Affective Atmospheres and Belonging in German Language Education: Pathways toward a Humanizing Pedagogy

Abstract

This article discusses how affective atmospheres can contribute to fostering a sense of belonging in the teaching of German as an additional language in university-based teacher education programs. It is a theoretical-reflective study that brings together Critical Applied Linguistics, research on emotions and belonging, and a reflective account of pedagogical experience developed in introductory German courses within a German Studies degree program at University of São Paulo. The article examines breathing-awareness practices, collaborative topic negotiation, music-based activities, and work with lexical-pragmatic resources aimed at expanding learners’ possibilities for expressing emotions, attitudes, and stances in the target language. Methodologically, the discussion draws on teacher observations, students’ spontaneous comments, and records produced in the context of the activities, which are analyzed qualitatively and interpretively, without the intention of measuring effects or establishing causal relationships. It is argued that attention to the relationships among teachers, students, the group, the target language, and individual trajectories can foster conditions for emotional safety, participation, belonging, and discursive agency. In teacher education, such experiences can challenge models centered exclusively on linguistic performance and highlight the importance of pedagogical practices that integrate language development, listening, participation, and recognition of learners as subjects of their own educational trajectories.