Professor Costabile-Heming, what kind of reputation does the German language have in the United States?
It’s still very good. On the one hand, it’s rooted in the history of German immigrants to the US. That’s why German is still traditionally cultivated in states like Kentucky and Ohio. But German as a foreign language also attracts a lot of people for very practical, presentday reasons. Germany is a very interesting economic partner for the USA where brands like Siemens, BASF, Volkswagen and Mercedes are household names. German companies invest a great deal in the United States. Anyone interested in finding out more about them is well-equipped if they speak German. But Germany is an important partner for the USA in international relations as well, for instance in the area of security policy. All this makes the language additionally attractive. And German can also play an important role as a “mediating language”. Take the example of Eastern Europe or Russia. If exchanges don’t work in Russian or English, then German is often the key to better mutual understanding.
What kind of cultural attraction does German have?
It naturally has a great cultural attraction. It’s almost impossible to look into philosophy without encountering the influence of German intellectuals. People who have mastered German can read such things freely without having to rely on the interpretations of translators. This makes individual access so much easier. But I think that knowledge of the language makes other areas of culture more accessible as well, for instance the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
How did you discover your own interest in German?
I took a roundabout route: I’d learned Spanish as a foreign language at high school. At university I studied chemistry and parallel to that, German, because it’s an important language in science. In the end my German grades were better than those in chemistry, and my interest in the language eventually led to my work as a professor.
What kind of image of Germany does your association want to convey to students?
Contemporary Germany is an open, multicultural country. This is a point we particularly want to convey to our school and university students. Germany certainly has a very complex history about which many people would like to learn more. But in this case as well, they hope to gain a better understanding through the German language. Of course, our basic intention is not simply to teach language skills, but also to direct attention to questions about society.
How is this illustrated in your work?
One example is migration policy in Germany and the USA, which we compare in our courses. In our classes we make a conscious effort to broaden perspectives, which in turn helps in the analysis of issues in the domestic context, too. We also use media from Germany which offer additional valuable viewpoints on the USA. In this respect exchanges between schools on both sides of the Atlantic are especially helpful. Today’s technologies, such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs, offer us entirely new ways of communicating with each other. Skype is a fantastic instrument as well, because it enables German and American partner schools to engage in direct interchange. And of course, we not only support virtual exchanges, we also offer exchange programs. We want to convey a living image of Germany.
School teachers form a major group in your organization. The other main group consists of university professors. What role does this play in the work of the AATG?
A very important role. Our aim is to provide a central thread to young teachers of German in schools and universities. That’s why the majority of our further training seminars and workshops are designed for both teachers and professors. We also like to keep a balance in the organization of the AATG. That includes the position of president as well: my deputy represents the school teachers’ group and will be replacing me in two years’ time. In addition to this, all of our members have Internet access to our two specialist journals: Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, which focuses on teaching theories and The German Quarterly, which takes an in-depth approach to cultural topics.
In which projects is the AATG currently involved?
One example is Goethe-Institut’s trilingual online community Todo Alemán which was developed with the help of AATG experts. Linking up with Spanish is important for us American teachers, too, because this language is becoming more and more important in the US. We also cooperate closely with Goethe-Institut in further education for teachers, who then act as multipliers by training other German teachers away from the big cities. And then in June we’re holding our second AATG seminar in Berlin “Neuer Blick, neue Stimmen”. It will center on the intercultural diversity of the Federal Republic and certainly be of great benefit in providing us with inspiration and impulses for our work.
