The Austrian Association for German as a Foreign and Second Language

Since its foundation in 1984, the Austrian Association for German as a Foreign and Second Language (ÖDaF) has served as a network and forum for its members and for all those interested in DaF/DaZ. It is organised as an association under formal statutes, with a six-member Executive Board and co-opted board members responsible for specific areas of work, and currently has 440 members (as of March 2025).

ÖDaF provides a framework for active professional exchange and continuing professional development. It discusses and documents developments in the field of German as a foreign and second language in scholarship and research, while also engaging with current issues in language, education, and integration policy in Austria. In these areas, ÖDaF contributes critical, research-based perspectives as a body of politically independent experts. The association is also particularly committed to the professionalisation and quality assurance of DaF/DaZ teaching, as well as to improving the legal and financial framework for teachers.

ÖDaF’s key activities include the annual organisation of an ÖDaF Annual Conference and an ÖDaF Short Conference, the planning and delivery of continuing professional development programmes, and the publication of one annual issue of the Journal of German in the Context of Multilingualism (ZDKM), which is subject to a double-blind peer-review process. The association’s website, Facebook page, and mailing list also provide information and updates on relevant events and activities organised by the association and in the wider field of DaF/DaZ.

We also attach great importance to exchange with related DaF/DaZ institutions and other professional associations, particularly in Germany and Switzerland. We have been a member of the International Association of Teachers of German (IDV) since 1986 and contribute to the work of its Executive Board by delegating an expert. In keeping with the DACH principle, we also play an active role in the work of the DACHL committee. On behalf of the IDV, ÖDaF has already hosted the International Congress of Teachers of German (IDT) four times: in Salzburg (1971), Vienna (1989), Graz (2005), and Vienna (2022).

We are very much looking forward to hosting the FIPLV World Congress and the IDV International Delegates’ Conference in 2027 and to building on this wealth of experience.