Ефекти примене аутентичних текстова у настави немачког језика на вештину писања и знања вокабулара
The effects of using authentic texts in German language teaching on writing skills and vocabulary knowledge

Summary/Abstract: Despite the use of modern textbooks and teaching materials in German language teaching, school and university students continue to have difficulty in applying their knowledge of the language and in understanding authentic language. Even after studying German at school for as long as eight years, students are frequently unable to apply their knowledge of the language in written and oral communication. One of the major problems and shortcomings of German language teaching is that learners of German, unlike learners of English, are not exposed to authentic language input, which is important for stimulating subconscious, and therefore more rapid and efficient, language acquisition. The aim of our research was to assess the effects of using authentic texts in German language teaching on students’ writing skills and vocabulary knowledge. An experimental study was conducted at the Novi Sad Faculty of Philosophy in the period October 2014 – June 2015 among students of an elective A2 level German language course. The findings indicate that the use of authentic texts in teaching has positive effects both on writing skills and on vocabulary knowledge. The results obtained from the experimental student group suggest a need for greater use of authentic texts in German language teaching, with the aim of developing language competences as well as tolerance and openness towards the foreign and the different, which is not always possible when using textbook texts.

• Details
• Contents