Not a textbook or lesson planner, but ideas and inspiration for activities in-and-outside-of-the-classroom for teaching German as a foreign language, or other foreign languages, to students grades 6 – 12. “The book ‘Germans are Funny’ by Conrad Rehbach will be very helpful to many. It offers ideas and inspiration to educators well beyond the foreign language teachers. The pedagogical insights are deep and meaningful, and convey to the educator possibilities on how to teach adolescents in a ‘head, heart, and hands’ approach. Although primarily targeted towards the teacher of foreign languages, this book is of interest to anyone involved in education of students grades 6 – 12. The author draws on a lifetime of work with this age group. New insights are presented in this book, concerning the developmental stages of the adolescent, from the revolutionary rebellious spirit to the beginnings of objectivity towards the self and others. The author reminds us to always make room for the necessary humor, and to see the potential absurdity of every situation, a mindset which is one of the fruits of labor in working with this age group.” (- Sophia Institute Board of Review.) From the Introduction to "Germans are Funny:" There is a wide variety of textbooks and materials available to teachers of German as a foreign language within the English speaking culture. Much of this material is geared towards the grade school student or the college student. In my work as a teacher of high school age students, I experienced both a certain shortage of materials meant for this age group, and also a need to draw ideas for in-and-out-of-the-classroom activities from a great variety of sources. This book – although it might become a classic - is not a traditional textbook or workbook for students’ or teachers’ use, but rather a collection of exercises, ideas for classroom activities, and inspirational material for teachers to use and adapt to their own situation. More ...
