Perspectives on the German Energiewende: Culture and Ecology in German Instruction

This article addresses a dual desire for teaching units that (1) incorporate green issues into the language curriculum, (2) fulfill the need for comparative cultural studies in the language classroom, and (3) incorporate the ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning. Included are a review of recent approaches to teaching culture in the German curriculum, the role of the Standards in culture instruction, and an instructional approach, Stationenlernen, that may be adaptable to teaching culture. After reflection on affective considerations and the intercultural stance, the article outlines a teaching unit for intermediate and early‐advanced German instruction. The exploration of the German Energiewende and cultural perspectives that underlie the resistance to atomic energy in Germany will appeal to instructors challenged with integrating environmental culture into the German curriculum.