Welcome to the English Language Teaching (ELT) page. You can find out more about our team as well as our approaches toward research and teaching here. In addition, there are recommended readings for our various areas of expertise.
Our team
Find out more about the English Language Teaching (ELT) department
Responding to societal demands for increased professionalization and greater relevance to practice in teacher training, the English Language Teaching (ELT) department strives to provide students with the professional foundation needed to ensure that they can hone their teaching skills during the second, school-based, phase of teacher training.
To this end, in addition to theory-focused lectures, seminars, and practical courses at the university, students complete a weekly school placement over the course of one semester, and a four-week placement during the lecture-free period for each of their two subjects. During these placements, the students are forced to switch from their role as observers to the role of teachers for the first time and to prove themselves in this role. Successful completion of the four-week placement is a prerequisite for admission to the first state assessment in Saxony (Staatsexamen).
Teacher training students have been enrolled on the state assessment programme at the Institute of British Studies since the winter semester 2012/2013. There are separate courses of study for students training to teach English at a German Gymnasium, Oberschule, special school, or primary school. We have collected all of the most important information on ELT at the institute here.
Recommended reading and links
Why and how to use digital media. Apps and online tools for teaching are omnipresent. There are ever more of them, with an increasing number of functions. With this in mind, we have put together an overview of apps, which should make it easier to get started using digital tools for teaching English. We have made an effort to ensure that the apps we have listed are free and easy to use, and that, for the most part, pupils do not need accounts. Each section lists different possible actions for teaching, followed by a brief introduction on helpful digital tools and is illustrated with a few examples of apps. We also provide a list of alternative tools, which we would encourage you to explore independently. Of course, good English teaching is not produced with these tools alone. However, in a digital culture, these tools can enrich learner-oriented, differentiated and collaborative teaching if reflected upon didactically.
- „Online tools for TEFL (teaching and learning)/Online-Werkzeuge für TEFL (Lehren und Lernen)“ – cloud-based list available for download
- „Online tools for TEFL/Online-Werkzeuge für TEFL“ – interactive pinboard on the TaskCards platform*
- „Digital tools for pupil feedback/Digitale Werkzeuge für Schüler:innen-Feedback“ – interactive pinboard on the TaskCards platform*
* Clicking on the link redirects you to a page that is not on the Leipzig University servers. You don’t need to register or log in to read the page. If you choose to register, you do so at your own risk and not on the instruction of Leipzig University or the authors of the pinboard. All of the information on this page can also be accessed through official Leipzig University channels, for example, by using the cloud link listed above, or via email.
EFL curricula for Saxony (in German)
- Curriculum database of the Free State of Saxony
- Verordnung des Sächsischen Staatsministeriums für Kultus über allgemeinbildende Gymnasien und die Abiturprüfung im Freistaat Sachsen (Schulordnung Gymnasien Abiturprüfung – SOGYA) – Version valid from 1 August 2024
- Brochure: Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Kultus (Hrsg.): Das Abitur am allgemeinbildenden Gymnasien – Ausgabe 2023 (Die Jahrgangsstufen 11 und 12)
- Sample tasks: Musteraufgaben für das Fach Englisch zur Vorbereitung der Einführung länderübergreifender gemeinsamer Abiturprüfungen ab dem Schuljahr 2015/16
Online dictionaries
- Pons online dictionary
- dict.cc – German-English dictionary
- Online dictionary dict.leo.org/
- Online dictionary Merriam-Webster
Online newspapers
Online exercises
- Learning English online on englisch-hilfen.de
- English Grammar online
- Self-Study Grammar Quizzes
- Exams measuring English language proficiency
Materials/maps etc. for lessons
The British National Corpus
- The British National Corpus (BNC) is a 100 million word collection of samples of written and spoken language from a wide range of sources, designed to represent a wide cross-section of current British English, both spoken and written.
The Corpus of Contemporary American English
Online Puzzlemaker
Jochen Lueders' Homepage
More
- Bach, Gerhard und Johannes-Peter Timm (Hrsg.) (2003) Englischunterricht: Grundlagen und Methoden einer handlungsorientierten Unterrichtspraxis. 3. Auflage. Stuttgart: UTB.
- Decke-Cornill, Helene / Küster, Lutz (2010). Fremdsprachendidaktik. bachelor-wissen, Tübingen: Narr.
- Doff, Sabine und Friederike Klippel (2007) Englischdidaktik. Praxishandbuch für die Sekundarstufe I und II. Berlin: Cornelsen Scriptor.
