Janet Shier

“Foreign language theater provides an approach to language learning which emphasizes communication skills which are often overlooked in the conventional L2 classroom. Through memorization and interpretation of roles, students improve language facility and overcome problems related to language interference, accent, intonation, phrasing, speaking tempo, rhythm, and fluency.” Janet Hegman Shier, quoted from “The Arts for Language’s Sake: Bridging the Gap between classroom and culture.”

UM Residential College Deutsches Theater students/actors had opportunities to participate in annual subsidized theater and arts study trips to Germany between 2002-2020. On each trip students visited art museums and did alternative walking tours by day and attended a range of performances (from experimental theater to opera and ballet) by night. Students drew and painted, kept visual journals, and on most trips, the group had a study blog so that friends and family could follow our adventures.

I was fortunate to garner enough grant money for our study trips (thanks to funding from CGIS, the International Institute, and the RC, as well as RC Deutsches Theater alumni, with a special shout out to Peter Shin and his Asgard Press calendars) to make these trips affordable to students. Following most trips, I made a book, documenting all aspects of the trip. The book contained photos, art work and writing samples and reflections by the trip participants.

You can find information on many of our study trips by visiting the old website I maintained. To see how the study trips enhanced the courses they were related to, you might check out this site with a description of RC Cultures in Dialogue and the study trip.

English speakers are often surprised how quickly they can learn German once they know a few tricks. “Englisch ist eine germanische Sprache” (English is a Germanic language) and it is actually quite easy to begin exploring the language on your own, though a teacher really comes in handy! The UM Residential College German Program, where I taught German for 39 years, is one of the oldest proficiency programs in the country, and as our alumni will tell you: Intensive RC German is a great place to really learn to speak the language proficiently. RC German has put hundreds of confident German speakers out in the world since the program first began in 1967 (long before my own time there).

On this site, I will share some insights about learning German that may help future learners of any age. I will also share tips for language learning and teaching, more generally. Many of my former students have gone on to be teachers, and I will be asking them to share their insights here, as well.

Integrating the Arts into the Second Language Curriculum can enhance learning and put language learning in a meaningful context.

My research before I retired from teaching German in the University of Michigan Residential College was on interdisciplinary education and creativity. The groundbreaking work of Harvard’s Project Zero (on portfolio assessment, arts education, through-lines, and understanding) was critical both to my deliberate approaches to integrate the arts into the Foreign/Second language learning experience and to my ability to assess students’ performance of understanding.

Teaching through theater and visual arts allowed me to teach language, culture and German history through different lenses. Mainly, I taught about the Blue Rider artists and “entartete Künstler” (so-called “degenerate artists”) whose art was banned by the Nazis. In order to bring art to life for my students, I had them make art (both in the US and on our study trips to Germany). This helped them understand art that they were studying and it also pushed them beyond their comfort zone. Making and looking at art were good ways to get students to engage and talk with each other in German and everyone brought something unique to the table. Art was for me both the content and the context of my teaching. When students were trying their own hand at art, it made them look at all art more closely. They learned not only more about what they were studying, but also about themselves.

After decades of teaching about the life and art of some of my favorite artists (notably: M. Beckmann, F. Marc, M. Chagall, V. Kandinsky, P. Klee, G. Münter, and C. Salomon), I began painting, myself. Under “Art” you will find examples of my own art.

I am currently teaching German to Ukrainians, who have recently arrived in Germany so my arts and theater offerings are limited, but feel free to contact me to express interest.

All of my workshops are offered via Zoom due to the pandemic.

I offer coaching and workshops on acting and directing, improvisation for the stage and the page, and visual journaling. Coaching and workshops can be in English or German.

Please contact me to express interest. I can tailor a program to your needs.

Courses I designed and taught at the University of Michigan Residential College, whether they were taught in English or in German, often focused on identity issues and perceptions of the Self, the Other, and the Self as Other in text, image, and performance. My courses, workshops, and the study trips I designed and led were designed to make participants aware of what it means to cross external and internal borders.