The Freedom to Travel, the Limitations of Borders Teaching Global Perspectives of the Long 19th Century

• Published in: Die Unterrichtspraxis Vol. 52; no. 2; pp. 161 - 166
• Main Authors: McLary, Laura, Scheve, Emma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cherry Hill Wiley 01.10.2019; Wiley-Blackwell; American Association of Teachers of German, Inc
• Subjects: 19th century; Advanced Courses; College Second Language Programs; College Students; Colonialism; Core curriculum; Course Content; Cultural Education; Cultural instruction; Educational Change; Educational materials; Ethnicity; Females; Genre; German; German as a second language instruction; German culture; German language; Global Approach; Higher education; History Instruction; Identification (Psychology); Inclusion; Introductory Courses; Language Proficiency; Literary Genres; Native Speakers; Orientalism; Part Time Faculty; Primary Sources; Second Language Instruction; Student Diversity; Summative Evaluation; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Travel; Universities; Writing Assignments; Writing Instruction; Oregon (Portland); Oregon; United States > US
• ISSN: 0042-062X; 1756-1221; 1756-1221
• DOI: 10.1111/tger.12099

This article describes a significant revision of an existing upper-division German course to include more global perspectives of the long 19th century. The revision was undertaken in collaboration with an advanced undergraduate student. The course provides an important opportunity to upend preconceptions students might have about German-speaking identity and belonging. It supports a global perspective that sees German-speaking people engaging with others around the world not only through travel but also through a long history of welcoming others into or repelling them outside of a real or imagined set of boundaries around German identity and belonging. Primary sources used in this course include literary works, travel writing, feuilleton, and images such as posters and postcards. Expanding the course content to provide a global perspective also intersects with the University of Portland’s German program goals of creating a more inclusive pedagogy that speaks to a diversity of learning needs, experiences, and ethnic and gender identities of an increasingly diverse student population. Through structured summative discussions, students develop a wider, more nuanced view of German identity, in tandem with language-learning goals specific to the genre-based approach of the German program at the University of Portland such as using discourse markers for discussion. Students engage with the materials through comparison and first forays into applying a theoretical lens like colonialism. By using tools of intersectional comparison to engage with texts and images, students demonstrate the ability to employ an intellectually sophisticated and flexible framework that extends beyond the boundaries of a traditionally prescribed German culture curriculum.