German in the Marketplace of Languages: Why Students of German and of Four Other Languages Say That They and Others Might Choose German

Abstract

This study examined why current university learners of French, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese, and, for comparative purposes, actual university learners of German, believe that others and why they themselves would study German. Responses were compared against current motivation theories, narratives promoted by academic language programs, research in language and country branding, documents issued by professional organizations, and demographic backgrounds of the participating population. Results included the following: (1) The responses of German students were distinct, yet the other four groups also differed from each other, with varying degrees and types of inclination toward German study, (2) heritage was less likely to attract students than a lack of heritage was to discourage students, (3) academic programs in German were particularly likely to promote culture even as none of the learner groups considered culture to be a superior attractor, (4) affinity to the language was an important consideration for learners, and (5) learners differentiated between personal reasons and reasons that they attributed to others. This study suggests both inherent limits of and possible directions for growth in German enrollments, points out competing and sometimes contradicting narratives that learners face, and identifies gaps between recruitment efforts and clientele expectations.

“Analytical,” “Angry,” and “(Too) Honest”?! Learners' Stereotypes about Teachers of German

“…German programs should review curricula and advertisement strategies. Programs tend to glorify representations of white NSs from Central-European countries in their teaching materials and promotional efforts (Chavez, 2020a;Gallagher & Zenker, 2020;Manthripragada & Mušanović, 2020).…”

“…They often characterize TL communities as groups of NSs living in different geographical locations (Magnan et al, 2014; White, 2016). Despite efforts by researchers to contest the idealization of NSs (Cook, 2016; Leonard, 2019), the NS ideal has persisted in the minds of educators and students (Chavez, 2020a). In German Studies, authentic native voices are often associated with white personae, primarily from Germany (Bryant et al, 2021; Criser & Knott, 2019; Gallagher & Zenker, 2020; Ilett, 2009).…”

“…Learners and instructors can form a sense of belonging through engagement with the TL. Indeed, an affinity to the language itself seems to be an important personal reason for WL learners to study German (Chavez, 2020a). Activities to support a connectedness among members of this local community can span from the classroom – like projects helping learners explore the language in the context of their own lives, careers, and communities – to regular events beyond the classroom – like small conferences on campus at which students present language‐related projects and their connections to a U.S. context.…”

“…A look at how language programs often advertise the study of German or how collegiate students imagine German native speakers (NSs), their language, and cultural practices shows that stereotypical notions about all things German are more dominant than one might presume (Bryant et al, 2021;Chavez, 2020aChavez, , 2020bCriser & Knott, 2019). Little is known, however, about the stereotypes linked to members of learners' immediate second language (L2) community -the German classroom.…”

Going above and beyond: Motivations of L2 German learners to (dis)continue language study

“…To gain a better understanding of what motivates university‐level FL learners in the United States to learn a range of LOTEs (including German), researchers have explored potential differences in students’ motivations (Thompson, 2017b). Relatedly, recent studies have looked specifically at German's standing in the “marketplace of languages” (Chavez, 2020) and investigated why students do or do not enroll in FL classes more generally (Murphy et al., 2022). This study continues in the tradition of investigating learner motivation, but unlike previous research, we use the decision to continue or discontinue language study beyond the university language requirement as the outcome measure by which learners are grouped for purposes of comparison.…”