230349 Applying Linguistics in the Primary English Classroom (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

The seminar is designed to show students that linguistics and language teaching are inseparably connected and that a solid understanding of linguistic knowledge is part of their professionalization as future teachers of English.
We start by connecting linguistics to familiar ground (own school experiences, textbooks) and then dive into the method of conversation analysis in a very detailed manner. The goal is to engage students gradually in more complex tasks like close readings of CA research, practicing how to identify the structure of a paper and learning to discuss it with peers. These steps then build towards enabling them to not only understand other people’s research but also carry out a small project of their own applying CA as a method.
By the end, students should be able to formulate a research question that CA can address, analyze classroom data and present their findings in a structured and accessible way. In that sense, the seminar is not just about learning CA as a part of their linguistic studies, but about realizing how it can help them answer questions about what happens in the English classroom and why.

Requirements for participation, required level

Students require basic knowledge and terminology acquired in Basis 3.1 and 3.2. It is highly recommended that they have successfully completed these courses before attending this seminar.