Darcy Rogers

Darcy is the Founder of Organic World Language (OWL), and began developing the methodology in 2003. Her work is based on second language acquisition research, student motivation, and best teaching practices. Focusing on creating a space for second language to be naturally acquired, she believes in placing emphasis on students developing language through movement, social interaction, play and 100% immersion. The key element is the importance of creating community in the classroom while putting the student in the center as the curriculum. Darcy received her Bachelors in Spanish and Education from Western Oregon University and her Masters in Spanish Literature from University of Northern Iowa, Tec de Monterrey en Querétaro, México. She has 14 years teaching experience and since 2011 has been presenting at national conferences and working with schools to implement OWL internationally.

The day-long workshop includes a morning session devoted to presentations on contemporary topics in German-speaking cultures, including those that students at Pacific University have researched for their senior projects: Cailie Cross: “Amerikanische Familie in Deutschland: Informationen und Ratschläge;” Lauren Hento: “Dexit: Ja oder Nein?;” Sierra Paola: “Sexuelle Gewalt an Universitäten und Hochschulen in Deutschland und in den USA;” Kimberly Parsons: “Deutsche Kultur in Namibia;” Hannah Sites: “Nicht-binär-Sein;” Erika Vives: “Berlin: Ein kultureller Rythmus in Endlosschleife.” Each presenter will first give a 15-minute overview of the project by answering the following questions: 1. What is the main question posed in the project? 2. Why is the topic important? 3. How did the presenter come to choose the topic? 4. What method, process, and format did the presenter use to investigate the topic? 5. What are the results of the project? 6. What can German instructors learn from the project? 7. How can the project be used in the teaching of German? 8. What importance does the project have for students learning German? After the presentations, workshop participants will formulate ways to incorporate cultural elements of the projects into the classroom and share ideas about their own best practices. 

The afternoon session will be led by Natascha Milde, Fachberaterin für Deutsch als Fremdsprache der Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen/Counsultat for German as a Foreign Language of the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), in Olympia, Washington. The topic is entitled "Heute schon geJANDelt? Konkrete Poesie im DaF- Unterricht/How to Motive Students and Unleash Their Creativity." This session will focus on how to encourage German learners to deal with authentic texts and to put them in motion - literally. With the help of Ernst Jandl's and other writers' poetry, different theatrical and writing techniques for teachers of German will be presented. We will examine how "Konkrete Poesie“ will help teachers to introduce German in an entertaining yet instructive manner.

The day will end with a brief OATG meeting to vote on changes to the constitution and upcoming projects and a chance to share ideas further.

Learning Outcomes: Participants in the workshop will:

1. Gain an understanding of a wide range of topics in contemporary German-speaking cultures that are relevant to the teaching of German language and culture;

2. Create, through collaboration with other educators, methods to implement cultural elements and their contexts into German classroom instruction and the curriculum;

3. Analyze some best practices of how to deal with authentic texts from German-speaking cultures and to develop interactive instructional materials for the classroom.

Lorely French

Lorely French is Professor of German at Pacific University and President of the Oregon Association of Teachers of German (OATG). She teaches all levels of German. Her main research foci have been on Roma and Sinti writers (book publication: Roma Voices in the German-speaking World, Bloomsbury 2015/2016) and on German women writers from the 18th century to the present (book publication: German Women Letter Writers 1750-1850). Her German classes are project-based, whereby students at all levels create final projects, which they present at the end of the semester. Students at all levels have created films, presentations, and performances. Past group projects by intermediate and advanced students have included an exhibit on Roma and Sinti; an art exhibit with works by the Austrian Romani artist and writer Ceija Stojka; a performance of a their version of Tieck's play Der gestiefelte Kater (called Kater in Stiefeln); an interactive exhibit/performance on migration in Germany; a film screening of their films at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland; a website devoted to their short stories; and a film interviewing previous GDR citizens 25 years after the fall of the Wall. Lorely is proud of the students' COFLT presentations because they align with the active, relevant undergraduate research that she promotes in German classes. All the students studied abroad either for a semester (Sierra Paola, Hannah Sites, Erika Vives in Bamberg; Lauren Hento in Freiburg; Cailie Cross in Konstanz) or for a summer (Kimberly Parsons in Hamburg and Göttingen). They all are double majoring with German Studies and other disciplines (Sierra Paola and Kimberly Parsons with Public Health; Hannah Sites with Media Arts; Erika Vives with Journalism; Cailie Cross with Psychology). They all have been active with German Club and with other clubs on campus.

Natascha Milde

After having worked as a Teaching assistant in France, a TV Promotion manager for Warner Bros., a project manager for a consulting company, Natascha Milde received her MA and State Exam at the University of Hamburg. She is a trained teacher of English and French and was recently employed at the Wolfgang-Borchert Gymnasium in Halstenbek, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. She was the head of the world language department, served as a teacher training supervisor, curriculum developer and public relation manager. Since 2013, she works for the ZfA (Central Agency for Schools Abroad) as a German Language Advisor. She is responsible for the Administration of the Language Certificate, German Language Proficiency Assessment A1 and A2, in Alaska, Washington State, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.  She hosts lectures and workshops for teachers throughout the US.

Student Presenters

Kimberly Parsons         Cailie Cross        Lauren Hento  

Hannah Sites            Sierra Paola             Erika Vives