The Philippine German Language Teachers’ Conference took place on March 12–13 under the theme "Strengthening Digital German Teaching Skills in the Philippines", featuring virtual networking opportunities and workshops focused on strengthening digital German teaching skills in the Philippines.
Day 1: Virtual Networking Cocktail (March 12, 2021)
The event opened with a welcome from Katja Becker-Sliwa (DAAD), Jens Rösler (Goethe-Institut), and Marta Komicz (German European School Manila). This was followed by an insightful talk on "Growth Through Collaboration and Flexibility" by Angelo Siegel (Piefke Trading) and the first session of “Interactive Methods in Online Teaching” by Maria Wilke.
Participants engaged in a networking cocktail session with breakout rooms under the theme “Same but Different”, fostering connections among educators. The evening concluded with a pop-up consultation, where representatives from various organizations, including the Goethe-Institut, DAAD, and major German publishers (Hueber, Cornelsen, Ernst Klett, and TELC), provided updates and insights into teaching resources.
Day 2: Strengthening Digital German Teaching Skills (March 13, 2021)
The second day commenced with an opening ceremony featuring key remarks from Katja Becker-Sliwa, Jens Rösler, Marta Komicz, and Anke Reiffenstuel, the German Ambassador to the Philippines.
Key sessions included:
- “From Analog to Digital in 10 Steps” – A presentation by Katja Becker-Sliwa on adapting DaF teaching methods in the Philippines.
- “Self-care When Working From Home” – A session by Uta Boellinger (Cannelle Nutrition) highlighting strategies for maintaining well-being while teaching remotely.
- Parallel Workshops:
- "German in Motion" – Interactive grammar and vocabulary techniques (Lukas Mayrhofer, Hueber Verlag)
- "It’s Your Turn!" – Encouraging student participation in speaking activities (Alev Yazici, Cornelsen Verlag)
- "Online Teaching with Linie 1 Pflege B2" – Digital tools for professional German courses (Annalisa Scarpa-Diewald, Ernst-Klett-Sprachen)
- "Interactive Methods in Online Teaching II" – Practical applications for virtual classrooms (Maria Wilke)
The conference concluded with an update on visa procedures by Michael Kutzner (German Embassy Manila, Visa Section Head), followed by a raffle draw, where 10 participants won bags filled with DaF books and gifts.
With engaging discussions and practical workshops, the event successfully provided German language educators in the Philippines with new digital teaching strategies, valuable networking opportunities, and essential updates on language teaching resources.