- Gehring, Wolfgang (2004) Englische Fachdidaktik. Eine Einführung. 2. Auflage. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag (1. Auflage 1999).
- Grimm, Nancy, Michael Meyer und Laurenz Volkmann (2015) Teaching English. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto Verlag.
- Haß, Frank (Hrsg.) (2016) Fachdidaktik Englisch: Tradition, Innovation, Praxis. Stuttgart: Klett.
- Lüttge, Christiane (Hrsg.) (2014) Englisch-Methodik. Berlin: Cornelsen.
- Mindt, Dieter (2005) Unterrichtsplanung Englisch für die Sekundarstufe I. 3. Auflage. Stuttgart: Klett.
- Thaler, Engelbert (2012) Englisch unterrichten. Grundlagen, Kompetenzen, Methoden. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag.
- Timm, Johannes-Peter (Hrsg.) (1998) Englisch lernen und lehren: Didaktik des Englischunterrichts. Berlin: Cornelsen.
- Vielau, Axel (1997) Methodik des kommunikativen Fremdsprachenunterrichts: Ein lernerorientiertes Unterrichtskonzept (nicht nur) für die Erwachsenenbildung. Berlin: Cornelsen.
- Weskamp, Ralf (2001) Fachdidaktik: Grundlagen & Konzepte. Berlin: Cornelsen.
- Harmer, Jeremy (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching. 4th edition. Harlow: Pearson/Longman (1st edition 1988).
- Hedge, Tricia (2000) Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Johnson, Keith (2008) An Introduction to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching. 2nd edition. Harlow: Pearson/Longman (1st edition 2001).
- Larsen-Freeman, Diane (2000) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1st edition 1986).
- Müller-Hartmann, Andreas and Marita Schocker-von Ditfurth (2004) Introduction to English Language Teaching. Stuttgart: Klett.
- Richards, Jack C. and Theodore S. Rodgers (2001) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1st edition 1986).
- Scrivener, Jim (2005) Learning Teaching. A guidebook for English language teachers. 2nd edition. Oxford: Macmillan. (1st edition 1994).
- Scrivener, Jim (2011). Learning Teaching: The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching. 3rd edition. Macmillan Books for Teachers. Thailand: Macmillan. (contains CD-Rom).
- Ur, Penny (1996) A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Woodward, Tessa (2006) Planning Lessons and Courses: Designing Sequences of Work for the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Anders, Heidi (2010). 55 Stundeneinstiege Englisch: einfach, kreativ, motivierend. 3. Aufl. Donauwörth: Auer.
- Elena, Denise (2011). Dramapädagogik für Englisch in der Sekundarstufe: Klasse 5-10. Donauwörth: Auer.
- Grieser-Kindel, Christin / Henseler, Roswitha / Möller, Stefan (2006). Method Guide: Schüleraktivierende Methoden für den Englischunterricht in den Klassen 5-10. Paderborn: Schöningh.
- Grieser-Kindel, Christin / Henseler, Roswitha / Möller, Stefan (2009). Method Guide: Methoden für einen kooperativen und individualisierenden Englischunterricht in den Klassen 5-12. Paderborn: Schöningh.
- Keller, Eric / Warner, Sylvia T. (2002). Conversation Gambits: Real English Conversation Practices. Boston MA: Thomson Heinle, pp. 30-31, 46.
- Lee, W.R. (1986). Language Teaching Games and Contests. 2nd Ed. Oxford: OUP.
- Lindstromberg, Seth (ed.) (1997). The Standby Book: Activities for the Language Classroom. Cambridge: CUP.
- Lindstromberg, Seth (ed.) (2004). Language Activities for Teenagers. Cambridge: CUP.
- Markmann, Frauke (2013). Teaching English: Text Production – Klasse 7-8 Gymnasium. Donauwörth: Auer.
- Mattes, Wolfgang (2002). Methoden für den Unterricht: 75 kompakte Übersichten für Lehrende und Lernende. Paderborn: Schöningh. (nicht speziell für Englisch)
- Mc Kay, Penny / Guse, Jenni (2007). Five Minute Activities for Young Learners. Cambridge: CUP.
- Obee, Bob (1999). The Grammar Activity Book: A Resource Book of Grammar Games for Young Students. Cambridge: CUP.
- Oldham, Peter (2011). Englisch an Stationen: Übungsmaterial zu den Kernthemen der Bildungsstandards Klasse 9. Donauwörth: Auer. (diese Materialien gibt es auch für andere Klassenstufen) [see also: www.auer-verlag.de/shop/sekundarstufe/englisch/themenuebergreifend/6811-englisch-an-stationen-9.html]
- Rinvolucri, Mario (1986). Grammar Games: Cognitive, affective and drama activities for EFL students Cambridge: CUP.
