Since the early 1970s, the Institute for German as a Second and Foreign Language (Deutsch als Zweit- und Fremdsprache, DaZ/DaF) has been engaged in the research and teaching of multilingualism and language education in the context of migration and internationalization, and their implementation in schools, universities and extracurricular education.

In doing so, multi-perspective approaches are pursued that support the acquisition and teaching of German as well as professional and intercultural learning in Germany and abroad. In the context of a comprehensive language education, a special focus lies on the development and preservation of heritage languages or first languages other than German.