Classroom visits - professionalization of feedback structures for foreign teachers

Abstract

This article examines the role of classroom visits in German as a foreign language (GFL) at Chinese universities, with a focus on cooperation between German and Chinese teachers. Based on a fictitious practical report, areas of tension in intercultural communication that can arise during a classroom visit are identified. It is shown that in the Chinese context cultural and structural factors such as the indirect feedback culture, the need for harmony and the hierarchical structures in the education system limit the potential of feedback formats such as classroom visits. The article discusses how these challenges can be overcome and how classroom visits can be used as a tool to professionalize teachers.