THE ROLE OF HISTORY IN LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES: A SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE GERMAN LANGUAGE

Abstract

Although the impact of historical and cultural factors on foreign language learning has long been recognized, history remains underrepresented in German language teaching. This article highlights the relevance of integrating historical content into language acquisition from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, demonstrating how such integration can enhance learners’ motivation, language proficiency, and intercultural empathy. A curriculum that systematically incorporates historical awareness—through texts, documents, or discussions of key events—can lead to more sustainable and meaningful learning outcomes. The article also provides practical recommendations for curriculum design and emphasizes the need for further research in this area.

Keywords: foreign language teaching; German as a foreign language; history; intercultural competence; motivation.