Using music reviews in the intermediate L2 German classroom: An exploratory lesson in genre-based writing

Abstract

This article presents an exploratory genre-based writing lesson conducted in a third-year collegiate German language course. While genre-based approaches to writing have gained recognition in second language (L2) contexts, little attention has been given to learner perceptions of genre-based writing activities. Additionally, there is a lack of pedagogical strategies and materials for intermediate-level German language classes. This article addresses these gaps by introducing a lesson on consumer music reviews designed following genre-based pedagogical principles, the flipped classroom approach, and the use of language corpora. The lesson, consisting of two 75-min class periods, aimed at familiarizing students with the structure and style of consumer music reviews, culminating in the writing of their own reviews. Using authentic texts and incorporating the Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache corpus tool for vocabulary building, students engaged with contemporary German-language music. Data from student surveys indicated positive perceptions of the lesson, particularly regarding vocabulary acquisition, lesson structure, and topic relevance. Students also found the corpus tool beneficial for contextual understanding and word usage. This exploratory lesson highlights the potential of genre-based writing pedagogy, the flipped classroom model, and corpus tools for L2 writing development and contributes to the growing body of literature on genre-based writing in L2 classrooms.