Competence orientation continually opens up new perspectives for teaching, especially in the field of German as a foreign and second language (DaF/DaZ). The current trends in competence orientation presented here include: subject-specific language competencies for the fields of theology and medicine, the professional competencies of teachers regarding learning styles, grammar, and intercultural competence, as well as two contrastive analyses of the speech act of written complaints and oral criticism. The authors are, without exception, passionate and inspiring teachers and lecturers who are simultaneously committed to exploring new paths in research. The result of this close interconnection between theory and practice is research findings with direct practical relevance. This is the aim of the DaF/DaZ series in research and teaching.