Projects

The starting point: With AI tools, language learners can quickly correct and stylistically revise texts in a foreign language. Whether this also leads to language learning depends on how they handle the suggestions. If changes are simply accepted, the current text may improve. However, the linguistic decisions and revision processes involved often remain misunderstood, so the learning effect is limited.

Project Approach: Against this backdrop, we have developed the VEL model—“Understand – Decide – Learn” (Verstehen - Entscheiden - Lernen, in German). It guides students through an active engagement with AI feedback in three steps. First, they examine what the AI has changed linguistically and why these changes are suggested (Understand). Armed with this knowledge, they then decide whether a suggestion aligns with their intended meaning, language level, text type, and desired register, and whether to accept, revise, or reject it (Decide). In the final step, they identify which rules, phrasing, or linguistic patterns they want to continue practicing and later apply when writing new texts (Learn). In this way, a stylistic rephrasing can lead to reflection on whether it is actually more precise or merely sounds more formal. A grammatical correction can prompt users to review the relevant rule and practice it using their own examples.

The model is implemented through a modular framework that can be adapted to different language proficiency levels, target languages, writing tasks, and AI tools. Instructors can select individual building blocks and use them for writing tasks; this can take place under guided instruction in language classes or during self-study phases. Overall, the framework is designed to help students view AI suggestions not as ready-made solutions, but as a starting point for their own linguistic decisions and further learning in the foreign language.

Development Process: The VEL model and the accompanying framework are being further developed in collaboration with language teachers; the process is therefore co-constructive. In workshops, participants work through specific application examples and review both the overall structure and individual reflection questions, action prompts, and sample prompts. The project team evaluates the feedback from the experts and uses it for revision and further testing. Workshops have been conducted as part of the YUFE Pedagogical Lunch Sessions, the AKS Conference 2026, and the AKS FoBiCert Summer School 2026, among other events. We thank all participants for their valuable ideas and feedback!

Once development is complete, the framework will be published and made available for download.

Project Team: Astrid Buschmann-Göbels, Anika Müller-Karabil, Kate Stollmann

Podcast-Projekt (Hochschule Bremen, SZHB), Jeremy Hookway

Experiential learning takes students outside their familiar classroom situation. Just as in outdoor education, the magic only happens once we leave our ‘comfort zone’. How can we achieve this in the modern languages classroom?

Podcasts offer a unique way to integrate all language skills (Listening Speaking Reading Writing) in a creative workshop format. They generate high-quality finished output for a global audience and so motivate students to perform at their best. In addition to enhancing their language skills in an authentic context, they also cultivate creativity and collaboration. Students have a high level of creative freedom and often express a great sense of achievement once their podcast goes online.

Method: working in small groups, students develop and pitch possible topic ideas relevant to their degree programme. After topic selection and research, a short trailer script is prepared and refined. After input on basic recording and editing, the trailer is recorded, edited, reviewed and published online. Once a final running order is agreed, students research and script a full-length podcast. This is reviewed, recorded and edited, re-reviewed, re-edited and then scheduled for release and published. All activities take place exclusively in English, the target language. The role of the teacher is that of facilitator and adviser..

Working as a speaker in a professional studio led me to explore podcasts as a teaching tool. The world of professional speakers was both weird and wonderful; the learning curve was steep and the experience was intense. It was certainly outside my own comfort zone. While recording audioguides and original audio for computer games, speakers would often break down into bouts of uncontrollable laughter. Even seasoned professionals working in their native language make mistakes in the studio. It is a high-pressure performance environment and it only works with a lot of friendly, encouraging support from the production team.

Podcasts are currently being used as a teaching format in my courses in the following degree programmes at Hochschule Bremen, which is a founder member of the Language Centre of the Universities in Bremen (SZHB).

Applied Therapeutic Sciences ATW : Physiotherapy : Physio:logical!

Applied Therapeutic Sciences ATW Speech & Language Therapy : SaLT!

International Degree Programme in Applied Leisure Science ISAF: Serious Leisure

International Women’s Degree Programme in Computer Science IFI & International Degree Programme in Media Computer Science : TechBytes

Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

A cooperation between the University of Bremen und DIPF | Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsinformation, Frankfurt am Main

The project aims to examine the academic language competence of students commencing degree programs taught in English in Germany. It employs integrated formats and innovative assessment schemes, with a particular focus on the empirical analysis and refinement of the construct of integrated tasks designed to assess academic-linguistic competencies in a lingua franca context. An innovative assessment scheme will be developed by combining human assessments and automated text analysis. In addition, the project aims to answer the fundamental question of whether integrated assessment offers advantages over current practices, in which the individual skills are tested and/or reported separately.

