The discipline of German Studies in English-speaking countries is in
crisis and the situation in British Higher Education can be seen as a
paradigmatic example. Symptoms of the crisis are a dramatic decrease in
the number of students, financial difficulties and the resulting
closures of German Departments. Furthermore, the language skills which
finally emerge from universities are not always satisfactory. The
present book sheds light on key aspects of the institutionalised
teaching and learning of German language in the UK. The first part - the
macro-context - surveys the socio-political developments that have
recently affected the sector of modern languages and specifically the
discipline of German Studies. The second part - the micro-context -,
zooms in to the teaching and learning as experienced from both students'
and teachers' perspective. Ultimately, by linking the macro-analysis
with the micro findings, the present book proposes a number of
strategies which could contribute to the optimisation and enhancement of
teaching and learning German in British Higher Education.