UDC 372.881.111.22

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.36871/2306-8329_2024_96_4_70

Authors

Novoselova Elena Vladimirovna,
PhD in History Associate professor in the Russian Technological University Moscow, Russia

Abstract

The article examines the teaching of specialized German during the Second World War and analyzes its main features. Goal. To identify the peculiarities of teaching the military aspect of the German language during this period.
Methodology and Methods. The author uses textual and historical-comparative methods, as well as the principle of historicism.
Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of this article lies in the fact that it addresses an area that has not been explored extensively in modern
humanities research. Most publications on this topic focus on translators during the WWII. In this article, the author analyzes some textbooks and manuals published during this period, which were designed to help people to learn the military language. The author of the article demo nstrates that these materials differ significantly in terms of their goals. Some were intended for general readers, such as short phrasebooks and introductory guides, while others were more specialized and aimed at professional military translators. This illustrates the diverse range of challenges faced in teaching German during the war. It’s also worth noting that the most comprehensive works were published between 1943 and 1944, after the collection of relevant information had been completed. At the same time, the author concludes that all these works are based on the grammatical-translation method, which was the dominant approach to teaching foreign languages during the analysed period.
Practical significance. Using the example of German during the WWII, the author demonstrates a close connection between the environment and the learning process of foreign languages. However, the significant influence of existing traditions is also evident, as shown in the preservation of traditional teaching methods in the analyzed case. Thus, through the example of military German during the WWII, we can discuss the synthesis of tradition and innovation in foreign language teaching.

Keywords

German language, methods of foreign language teaching, the Great Patriotic War.