German students (and/or potential German students) all over the province via distance communication/learning technologies (online, video-conferencing, etc.).
Some Key Initial Messages:
- The language proficiency Alberta students gain in German (or any language) correlates to levels in the European Framework. Functional proficiency in a second language is possible and achievable through the Alberta School system.
- Students in the 3-year program can achieve an A2 level.
- Proficiency in a second language is “currency” (educational, occupational, etc.) would be a key message.
- While the Chinese bilingual program has the highest enrolment, German has the highest retention rate. Why is this the case? What lesson can we learn that we can use in marketing German?
- The fact that students who pass the Sprachdiplom C1 have the potential to study free of charge at a German university is a powerful selling point. The fact that the other levels of the Sprachdiplom offer international proficiency accreditation is also strong point for German.
- How do we get the average Alberta citizen to value language learning and language proficiency? Why should students learn German in particular?
- What are the myths about second (and 3rd) language learning that we need to combat?
Fachberater
Edmund Borschel, der Fachberater für Deutsch im Westen Kanadas, hat uns am Ende des Schuljahres verlassen. Edmunds Nachfolger, Wieland Petermann, hat Anfang September die Stelle als Fachberater angetreten.
Proficiency Exams
A record 122 students from Western Canada took the Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD) I proficiency exam and 56 took the DSD II. DSD II allows students entry into a German university. These exams will be changing in the future to align them with the proficiency levels in Europe. The new tests will be piloted next year. Language testing in generally is moving toward internationally recognized rather than provincial exams and Alberta Education working to assess which proficiency level in the European framework matches which grade level within the Alberta Curriculum framework.
German Day at the University of Calgary
On May 10, 2007, close to 100 students from Calgary participated in the First Annual German Day at the University of Calgary. Students from John G. Diefenbaker, Sir Winston Churchill and Lord Beaverbrook High Schools made use of their German skills as they participated in spelling, poetry, video, poster and skit competitions. Students were joined for the day by Jacobus Bouwman and Andreas Bayer, the honorary consuls from Germany and Switzerland, Janice Aubry from Alberta Education, Edmund Borschel, the German Language Consultant, and Jacques Ferguson and Elaine Schmidt from the Calgary Board of Education. University of Calgary students served as judges for the day. The event was sponsored by the University International Grants Committee and the Department of Germanic, Slavic and East Asian Studies. We look forward to next year's German Day on May 8, 2008.
Weiteres von der University of Calgary
Die Deutschabteilung an der University of Calgary unterrichtete letztes Jahr ungefähr 550 „Undergraduate“-Studierende (ungefähr 50 von ihnen haben Deutsch als Haupt- oder Nebenfach gewählt). Sechs Studierende befinden sich in unserem Masterprogramm. Bei der Vergabe von Stipendien sind unsere Studierenden sehr erfolgreich. Sechs unserer „Undergraduate“-Studierenden hatten letzten Sommer einen Studienaufenthalt in Deutschland.
AGM 2007 Minutes
The meeting took place on October 27, 2007 at 4:00 pm at the Delta Hotel in Calgary. In attendance were: Heidemarie Doppmeier, Sandra Hoenle, Tracey Holstein, Roswita Dressler, Jason Burns, Ron Sperling, Norman Zweifel, Wieland Petermann, and Margarita Hinrickson.
1. Introductions were made.
2. Heide Doppmeier reviewed the Calgary group’s activities, which has mostly consisted of Stammtische, over the last year.
3. Roswita Dressler spoke about last year’s German Day put on by the University of Calgary German Department. German Day will also take place in 2008. Calgary area teachers are encouraged to take part.
4. Tracey Holstein presented the 2006-2007 Treasurer’s Report. Heide spoke about the function of the bursary fund – to help cover expenses for PD.
5. The German teacher exchange programs offered by Alberta Learning were briefly discussed. There is information on both the AATG website, as well at the Alberta Learning website.
6. Heide announced that the AATG secretary position is open. Roswita Dressler offered her services for the position. No one has expressed interest in or forwarded nominations for the positions of President, Vice-President, or Treasurer. Heide Doppmeier, Sandra Hoenle, and Tracey Holstein have agreed to serve again in those positions.
7. Heide announced the Calgary group’s plan to hold a Lesson Share Fair on November 13 at John G. Diefenbaker High School. Calgary and area members were encouraged to take part.
8. The CATG conference 2008 will be held in Calgary, February 8-10, 2008. The AATG executive will be involved in the planning of this event and all members are encouraged to attend.
9. The next meeting of the German Language Education Consortium will take place on November 9, 2007, in Edmonton. More information will be included in our next newsletter on the AATG website.
10. Wieland Petermann, our new Fachberater, introduced himself.
Congratulations
This year’s recipient of the AATG Bursary was Tabitha Hofer, who teaches in the German Bilingual Program in Edmonton.
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