Case Study:
Netzwerk neu
Why Klett World Languages is the Best Choice for German Language Students
Fatima Baig is a German Lecturer at Rice University. Being a German herself, Baig is very familiar with Klett World Languages. She’s worked with Klett resources since beginning at Rice seven years ago. Professor Baig regularly participates in conferences and professional development events. At Klett’s Honing our Craft conference, she shared how much she enjoys teaching with Netzwerk Neu. Baig’s main goal is to instill students’ love of language learning with cross-cultural appreciation and understanding.
Fatima Baig is a German Lecturer at Rice University. Being a German herself, Baig is very familiar with Klett World Languages. She’s worked with Klett resources since beginning at Rice seven years ago. Professor Baig regularly participates in conferences and professional development events. At Klett’s Honing our Craft conference, she shared how much she enjoys teaching with Netzwerk Neu. Baig’s main goal is to instill students’ love of language learning with cross-cultural appreciation and understanding.
The Challenge
Rice University’s Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication seeks to
- provide an educational experience that promotes multilingualism
- helps students become culturally competent
- interact successfully, appropriately, and respectfully with people of different backgrounds.
Rice offers various German courses, but there is no mandatory language requirement. As a result, students choose German courses out of pure interest, so Baig has the freedom to implement immersion experience. Baig shared how there’s “a great need for the incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics in the Higher Education world. Because of this, students need to see themselves in the texts.
Among 10 languages offered at Rice, German is selected by fewer students compared to Spanish and Asian languages. However, German instructors are passionate and want the best curriculum for their students. When it comes to textbooks, Baig is happy to have Netzwerk Neu.
Choosing NETZWERK NEU
NETZWERK NEU is an affordable, monolingual textbook structured to meet the needs of students. Instructors focus on providing an immersive learning experience in the classroom and online with
- well-designed units
- meaningful activities
- abundant resources
Print and digital versions of the textbook provide additional support in and out of the classroom.
NETZWERK NEU incorporates sustainable language acquisition with its…
- modern texts
- meaningful activities
- interconnected vocabulary and grammar
The illustrations and imagery are contemporary and resonate with today’s students. One student taking German at Rice claimed it was “the best produced video she’s ever seen from a textbook company.”
In Professor Baig’s experience, authentic, real-world experiences promote cultural awareness. As a result, students develop an understanding beyond the language alone. In addition to the text, the supplementary materials help deepen German language and culture.
The Solution
Fatima Baig and her colleague are passionate about the use of NETZWERK NEU‘s monolingual textbook because it provides an immersive, meaningful language learning experience. They have seen many benefits in using a monolingual textbook and encourage all instructors to make the switch.
The updated images, high-quality videos, and learner-friendly presentations make it a textbook that college students enjoy. They especially appreciate the additional digital resources, like Kahoot review games. Many students see themselves in Klett products, due to the efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the text.
