• Linguistische Treffen in Wrocław •

At the beginning of the 2020s, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war led to deep transformations in our society and in its development. In this new context, the role of (digital) media and (renewable) energy has become even more crucial for our social life and interaction than in the past decades. Especially at such a time of crisis, these two pillars of our economy and communication appear to be worth investigating from different research perspectives. Within the framework of Applied German Studies, this general overview article explores the impact of digital media and renewable energy respectively on (language) teaching and discourse. By focussing on media- and energy-related neologisms and word formation elements such as enernet, e- and elektro-, the writer reflects on the changes that affected the fields of education and society during the latest years. Against this backdrop, the article provides inputs and questions for further research in two branches of Applied German Studies. As far as didactics is concerned, the focus lies on the opportunities offered by the IT-based (language) teaching strategies that were utilised during lockdown. As for the role of energy (supply) in the current Russia-Ukraine war, this paper sheds light on related terms and language patterns as possible objects of analysis in political, media and scientific discourse.