Sustainable teaching by integrating older versions of a language: Tristan and Isolde on stage

Using the theoretical framework of Ingeborg Schusler (2004, 2007), our hypothesis is that « sustainable learning » is very much linked to creativity and emotions. Creativity and emotions can be triggered by curiosity and, in this respect, it may very well be that students of language get a better feeling for the language to be acquired by learning something about the historical development of that language. Older versions of a language might be even closer to their own language (e.g. Middle High German is much closer to modern English or Dutch than modern German is), which fascinates students a lot. But this knowledge must be transferred in an active practical use. Such a practical use might be reading a theater piece in an older version of the German language, e.g. the play “Tristrant und Isolt” by Hans Sachs (16th century) and translating it with students in modern German to be performed afterwards. As a result, the well-known subject of unhappy love can be used for sustainable teaching.