Learning German Traditions and Culture Is Easier Through German Holidays

Like any other country, Germany also celebrates its own German holidays. In German language, the term holiday is called Feiertage which can be divided into holiday calendars and movable feasts. Holidays that are celebrated on a certain fixed day on calendars while the movable feasts or popularly known as bewegliche Feste don't have a particular date for celebration. Like any other country, the start of the calendar or January 1 is reserved for the celebration of Neujahr or New Year's Day in English. Other celebrations are spread throughout the year until Silvester or New Year's Eve is celebrated on the last evening of the year or December 31.

Since Germany is a religious country, most of the celebrations are generally connected to catholic and protestant holidays. For German families, the most important meal of the year is usually the Christmas dinner. The holiday tradition for Christmas dinner may vary from each family as well as each region but there is always one thing in common, and that is to celebrate with the whole family on Heiligabend or Christmas Eve. It is the most awaited among all German holidays of every children because they finally get to gather round the der Tannenbaum (Christmas tree) to receive their die Bescherung (Christmas presents).

For Germany's history, the most important holiday is the German Unity day. This is celebrated October 3 every year and is considered as public holiday. Most documentation would refer to this day as the commemoration or anniversary date of German reunification. It was first celebrated in the year 1990 at Berlin which is the Capital of Germany. This public holiday comes with a citizen's festival and a ceremonial act that is hosted by the German state. The location of the celebration changes yearly- it can be region in the east or any part of Germany. Usually a poster or an article will be released on which part of Germany it would be held.

Among all of the German holidays, perhaps the most famous all over the world is the Oktoberfest. This is because this is the holiday that greatly epitomizes the German culture. It will not come as a surprise on why many would want to join the festivities of Oktoberfest. With the joyous and festive celebration partnered with the most exquisite beer, sumptuous feasts and live music many tourists from all over the world pack their bags to join the fun. Although it's called Oktoberfest, this festivity is celebrated on the month of September and not October. Many would say that this is the best time for learning German tradition. But in reality all German holidays is the best time to get to know about the German culture.

View the original article here

How The Language Teacher Can Participate In Conflict Transformation Through Classroom Teaching

Violence and conflict have drawn a lot of attention in modern times owing to the need for peaceful coexistence in communities. One of the ways to manage conflict effectively is through conflict transformation. Conflict transformation is the process of moving from conflict-habituated systems to peace systems.

A conflict transformation process can be achieved through several processes among them capacity building for peace educators, curriculum developers, trainers and learners.The importance of the teacher is, thus, indispensable in this process because the teacher has the onus to play a crucial role in the curriculum implementation processes that lead to change in attitudes and behavior of the learners who in turn affect the entire communities and societies at large.

In view of these, let's look at how the language teacher can facilitate in the process of conflict transformation?

First, language teachers can be ambassadors of peace in the country. If the teachers are posted to teach in areas outside their home districts they can help to foster peace. The mutual respect, humility, and willingness to learn one another's language will allow the teachers and pupils to reach across the barriers of age, culture, gender, geography, time, and even war, to heal the past.

In the classroom, the teacher can promote a positive and safe learning environment which is a prerequisite for peace, respecting the dignity and rights of all students. By infusing the classroom environment and content, either explicitly or implicitly, with values of respect and tolerance for difference. This should help students acquire new linguistic forms, intercultural awareness, and interpersonal skills. Thus, they can begin to break down existing barriers and transform interactions, be they in the classroom, at work, in the community, or beyond.

In teaching vocabulary, reading, discussion, and writing,the language teacher can ensure that they revolve around the topics of peace and conflict. In this case the teacher engages students with the voices and writings of international advocates of nonviolence like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr., and encourage them to develop critical and reasoned arguments for their personal beliefs about violence or nonviolence through debate.

Finally, the teacher can explore new ways of speaking with the students by experimenting with different forms of speech, such as debate and dialogue. This is in order to compare and contrast the speaking and listening skills students employ, the impact they have, and contexts in which certain styles may be more useful or appropriate. The teacher should also explore techniques such as Mediation, and Nonviolent Communication.

Therefore, language teachers can participate in conflict transformation by mainstreaming conflict transformation and peace building ideas in their content delivery inside the classroom.

View the original article here