Visuals for teaching about German speaking countries in German language textbooks
Karolína Pešková
Visuals can be considered cultural products which present a perspective of the target culture.
However, there are some general features which visuals should possess to make learning from
textbooks effective. Visuals can be characterized by different types, they can present various
sociocultural contents and possess different functions. Based on 2 own investigations, the poster
aims to provide a description of selected features of visuals for teaching about German speaking
countries in German as a foreign language textbooks used in Czech lower secondary schools.
Investigation no. 1
Results
Total number of visuals for teaching about German speaking countries in the sample: 585
common features of the analysed textbooks:
Ø types: similar distribution (statistically verified: χ2 = 13,11; p = 0,13)
          high amount of realistic visuals (70-80 %), low amount of logical and cartographic
          visuals (0-5 %)
Ø contents (sociocultural aspect): high amount of visuals related to daily life (30-50 %),
                low amount of visuals related to politics and history (0-3 %)
Ø contents (geographical aspect): high amount of undefined contents (45-80 %)
Ø functions: low amount of functions supporting prose-learning (F1.3, F1.4, F1.5; 0-5 %)
differences between the textbooks coming from Czech and German publishers:
Ø contents (geographical aspect): German textbooks are more Germany-centred
Ø functions: more activities with visuals in German textbooks - higher amount of the
       activation function (by 15 % and 40 %)
Method
a qualitative analysis based on the data of semistructural interviews
Research sample
4 German language textbooks used in Czech lower secondary schools:
1. Fišarová, O., & Zbranková, M. (2007). Němčina A1. Deutsch mit Max – díl 2. Učebnice pro
    základní školy a víceletá gymnázia. Plzeň: Fraus. (Czech publisher)
2. Funk, H. et al. (2003). Geni@l - Němčina jako druhý cizí jazyk. Kursbuch A2. Berlin, München:
    Langenscheidt. (German publisher)
3. Jankásková, M. et al. (2010). Macht mit!: učebnice němčiny pro základní školy a víceletá
    gymnázia, druhý cizí jazyk. 2. díl. Praha: Polyglot. (Czech publisher)
4. Kopp, G., Büttner, S., & Albert, J. (2005). Planet 2: Deutsch für Jugendliche. Kursbuch.
    Ismaning: Hueber Verlag. (German publisher)
Figure 1: Types of visuals
Figure 2: Contents of visuals
Figure 3: Functions of visuals
Research aim
To describe what types, functions and contents of visuals for teaching about German speaking
countries are to be identified in German language textbooks used in Czech lower secondary schools.
Research sample
6 German language teachers teaching at Czech lower secondary schools, evaluating the textbook
Deutsch mit Max (the most frequently used in Czech lower secondary schools)
Method
a quantitative analysis based on the application of the system of categories as a research
instrument
system of categories based on theoretical works of Ballstaedt (1997), Weidenmann (1991), Byram
(1993), Carney and Levin (2002), Biechele (1996) and Pýchová (1990), concerning types, contents and
functions of visuals:
Results
Teachers pointed out some aspects of visuals they require in their textbook:
Ø types: more photographs and maps (mainly in geographical context)
Ø contents: more topics which can appeal pupils (everyday topics, travel, sport etc.), more topics
related to Austria
Ø functions: more visuals in the representation function (more texts which can be used in
combination with visuals for a pre-reading task, communicative activities etc.)
Research aim
To investigate how teachers evaluate visuals for teaching about German speaking countries in the
textbook they use (concerning types, contents and functions of visuals).
References
ABCD-Thesen zur Rolle der Landeskunde im Deutschunterricht. (1990).
   Fremdsprache Deutsch, 3, 60–61.
Ballstaedt, S. P. (1997). Wissenvermittlung. Die Gestaltung von Lernmaterial.
   Weinheim: Beltz Psychologie Verlags Union.
Biechele, B. (1996). Bilder als Kommunikate und Lernmedien im
   Fremdsprachenunterricht/ DaF. Informationen Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Info
   DaF), 23(6), 746–757.
Byram, M. (1993). Germany. Its Representation in Textbooks for Teaching German
   in Great Britain. Frankfurt a.M.: Diesterweg.
Carney, R. N., Levin, J. R. (2002). Pictorial Illustrations Still Improve Students´
   Learning from Text. Educational Psychology Review, 14(1), 5–26.
Einsiedler, W., & Martschinke, S. (1997). Elaboriertheit und Strukturiertheit in
   Schulbuchillustrationen des Grundschulsachunterrichts. Nürnberg: Institut für
   Grundschulforschung der Universität Erlangen – Nürnberg.
Pýchová, I.(1990). K funkci vizuálií v rozvoji osobnosti žáka. Pedagogika, 40(6),
   669–684.
Weidenmann, B. (1991). Lernen mit Bildmedien. Psychologische und didaktische
   Grundlagen. Weinheim (u.a.): Beltz.
Recommendations
for the textbook design
1. in order to develop different ways of pupils´ thinking there should be more differentiated types
of visuals (not only realistic, also logical and cartographic visuals) in the German language
textbooks,
2. in order to intensify the process of learning, visuals should be accompanied by texts which
correspond with the content of the visuals,
3. due to the dominant occurrence of visuals depicting Germany, there should be more visuals
relating to other German speaking countries (e.g. Austria) in the textbooks.
(1) Textbooks should contain various types of visuals so that visuals suit different types of
pupils and activate different thinking operations of pupils (Einsiedler &
Martschinke, 1997)
(2) Teaching culture should not just include providing factual knowledge about the target culture
(geographical, historical etc.). It should also include providing knowledge about everyday life and
knowledge for developing awareness of pupils´ own and foreign culture and for building values and
attitudes (ABCD-Thesen, 1990; Byram, 1993).
(3) German language textbooks should include contents presenting all German speaking countries
(ABCD-Thesen, 1990).
(4) Visuals should correspond with text. The most facilitative of prose learning are visuals in
organisation, interpretation and transformation function (Carney & Levin, 2002).
(5) Visuals are important in the process of learning a foreign language mainly in enhancing,
activation and review function.
Theoretical framework
Selected theoretical and empirical findings and principles of teaching culture which were reflected
in the presented research:
The poster was prepared for the ECER 2012 with the support of the scholarship fund of PdF MU and
the project SKOLA 2012.
Contact
Karolína Pešková
Masaryk University Brno
Faculty of Education
Poříčí 7, Brno 602 00
E-mail: peskova@ped.muni.cz
Investigation no. 2