4 March 2026

On 26 February 2026, the regional conference for language teaching at Thuringian universities took place at the Language Centre of Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences. Under the title „Education on the move: linguistic, cultural and technological diversity in teaching“, teachers and experts from various Thuringian universities came together to discuss current developments in university language teaching.

The conference built on a long-standing tradition of regional meetings that serve to promote networking and professional dialogue on university-specific challenges and innovations in language teaching. Representatives from the universities in Erfurt, Jena, Ilmenau and Schmalkalden accepted the invitation from the Language Centre at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences.

The event was opened by Alexandra Aberle, Head of the Language Centre at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, who welcomed the guests and was delighted with the great response from the Thuringian universities. In her welcoming speech she emphasised Prof Dr Cordula Borbe, Vice President for Study and Teaching at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, emphasised the importance of modern language education for international universities and an increasingly diverse student body.

The technical programme kicked off with a presentation by Prof Alexander Dotsenko (HSN) on the influence of current developments in the field of artificial intelligence on university teaching. He demonstrated the potential that digital technologies offer for individual learning processes and the acquisition of knowledge and how AI can be meaningfully integrated into modern teaching and learning concepts.

The topic of AI also played a central role in the subsequent workshops. Katrin Josephine Wagner and Christine Röll (HSN) discussed new learning and examination formats in the age of artificial intelligence with the participants and focussed in particular on authentic, action-oriented examination scenarios. A practical insight was provided by Tracy Biedermann (University of Erfurt), which showed how ChatGPT can be used to develop case studies for language teaching. Concrete teaching scenarios were developed in group work, illustrating the potential of AI as a tool for innovative teaching design.

At the same time, a workshop organised by Andrew Pecchia (HSN) the promotion of language skills outside of traditional courses. Among other things, book clubs, English film evenings, tandem programmes and themed events for international students were presented. The possibility of organising such offers across universities in the future - for example in the form of joint online events - was also discussed.

In the afternoon programme Dipl.-Ing. Bernd Aberle (Geotechnics Aberle) in his lecture „Why English Matters!“ from the practice of international engineering projects. Based on personal experiences from construction projects worldwide, he showed the role that language skills and intercultural communication play in everyday professional life and the resulting requirements for the technical language training of students. In addition Ulrich Schuknecht (Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena) Aspects of specialised writing in business English and also addressed the influence of AI on writing processes.

Another workshop focussed on current challenges in the teaching of German as a foreign language. In view of rising international student numbers, lecturers discussed organisational and didactic issues as well as suitable support structures. Impulses were provided by Alexandra Aberle and Franziska Koppe (HSN), while Sandra Schönstedt from the Student Service Centre provided insights into administrative processes and the special features of dealing with international students.

The regional conference was rated as very successful by the participants. The intensive exchange of experiences, the practical contributions and the opportunity for further networking between Thuringian universities in the field of language teaching were particularly emphasised. The participants agreed that this tradition of regional meetings should be continued and expanded in the future.