Queer for learners of German
1969 – 2019 | 50 years Stonewall Riots

For Learners of German as a Foreign Language

From students, for students: Gender diversity and equality in German

Gender equality, diversity and identity - if you´re a teenager or young adult, these terms may be quite difficult to grasp in your own native language, let alone in a foreign language. QP, a multimedia booklet written from the perspective of a teenager, takes on the challenge by inviting learners of German to creatively explore, probe and expand their linguistic skills on topics such as:

• 100 Years of German Queer History
• Identity and Discrimination
• Protest Movements
• Gender Equality and Diversity

Describing and reflecting upon everyday situations and dilemmas, readers are invited to ask open ended questions, without being pressured to come up with ready-made answers. Learners are encouraged to examine how the issues of gender diversity play out in their own schools and communities, how they personally position themselves vis-à-vis diversity, as well as what they can do to help others feel accepted and included. Many tasks tap into students’ creativity and encourage them to share their ideas and connect with other German learners outside the classroom on the Goethe-Institut’s social media channels.

For Teachers

How to include topics such as gender equality and identity politics in foreign language curricula? Educators of foreign languages often struggle to find age-appropriate instruction materials through which to teach gender diversity, despite it being such an intensively debated topic in the public discourse. The exhibition Queer as German Folk - on display at several Goethe-Institutes worldwide - provided an excellent opportunity to think about the topic through the eyes of teenagers and design a set of instructional materials for German students and teachers. 

Materials can be used independently of the Queer as German Folk exhibition and are geared towards students at the higher end of the A1 level (beginning second year German).

Download the Queer as German Folk student materials above. Prefer printed copies? Contact your local Goethe-Institut.

Using our materials? We want to hear from you! Please let us know in what ways you engage with them. Drop us a line: teacherservice-newyork@goethe.de.