Actually, no... language is a social and cultural tool that is intimately tied to our identity, values and to the social groups we live in. At Liverpool, we invite our students to reflect on the social, political, historical and geographical implications of the languages they encounter. We empower them to question linguistic stereotypes and unconscious linguistic biases and to see why languages can hurt both the individual and society as a whole. Our students develop the necessary awareness to use all their languages inclusively and fairly. We use authentic and often unscripted language from the countries where the language is spoken to develop an understanding of different varieties and their social implications.
We recognise the fact that spoken language is different from written language and focus on unique features of conversations to help our students communicate authentically and confidently in their second languages. Why not try the online materials we created for the teaching of German conversation as part of this project?
Back to: Centre for Teaching Excellence in Language Learning
