Critical Pedagogy and the Teaching of German Language and Culture in Post-Colonial Nigeria: Theoretical and Practical Dimensions

This study applies critical pedagogy as a theoretical lens to examine and transform the teaching of German language and culture in post-colonial Nigerian universities, making an original contribution to both critical language pedagogy theory and the practical reform of German language education in African academic contexts. Critical pedagogy, drawing on the Freirean tradition and extended through post-structuralist and post-colonial interventions, challenges the reproduction of hegemonic cultural and linguistic norms in educational practice. The study argues that German language and culture pedagogy in Nigeria frequently reproduces colonial-era hierarchies of linguistic authority and cultural prestige, positioning Nigerian learners as deficient approximators of German native speaker norms rather than as knowers with their own epistemic and cultural resources. A three-year participatory action research project is conducted at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, involving German language instructors and students in cycles of critical reflection, curricular experimentation, and evaluative dialogue. The study develops a Critical Nigerian German Pedagogy model that reframes German language learning as a tool for critical cultural analysis, intercultural negotiation, and agency development. The model is evaluated through student performance data, critical reflection journals, and instructor interviews. Keywords: critical pedagogy, German language teaching, post-colonial Nigeria, Paulo Freire, curriculum reform.