About
My name is Susanne Heinz and I am a Professor of Foreign Language Education at the University of Kiel. As a former high school teacher of English and History, I strongly believe in the importance of bridging the gap between current research and approaches in foreign language learning and pedagogy and their practical application in today’s language classrooms.
Why do we need literature in today’s language classrooms?
One of the main focuses of my academic research and output is exploring how 21st-century literacies, particularly the reading of literature, can be integrated and fostered in the modern English Foreign Language classroom.
The main motivation behind my research is to open up new possibilities for teachers to use literature in the English Foreign Language Classroom. Both in lower secondary education and in further education, from vocational school to university.
My aim is to make literature and reading
Susanne HEINZ
more accessible to the students of tomorrow
by making my research available
to the teachers of today.
Teacher Education
My particular focus is on developing strategic teaching concepts to better integrate different texts and genres into the classroom. For that reasons I have collaborated in material design with the big school publishers in Germany over many years.
Material design for the reading classroom
In doing so, I am strongly orientated towards a student-centered approach and collaborative learning environments. Therefore, I develop teaching concepts for modern genres such as graphic novels, but also new approaches to classical literature such as Shakespeare’s plays.
At present I am working on an open-access textbook for teaching reading and literature in the 21st century language classroom which integrates ready-to-use and adaptable OER material for practical classroom application.
OERs
My team and I produce many free teaching materials (OER), often in collaboration with our master students at the Christian-Albrechts-University (see project “Mobile Enhanced Language Learning goes OEP: Future skills for prospective English teachers and English lessons“)
Educator Resources
Teacher education in the modern competence-based and digitally enhanced language classroom
Bringing literate(s) to the differentiated 21st century language classroom: YAL, Life Writing & more
Graphic Novels – 21st century multimodal reading: edited school editions and teacher’s guides
Ethnic diversity resources for for Upper Secondary: edited readers and teacher guides
Recent posts
As You Like It
Teaching Shakespeare’s As You Like It in the EFL classroom: Material created at CAU (winter term 2024/25)
Summer Semester 2025
Prof. Dr. Susanne Heinz is currently on research sabbatical for the summer semester 2025.
New book announced
Prof. Dr. Susanne Heinz is working on an open access textbook for teaching literature in the EFL classroom
