National Conference for Teachers of German

This seminar provides a brief overview of the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence for teaching German. We will look at how and where AI is used, how it can help us and what the dangers are. Some apps will be presented, which we can also try out (please bring your laptop). Finally, we will explore how AI, machines and robots have been part of German art and culture for a long time. These are useful if, for example, you want to plan a teaching unit in German lessons about the new age of AI.

Dr. Simone Smala
Simone Smala is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Queensland. She studied German and English at the University of Bielefeld and passed her First State Examination for Teaching Qualifications in 1991 with a thesis on the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. This was followed in 1997 by the Second State Examination at the Studienseminar Minden. Simone has worked as a German teacher in Queensland since 1992, with an interruption from 1995-1997 for her traineeship in Germany. After completing her PhD in 2009, Simone took up a position at the University of Queensland.

Before the pandemic, Box Hill High School offered ‘Spiel mit’, a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) programme in which students learned German by playing board games. This session will explore the pedagogical insights, benefits and challenges of using board games in the language classroom. It will also show how to develop your own games beyond simple classics such as bingo or memory. Participants are asked to bring their own game to share with the group in the last part of the session.

Nathaniel Smith
Nathaniel has been teaching at Box Hill High School in Melbourne since 2015. He is a Goethe-Institut multiplier and is interested in computer technology, linguistics and history. Nathaniel learnt German as a pupil and student and is now passionate about inspiring his students to learn German as a teacher.

This workshop provides teachers with the essential approaches of regional studies didactics and their application in the classroom. Participants will learn how to formulate culturally relevant learning objectives and integrate them into their lessons. They will also become more aware of how previous cultural experiences influence perception in language lessons and practical principles for intercultural teaching will be presented. 

Miriam Garrido
Miriam has a passion for the German language, culture, teaching and learning. After completing her secondary school teaching degree in Frankfurt am Main in 2016, she moved to Melbourne, Australia. Teaching German as a foreign language was initially unfamiliar territory, but through teaching experience, numerous training courses and a love of learning, Miriam has been an established teacher, examiner and team colleague at the Goethe-Institut Melbourne since 2017. She believes that learning is a dialogue. As teachers, we also learn from our learners, especially about their perspectives and culture.

This workshop demonstrates how to use AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to create diverse teaching and learning resources in Languages. Ideally suited to those new to AI, participants will learn how to:

• craft customised reading, listening and audio/visual texts tailored to different proficiency levels
• design assessment tasks including marking criteria, rubrics, and sample responses.
• seek teaching advice and gain fresh perspectives on texts and classroom issues
• explore innovative 'app-smashes' for creating multi-format resources.

Basic principles in prompt writing will also be presented. Bring your laptop!

Alison Dean
Alison Dean is the Owner and Director of ADECS Educational Consultancy Services, a Sydney-based provider of professional learning in Languages. She has taught in leading independent schools here and abroad, holding Heads of Department and executive roles in Languages, Curriculum Design and Professional Learning. She is an assessment and syllabus writer for the NSW Educational Standards Authority and presents courses on languages methodology and ICT integration for the University of Sydney. Alison is the NSW representative on the National Association of Teachers of German, and the professional learning facilitator for the Goethe-Institut in NSW.

Using exemplary situations, we will familiarise ourselves with methods that encourage learners to correct themselves autonomously and answer the following questions: When is error correction appropriate and when is it not? What options do we have for not interrupting the flow of speech but still doing important language work? How can I correct errors in an appreciative and motivating way? 

Natalie Miller
After studying Romance languages and literature and sports science, Natalie completed a GFL training programme as a teacher trainer and trainer at IH in Berlin. She has been working for the Goethe-Institut since 2019, where she took on the role of Language Course and Exam Officer in Sydney in 2024. In her workshops, she places particular emphasis on animating teaching methods. She has already given training courses on the use of movement in grammar lessons (‘Bewegte Grammatik’, Goethe-Institut Sydney) and a workshop on motivating young people (‘Deutsch ist geil’ - Jugendliche motivieren, IH GLS Berlin). She is passionate about languages and loves talking about the German language and its special features and is very much looking forward to the conference.

Hand in hand with Friday's presentation ‘Acquiring intercultural competence in the language classroom’, this workshop will bring theory into the classroom. Together we will explore how intercultural learning can be combined with the ‘Skills for the Future’.  

Our focus will be on engaging students in different contexts that require social intelligence, empathy and teamwork, among others, while providing authentic learning experiences on a communicative and cognitive level and enabling students to understand the situations while acting appropriately in German. 

Eva Spiesberger
Eva Spiesberger has been working as a teacher at the Goethe-Institut Australia since 2008. She teaches at all levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and is also an examiner and trainer. In addition, she supports programmes for German teachers and learners in Australia, but also across countries and in the regional network of the Goethe-Institut. 

In the workshop ‘Virtual journey: Discovering Germany with VR glasses’, German teachers will learn how to use VR technology as an innovative tool in the classroom. The interactive workshop provides an introduction to the use of VR goggles, specifically the Oculus Quest, to give learners an immersive experience of German cities, cultures and historical sites. Participants will have the opportunity to try out the goggles for themselves and develop practical ideas for use in the classroom. 

Miriam Garrido
Miriam has a passion for the German language, culture, teaching and learning. After completing her secondary school teaching degree in Frankfurt am Main in 2016, she moved to Melbourne, Australia. Teaching German as a foreign language was initially unfamiliar territory, but through teaching experience, numerous training courses and a love of learning, Miriam has been an established teacher, examiner and team colleague at the Goethe-Institut Melbourne since 2017. She believes that learning is a dialogue. As teachers, we also learn from our learners, especially about their perspectives and culture. 

This workshop gives teachers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the ‘Unternehmen Deutsch’ project from the perspective of their students. We will dive into the individual modules and tasks together and explore the learning platform as your students would. The aim is to find out how you can best integrate this project into your German lessons. Use this opportunity to develop practical methods and strategies that will enrich your lessons. 

Jenna Baughurst
Jenna Baughurst has been teaching in Queensland State Schools for thirteen years, working across a number of schools in both primary and secondary in a range of different settings. She currently teaches in the German Immersion Program at Kenmore State High School working with students in years seven, eight and nine. Jenna loves engaging with other passionate language educators in her role as Professional Learning Facilitator for the Goethe-Institut and looks forward to exchanging ideas at the conference.

Sarah Johnston
Sarah Johnston has been teaching in Queensland in a range of settings for over 20 years. She currently teaches in the German Immersion Program at Kenmore State High School. In particular, Sarah enjoys working with senior languages students, guiding them through school-based assessments and preparing them for external exams. She has many roles with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority around senior German assessment and is also Secretary of the German Teachers' Branch of LTQ and a Goethe-Institut Professional Learning Facilitator and is looking forward to sharing experiences in Melbourne.

In this workshop, we will explore in four stations how some of the more than 100 tasks of the Deutschland.Kennen.Lernen app and the accompanying Deutschland poster can be used in the classroom and at the same time contribute to promoting learner autonomy. We will try out all seven types of activities and gather ideas on how best to incorporate them into our German lessons. 

i-Pads will be provided. But if you want, you can download the app to your smartphone in advance. 

Google Play Store 
Apple App Store 

Andrea Simmelbauer
Andrea Simmelbauer has been teaching German as a foreign language for over 25 years. After teaching in public schools in both London and Verona, she joined the Goethe-Institut in 2011, first in Milan and then moving to Sydney in 2018. Andrea has experience in teaching all levels and age groups and is also a certified Goethe examiner and trainer. She also works in the Educational Services Department of the Goethe-Institut Australia and is based in Sydney.