On October 23, 2021, the Institute of Teacher Education, Penza State University, held an Olympiad in German «German as a second foreign language», Goethe-Institut.

The organizers of the Olympiad in Penza were the Department of Foreign Languages and Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages under the leadership of Ekaterina Aleshina. The application for the Olympiad was submitted by Tatyana Razuvaeva, Associate Professor at the Department, Head of the International Projects Department, Coordinator of Cooperation with Goethe Institute. Elena Ryzhova, Associate Professor, and Anastasia Zhaldybina, a senior teacher, took part in organizing and holding the Olympiad.

The purpose of the Olympiad is to increase the motivation of students to learn the German language, to identify the level of their language and communication skills. Its organizers set the task of awakening students' interest in the German language, the culture of Germany, its history, which will undoubtedly serve as an incentive for further study of the German language.

The Olympiad was held under the motto: "The main thing is not victory, but participation». Participation in the Olympiad did not involve passing a multi-stage test procedure for selecting the most talented students; the competitive aspect was a secondary task. That is why the organizers invited everyone who studied German for the first year, regardless of their abilities, grades and teacher recommendations.

The Olympiad tasks included several blocks: listening, regional studies, grammar, reading, vocabulary and written communication.

The Olympiad was attended by 30 schoolchildren of 6-7 grades of secondary schools in Penza, studying German as a second foreign language for one year.

The results of the Olympiad will be posted on the website of the Goethe-Institut on November 25, 2021. Valuable prizes will be awarded to 10 students who have scored the maximum number of points among all participants in Russia. Incentive prizes will be awarded to the best participants in each region.