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- PaperLanguage Teaching19 Jun 2026
Review of doctoral research in additional language education in Germany (2019–2023)
Nicole Marx, Lena Heine, Frauke Matz, Birgit Schädlich
This review analyzes 79 doctoral dissertations in additional language education from German universities (2019–2023), identifying 7 key thematic strands including teaching approaches, multilingualism pedagogies, and digital media. It compares findings with previous reviews to show methodological and thematic shifts over nearly two decades of German-language doctoral research.
Original abstract
This paper reviews a purposive sample of doctoral dissertations in second-language education, completed between 2019 and 2023 at universities in Germany. Among the 79 relevant dissertations found from this period, 18 thematic strands were identified, of which 7 were chosen as being particularly relevant for a more in-depth review: (1) evaluation of specific teaching approaches, (2) (partial) language skills, (3) individual variables, (4) special learner groups, (5) multilingualism pedagogies, (6) digital media, and (7) literature and film pedagogy. We identify relevant topics and relate these to trends in research methodology (qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods). We also discuss the depth and breadth of these dissertations and situate their scholarly contributions within German and international research on additional language education. A comparison with the three previous review articles reveals methodological developments and thematic shifts, highlighting both progress and persistent challenges in German-language doctoral research across nearly two decades of scholarship.