Presented During:
Saturday, November 21, 2026: 4:45 PM - 5:00 PM CST
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
Room:
Room 213A
Proposal No:
3247
Type:
Practice-Oriented Paper
Applicable Language:
German
Language of Presentation:
English
Lead Presenter:
Friederike Knuepling
Stanford BOSP (Berlin)
Submitter:
Friederike Knuepling
Humboldt Universitaet Berlin
Content and Purpose:
Introducing professional topics at the Intermediate-High level is challenging: learners pursue diverse careers, and instructors must keep pace with fast-changing professional language. This paper presents a three-session instructional sequence for IH and Advanced learners that links key patterns of business German with individualized career contexts. Using authentic materials and AI-supported research, students explore roles, companies, and typical tasks aligned with their interests and share findings with peers. A scaffolded progression moves from shared foundations (company structures, departments, responsibilities) to specialized tasks, culminating in a collaborative assessment-center scenario. The sequence fosters field-specific vocabulary, core professional functions (role description, task prioritization, negotiation, appropriate address), and learner confidence through realistic, engaging scenarios. While illustrated with German, the sequence is transferable to other languages.
Outcomes:
Design a scaffolded instructional sequence that links Intermediate-High and Advanced language functions to the classroom’s diverse and individualized career paths.
Use AI-supported research strategically to help students generate authentic, level-appropriate, field-specific professional language and tasks, even beyond the instructor’s own area of expertise.
Implement an Inbox Exercise role-play and learner self-assessment rubric to simulate assessment-center situations, practice professional grammar and discourse strategies, and support learners in connecting language learning to their own professional identity and professional development
Program Guide Description:
Preparing students for international careers in a fast-changing job market is increasingly complex. This paper presents an Intermediate-High lesson sequence using authentic and AI-supported research, culminating in realistic assessment-center tasks that build up-to-date professional German, transferable job market skills, and learner confidence.
Audience Level:
Post-Secondary
Keywords:
Career, Community, or Global Connections