Current US topics in Austrian High Schools

Mentor: Magdalena Kogler, German and English teacher at an Austrian secondary school in Vienna, former Fulbright Teaching Assistant at UIUC

Description: This project focuses on intercultural exchange through language teaching and allows the student to get new views on his/her field of studies through engaging with Austrian high school students and teachers in discussions on a topic of their choice. He/she will be able to interact with Austrian students in Vienna via online live conferences during lessons. The student will be asked to identify a current US topic that is related to their field of studies, select authentic sources, and develop interactive team-teaching lessons together with the mentor. Different forms of classroom involvement are possible depending on the student’s interest, knowledge, and experiences.

The work will include weekly assignments related to the student’s participation in the Austrian classrooms and the student’s observations and experiences. The product will be a five-page reflection with information about the student’s insights on his/her field of studies and the experience.