Prof. Dr. Torben Schmidt

21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C1.120
Fon +49.4131.677-2616, torben.schmidt@leuphana.de

Professor*in, Professorship of English Didactics
The Future Centre of Teacher Education

Vita

Torben Schmidt has been Professor of Teaching English as a Foreign Language at Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany, since 2011. His research interests focus on project-based learning, task-based language learning, and foreign language learning with digital media (esp. digital games, intelligent tutoring systems, AI-supported learning and teaching). From 2018-2024 he was the founder and director of the Future Center of Teacher Education at Leuphana University and coordinator of the Lüneburg project of the Initiative for Excellence for Teacher Education funded by the Germany Ministry of Research and Education. He is the editor and author of a middle-level textbook series and the developer of learning apps. Professor Schmidt is a two-time winner of the Hans-Eberhard Piepho Prize and was awarded the “Germany – Land of Ideas” prize in 2015 for his blended learning project, “Going Green – An Educational Project for Sustainability.” Over 8000 students from 408 German EFL classrooms participated in his 2024 U.S. Embassy School Election Project.

Education, Employment, and Positions

winter term 2016/2017: visiting scholarat the University College of Teacher Education in Vienna.
since Jan 2012: Prof. of English Didactics at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
Apr 2011 - Jan 2012: Prof. (Jun.-Prof.) of English Didactics at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
summer term 2010: visiting scholar at the Saint Mary's University in Halifax (Canada).
Dec 2008 – Mar 2011: associate, Giessen International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC).
Jan 2007 – Apr 2008: research assistant, M.A. "E-LINGO – Teaching languages to young learners", Justus Liebig University Gießen, Germany.
Jun 2004 – Apr 2007: doctoral research project, topic of dissertation: "Gemeinsames Lernen mit Selbstlernsoftware – Eine empirische Analyse lernprogrammgestützter Partnerarbeitsphasen im Unterricht der Klasse 7" (Cooperative learning with language learning software), (advisor: Prof. Dr. Michael K. Legutke, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Germany), (graduation with highest honour).
Jan 2003 – Jun 2006: research assistant, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
Oct 2002 – Jun 2004: postgraduate studies, English Literature and Linguistics, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany (graduation with distinction).
Oct 1998 – Jun 2002: teacher training studies, English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Psychology, Educational Sciences, first state examination, teaching degree for secondary schools, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany (graduation with distinction).

Teaching

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Projects

The 2024 U.S. Elections School Project
Torben Marco Schmidt (Project manager, academic)
2/1/24 → 5/31/25
Project: Practical Project
Transformations:Räume für zukunftsorientiertes Lernen
Andrea Japsen (Coordination) , Nicolas Meier (Coordination) , Matthias Wenzel (Project manager, academic) , Steffen Farny (Project manager, academic) , Torben Marco Schmidt (Project manager, academic) , Boukje Sanne Cnossen (Project manager, academic)
7/1/22 → 12/31/23
Project: Other
Going Green – Education for Sustainability
Torben Marco Schmidt (Project manager, academic)
9/1/21 → 8/31/23
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
American Studies Blog VIII
Torben Marco Schmidt (Project manager, academic)
9/1/21 → 8/31/23
Project: Other
DigiTaL - Teilprojekt 10: DigiCLIL-Exchange: Vermittlung fremdsprachlicher, interkultureller und fachlicher Kompetenzen zur Vorbereitung und Begleitung studienrelevanter Auslandsaufenthalte im Blended-Learning-Format
Anne Margaret Barron (Project manager, academic) , Torben Marco Schmidt (Project manager, academic) , Nora Benitt (Project staff) , Jodie Muree Birdman (Project staff) , Irina Pandarova (Project staff) , Onur Çiçek (Project staff)
8/1/21 → 12/31/25
Project: Teaching

View all projects

Publications

Books and anthologies

Lerner:innentexte im Fremdsprachenunterricht: Theorie, Praxis, Forschung
Benitt Nora (Editor) , Daniel Becker (Editor) , Katharina Delius (Editor) , Torben Marco Schmidt (Editor) , 2025 1 ed. , 204 p.
Research output: Books and anthologies › Collected editions and anthologies › Research
Innovationen in Theorie-Praxis-Netzwerken - Beiträge zur Weiterentwicklung der Lehrkräftebildung
Timo Ehmke (Editor) , Sandra Fischer-Schöneborn (Editor) , Dominik Leiß (Editor) , Torben Marco Schmidt (Editor) , Swantje Weinhold (Editor) , Kurt Reusser (Editor) , 2022 1 ed. Weinheim , 342 p.
Research output: Books and anthologies › Collected editions and anthologies › Research
Themenheft "Inklusion"
Torben Marco Schmidt (Editor) , David Gerlach (Editor) , 2021 Baltmannsweiler , 153 p.
Research output: Books and anthologies › Special Journal issue › Research
Games
Torben Marco Schmidt (Editor) , Roger Dale Jones (Editor) , 2020 Seelze , 49 p.
Research output: Books and anthologies › Special Journal issue › Education
Notting Hill Gate 6: [Textbook] für Klasse 10 an Gesamtschulen und anderen integrierenden Schulformen
Torben Marco Schmidt (Editor) , 2020 Braunschweig , 376 p.
Research output: Books and anthologies › Compendium/lecture notes › Education

View all publications

Journal contributions

Implicit statistical learning and working memory predict EFL development and written task outcomes in adolescents
Diana Pili-Moss (Author) , Torben Marco Schmidt (Author) , Phillip Hamrick (Author) , Detmar Meurers (Author) , Katharona Wendebourg (Author) , 01.07.2025 , in: System, 131 , 14 p.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Don't trust the machine - KI für das Schreiben von Beschwerdetexten nutzen
Torben Marco Schmidt (Author) , Thomas Strasser (Author) , 01.07.2023 , in: Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht. Englisch, 57, 184 , p. 20-26 , 7 p.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Education › peer-review
Artificial Intelligence in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: A CALL for Intelligent Practice
Torben Marco Schmidt (Author) , Thomas Strasser (Author) , 01.01.2022 , in: Anglistik - International Journal of English Studies, 33, 1 , p. 165-184 , 20 p.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Inklusiver Fremdsprachenunterricht: Positionspapier der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Fremdsprachenforschung (DGFF)
Carolyn Blume (Author) , Torben Marco Schmidt (Author) , David Gerlach (Author) , Karin Vogt (Author) , Solveig Chilla (Author) , Gerard Doetjes (Author) , Maria Eisenmann (Author) , Sophie Engelen (Author) , Lena Heine (Author) , Almut Küppers (Author) , Nicole Marx (Author) , Jürgen Mertens (Author) , Jan Springob (Author) , Katharina Wieland (Author) , Eva Wilden (Author) , 01.01.2021 , in: Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung, 32, 1 , p. 3-9 , 7 p.
Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
Heterogenität, Diversität und Inklusion: Ein systematisches Review zum aktuellen Stand der Fremdsprachenforschung in Deutschland
Torben Marco Schmidt (Author) , David Gerlach (Author) , 01.01.2021 , in: Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung, 32, 1 , p. 11-32 , 22 p.
Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research