Linguistische Treffen in Wrocław (Jan 2024)

Farbige Laute Linguistisch-künstlerische Ideen für DaF, DaZ und Auslandsgermanistik / Coloured Sounds. Linguistic-Artistic Ideas for German as a Foreign and Second Language and for German Studies Abroad

  • Oliver Herbst,
  • Stefan Reiss

DOI
https://doi.org/10.23817/lingtreff.24-27
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24
pp. 389 – 397

Abstract

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Lessons in phonetics and phonology are not always fun for learners and students in German as a Foreign and Second Language and in German Studies Abroad. In an interdisciplinary conceptual sketch, the artist Stefan Reiss and the linguist Oliver Herbst want to react to this problem. The aim of the two authors is to make the lessons more illustrative and more thrilling for learners and students. Therefore, they want to visualize sounds in colour. Under the title “Colour Alphabet”, Stefan Reiss has been working since 2015 on how he can translate linguistic sounds into hues and chromatic values. In the exchange of ideas of both, Oliver Herbst had the idea that the artist’s work could be used for teaching. Visualizing sounds in colour should support listening and speaking training. The learners should recognize the importance of accuracy in pronunciation. Maybe a valuable Colour Alphabet designed according to artistic criteria will motivate the group to discuss which colour could stand for which sound. Concerning the considerations for teaching, an interactive digital e-learning platform in the form of an app would be conceivable. The learners could also create their own colour concept of sounds. The platform could focus on pronunciation exercises – with a special role for the minimal couples. Regional and contrastive aspects could also be integrated into the concept.

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