Project coordinators: Prof. Dr. Claudia Harsch and Prof. Dr. Johannes Hartig

Valeriia Koval (FB 10) and Ximena Delgado Osorio are working on their doctoral theses, which are embedded in this project.

This project was a joint effort by staff in Faculty 10 and the SZHB. The data was collected and analyzed over the course of two online semesters. The study led to an MA thesis and a publication (Claudia Harsch, Anika Müller-Karabil & & Ekaterina Buchminskaia (2021): Addressing the challenges of interaction in online language courses. System, Vol. 10, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102673 Language Learning in Higher Education).

YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) is an alliance of young, innovative European universities. The University of Bremen, along with nine other universities, was selected by the EU Commission to jointly establish a European University. The alliance promotes international cooperation, innovation and interdisciplinary thinking in research and teaching. In addition, it should enable students to study a curriculum that is tailored to their individual goals, which they can put together themselves from the diverse study programs offered by the 10 partner universities. Multilingualism is an integral part of the mission statement for this envisioned diverse and inclusive European University, which is implemented in the YUFE program through a wide range of (language) courses in many languages for both students and staff.

YUFE Representation of the Language Center (SZHB)

The YUFE representation of the SZHB represents the University of Bremen in various YUFE contexts, both at the European level and in the context of the University of Bremen itself. Communication and networking are an important part of the work involved in this role.

Contact persons: Friederike Weiß & Melanie Alexandra Zedler

Development of digital language courses for the YUFE campus

The DAAD-funded pilot project for the development of digital language courses focuses on online/blended language courses in German as a foreign or second language and is aimed at both YUFE students and staff. The language courses include blended and online language courses as well as virtual independent study options. The development process is carried out with special consideration of a European-oriented language policy, which will be honored with a special award for languages (“Language Star”) upon successful completion.

Contact person: Friederike Weiß

Placement tests for basic language courses offered by the YUFE Campus

The aim of the DAAD-funded project is to provide calibrated online placement tests for 6-8 languages that are represented in the YUFE network. They are to be used for low-threshold language courses on the YUFE campus. The pilot project is being carried out in collaboration with the language centers of the YUFE network, and the statistical evaluation and preliminary planning of the project are being carried out in collaboration with experts from the LaPlace e.V. network.

Contact person: Melanie Alexandra Zedler

Partly funded by the Internationalization Fund of the University of Bremen, British Council Cuba, Ministerio de Educación Superior de Cuba, ILTA.

This capacity-building cooperation project arose from the need to raise the level of English language skills in Cuban higher education; it is also driven by the introduction of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as a reference framework for language learning in higher education. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministerio de Educación Superior de Cuba, the Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas, the British Council Cuba and the University of Bremen.

The main objective of the project is to establish a sustainable system for learning, teaching and certifying the English language. The project has three main objectives: to train language teachers at universities to become trainers themselves in order to achieve sustainability; to develop standardized language tests based on the CEFR in order to achieve international recognition; and to conduct research into the effectiveness of the training, the quality of the testing instruments, and the impact of the new certification system.

This project aims to align the end-of-course assessments as well as the UNIcert® exams at the Language Center with the learning and teaching objectives based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The goal of this project is to create more transparency and comparability for the 21 languages we teach here.

The project takes a collaborative approach, with teachers, course coordinators and researchers working together in working groups and drawing on each other's expertise. Test specifications, action-oriented examination formats, benchmarking and rater training, as well as peer observation have been and are being developed.

At the Language Center, we saw the need to revise our tests and exams. To develop test specifications, tasks, and rating scales that operationalize the targeted CEFR scales, we wanted to expand our existing knowledge and skills and take into account existing assessment approaches.

The examination reform described above is embedded in a systematic professional development program to deepen existing knowledge, skills and competence in language assessment. We have adopted a collaborative approach in which teachers, course coordinators and researchers learn from and with each other about our context, needs, constraints and quality standards.

To tailor the program to our needs, we accompany it with research. Regular online questionnaires and interviews help to identify current practices and needs, tailor and evaluate the program, and monitor the impact and learning outcomes. The research results are presented and published at a national and international level (e.g. Claudia Harsch, Sibylle Seyferth & Salome Villa Larenas (in print): Evaluating a collaborative and dynamic language assessment literacy programme. Language Learning in Higher Education).