- Seymour, David / Popova, Maria (2003). 700 Classroom Activities: Instant Lessons for Busy Teachers (Macmillan Books for Teachers). Oxford: MacMillan.
- Seymour, David / Popova, Maria (2005). 700 Classroom Activities: Instant Lessons for Busy Teachers. Macmillan Books for Teachers. Thailand: Macmillan.
- Thaler, Engelbert (2009). Method Guide: Kreative Methoden für den Literaturunterricht in den Klassen 7-12. Paderborn: Schöningh.
- Ur, Penny / Wright, Andrew (1995). Five-Minute Activties: A resource book of short activities. Cambridge: CUP (seventh printing).
- Ur, Penny (2013). Grammar Practice Activities: A Practical Guide for Teachers. 5th printing; Cambridge: CUP.
- Wright, Andrew / Betteridge, David / Buckby, Michael (2011). Games for Language Learning. Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers. 3rd edition, 8th printing. Cambridge: CUP.
- Ziegésar, Detlef und Margaret (1995). Einführung von Grammatik im Englischunterricht: Materialien und Modelle. München: Oldenbourg.
- Ziegésar, Detlef und Margaret (2000). Englische Grammatik 5./6. Schuljahr: 43 Arbeitsblätter für einen kommunikativen Grammatikunterricht. Arbeitsblätter Englisch. 3. Aufl. Stuttgart: Klett.
- Ziegésar, Detlef und Margaret (2009). Englische Grammatik 7./8. Schuljahr: 34 Arbeitsblätter für einen kommunikativen Grammatikunterricht. Arbeitsblätter Englisch. Stuttgart: Klett.
- Ziegésar, Detlef und Margaret (2009). Englische Grammatik 9./10. Schuljahr: 32 Arbeitsblätter für einen kommunikativen Grammatikunterricht. Arbeitsblätter Englisch. Stuttgart: Klett.
And titles on methodology from Delta publishing (26.06.2020)
- Bausch, Karl-Richard, Herbert Christ und Hans-Jürgen Krumm (Hrsg.) (2007) Handbuch Fremdsprachenunterricht. 5. Auflage. Tübingen und Basel: A. Francke Verlag (1. Auflage 1989).
- Richards, Jack C. and Richard Schmidt (2002) Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. 3rd edition. Harlow: Pearson/Longman (1st edition 1985).
- Englisch: Unterricht, Übungen Material. 5 – 10. Seelze/Velber: Kallmeyer Verlag.
- Der fremdsprachliche Unterricht: Englisch. Seelze/Velber: Erhard Friedrich Verlag GmbH.
- Praxis Fremdsprachenunterricht. München: Oldenbourg Schulbuchverlag GmbH.
- English Language Teaching. London: Oxford University Press.
- TESL-EJ (Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language - Electronic Journal)
- ELT journal: An international journal for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Oxford University Press, Online: https://academic.oup.com/eltj/issue-archive (last accessed: 28.06.2025)
- Fremdsprachen Lehren und Lernen (FLuL), https://www.narr.de/linguistik/zeitschriften/flul/
- Journal of Language Teaching. Online: https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2770-4602 (last accessed 29.06.2025)
- Language Teaching and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa: National Foreign Language Research Center. Online: https://www.lltjournal.org/ (last accessed 29.06.2025)
- Language Teaching Research. Online: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/LTR (last accessed: 29.06.2025)
- Language Testing: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ltj (last accessed 29.06.2025)
- NM: Neusprachliche Mitteilungen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis. Oldenbourg-Schulbuchverlag: Allgemeiner Deutscher Neuphilologenverband & Fachverband Moderne Fremdsprachen
- The Modern Language Journal (MLJ) Wiley-Blackwell. National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations. Online: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15404781 (last accessed: 29.06.2025)
- Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. TESOL journal. Wiley. Online: doi.org/10.1002 (last accessed 28.06.2025)
- TESL-EJ: Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language - Electronic Journal. Online: http://tesl-ej.org (last accessed: 28.06.2025)
- Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung: ZFF. Bremen: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fremdsprachenforschung, Online: https://www.dgff.de/publikationen/zff/ (last accessed: 28.06.2025)
- Zeitschrift für Interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht: MehrSprachen Lernen und Lehren, Darmstadt: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, Online: https://zif.tujournals.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de (last accessed 28.06.2025)