German-language Hip Hop in Modern Language Teaching and Learning

German-language Hip Hop in Modern Language Teaching and Learning: Increasing Social Justice and Diversity in the Curriculum
This German Capstone thesis reviews and analyzes the development of German-language hip hop over the last 20 years. My goal is to assess how hip hop lyrics can serve as authentic resources for learning German. How and what can we learn from Hip Hop artists in Germany, from those of German and other origins.
My method of integrating critical perspectives developed in the scholarly literature with the personal perspectives shared by a major hip hop artist, Kool Savas, (I secured IRB approval for interviews) generates a nuanced understanding of the significance of the genre as an expression of German culture. Many of today’s German-language hip hop artists have family histories in countries other than Germany. Their lyrics, I argue, communicate important issues related to social justice questions in contemporary Germany related to identity and migration. My double major in German and Education informs my goals. I investigate pedagogical arguments for how and why hip hop and its lyrics would be suitable as an authentic resource for the teaching and learning of German and the understanding of contemporary German society. I conclude that well chosen and contextualized lyrics can serve as authentic resources to explore rich layers of cultural diversity, especially regarding social justice issues.

[@aliciamoore9539]

Great presentation! Great content!! Thank you for your work!

[@melinab675]

Thank you so much!