Claudia Kost, PhD

Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts - Modern Languages and Cultural Studies Dept
Director Undergraduate, Faculty of Arts - Modern Languages and Cultural Studies Dept

Contact

Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts - Modern Languages and Cultural Studies Dept
Email
ckost@ualberta.ca

Director Undergraduate, Faculty of Arts - Modern Languages and Cultural Studies Dept
Email
ckost@ualberta.ca

Overview

About

I am an Associate Professor of German and Applied Linguistics in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies. I am also the Coordinator of the German Language Program.

I have been teaching at the University of Alberta since 2003.

I grew up in Germany and completed an M.A. in American Studies, Political Sciences, and German Literature at the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz. I also hold an M.S. in Foreign Language Education from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the University of Arizona.


Research

I am an applied linguist who also has some training in literary and cultural studies. My research interests focus on computer-mediated communication, teacher training, curriculum development, and foreign language pedagogy.

Last year, I co-authored a cultural history of Germany called Ekstase und Elend. Deutsche Kulturgeschichte 1900 bis heute. This book (and its accompanying website) focuses on politics, social issues and cultural history, including the history of women, the LGBTQ+ community, Germans of colour, and other underrepresented groups. Written by an interdisciplinary team of scholars (German Studies, Second Language Acquisition, History), our book provides a scaffolded approach to bridging the gap from language courses (which focus on teaching students to handle concrete situations such as work and travel) to advanced courses where students engage in literary and cultural analysis by offering supportive language learning materials (vocabulary and comprehension activities).

Heidt, T., Kost, C., & Sencer, E. (2020). Ekstase und Elend. Deutsche Kulturgeschichte 1900 bis heute. Indianapolis, IN; Cambridge, MA; USA: Focus/Hackett Publishing Company.

https://www.hackettpublishing.com/modern-languages/german/ekstase-und-elend


Most recently, I co-authored an innovative first-year German language e-textbook called Willkommen: Deutsch für alle, designed as Open Educational Resource (OER), for learning German at the college/university level. It features a task-based, communicative approach which provides students with opportunities to communicate in German in a variety of contexts and situations. The e-textbook follows a blended-learning model, a combination of alternating in-class (face-to-face) instruction and interaction, and online (self-paced) individual learning.

https://openeducationalberta.ca/willkommen-deutsch/



Teaching

I teach a variety of German language courses and a fairy tale class at the undergraduate level, as well as courses in applied linguistics at the undergraduate and graduate level. I have supervised students in Honors, MA and PhD programs on topics related to vocabulary acquisition as well as a variety of technological aspects.

I also coordinate the German Language Program at the University of Alberta. In Spring 2007, we received the Faculty of Arts Teaching Unit Award for our First Year German team.

Courses

GERM 211 - Intermediate German I

Intended to expand comprehension and production skills in written and oral German with a focus on intercultural communicative competence. Prerequisite: German 30 (or equivalent) or GERM 112 or consent of Department. Note: not to be taken by students with native or near native proficiency.


GERM 212 - Intermediate German II

Prerequisite: GERM 211 or consent of Department. Note: not to be taken by students with native or near native proficiency.


GERM 317 - Teaching German as a Foreign Language

Issues relevant to teaching German as a foreign language to adult learners. Co-requisite: GERM 303 or consent of Department.


GERM 343 - Postwar Cultures

Developments in society, politics, and popular as well as high culture from 1945 to the present in German-speaking countries. Co-requisite: GERM 303 or consent of Department.


GERM 353 - Myths, Tales, and Legends

Storytelling throughout the German-speaking world since the medieval period, focusing on the development and proliferation of oral and written myths, tales, and legends. Co-requisite: GERM 303 or consent of Department.


Browse more courses taught by Claudia Kost

Publications

Willkommen: Deutsch für alle (Open Educational Resource)

Author(s): Kost, C. & Sawatzky, C.
Publication Date: 9/1/2020
Publication: University of Alberta Libraries
External Link: https://openeducationalberta.ca/willkommen-deutsch/

Ekstase und Elend. Deutsche Kulturgeschichte 1900 bis heute

Author(s): Heidt, T., Kost, C., & Sencer, E.
Publication Date: 5/1/2020
Publication: Focus/Hackett Publishing Company
Page Numbers: 224
External Link: https://www.hackettpublishing.com/modern-languages/german/ekstase-und-elend

From Silos to Networks: Reenvisioning Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in a Modern Languages Department

Author(s): Beard, L., Kost, C., Ruétalo, V., Smith, C., & True, M.
Publication Date: 1/15/2019
Publication: ADE Bulletin 156/ADFL Bulletin
Volume: 45
Issue: 1
Page Numbers: 109-121

Collaboration Two-Way: Workload and Co-Ownership in L2 Wiki Writing

Author(s): Arnold, N., Ducate, L., & Kost, C.
Publication Date: 9/3/2018
Publication: IALLT Journal of Language Learning Technologies
Volume: 48
Issue: 1
Page Numbers: 1-24

Effect of Different Teaching Techniques on the Acquisition of Grammatical Gender by Beginning German Second Language Learners

Author(s): Arzt, J. & Kost, C.
Publication Date: 5/26/2016
Publication: Die Unterrichtspraxis
Volume: 49
Issue: 1
Page Numbers: 1-23

Collaboration or Cooperation? Analyzing Group Dynamics and Revision Processes in Wikis

Author(s): Arnold, N., Ducate, L., & Kost, C.
Publication Date: 7/15/2012
Publication: CALICO Journal
Volume: 29
Issue: 3
Page Numbers: 431-448

Investigating Writing Strategies and Revision Behavior in Collaborative Wiki Projects

Author(s): Kost, C.
Publication Date: 6/2/2011
Publication: CALICO Journal
Volume: 28
Issue: 3
Page Numbers: 606-620