University of Birmingham’s Department of Modern Languages joins the #ShoutOutforGerman week

The University of Birmingham’s Department of Modern Languages is collaborating with the German Embassy London on their #ShoutOutforGerman social media campaign, part of the Making the Case for German initiative.

Making the Case for German recognises and celebrates the value of learning the German language in the UK. Throughout #ShoutOutforGerman week (19-24 January 2026), German Embassy London is encouraging people to share their experience of learning the German language, highlighting the classroom activities, memories, teachers, tutors, and media that have shaped their learning.

For Dr John Goodyear, Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Languages, the campaign is an opportunity to reflect on the wider value that learning German has, beyond linguistic competence alone. He explained: “Learning German equips students with far more than vocabulary and grammar – it develops employability and adaptability skills that are increasingly vital in a global workplace.”

He continued: “Language learning enables people to live, work and operate confidently in a different country and culture, to collaborate across borders, and to understand how others think and communicate. These skills are fundamental for careers in business, research, diplomacy, education and beyond.”

During #ShoutOutforGerman week, Dr Goodyear will be sharing the memories of the late Graham Newson, his German secondary school teacher, and the positive impact that the inspirational language teaching he experienced had on his confidence, curiosity and international outlook.

Dr Goodyear aims to give his current students at the University of Birmingham the same experience. Speaking on the University’s German education, he said: “We offer a rich and flexible environment for studying German, whether as part of a degree programme or alongside other subjects. German at Birmingham is taught by research-active staff and is closely connected to study abroad opportunities in German-speaking countries, employability-focused language learning, including intercultural communication skills and strong links to European culture, history, politics and society.”