GERMAN LANGUAGE

Overview

German is a West Germanic language that is mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol (Italy), the German-speaking Community of Belgium, and Liechtenstein. It is also one of the three official languages of Luxembourg and a co-official language in the Opole Voivodeship in Poland.

Course description

Students can learn how to make simple enquiries in speaking and writing, and to give instructions. They build on their basic grammar skills and increase vocabulary. The work includes regular practices and scheduled drill-sessions in understanding and using the spoken language. Written exercises and elementary reading materials serve for vocabulary building and discussion.

Benefits

• German language is easy to acquire
• German is the language of inventors and innovators
• German is an important language in academia
• Germany is an economic powerhouse
• German is the gateway to a world-class higher education
• German is the most widely spoken native language in Europe.
• German has a big online presence
• German culture is part of the world heritage
• German companies are global market leaders

Learning outcomes

• Students will demonstrate their ability to recognize, identify, extract and/or differentiate key information conveyed in spoken announcements, instructions, audiovisual material (including radio plays and video segments) and in interactions between native speakers on familiar topics.
• Students will demonstrate effective speaking and listening skills in German on informal and some formal topics related to personal, professional, academic, and leisure activities.
• Students will be able to prepare, review, and revise written communications of a personal, pragmatic, or transactional nature, often to ask for clarification, argue a point, impart information (notes, messages, and forms), coordinate events, maintain a personal relationship, or obtain goods and services.
• Students will demonstrate their ability to build extended arguments and analyses based on their study of major literary, historical, artistic, economic, religious, political, and cultural periods, products, and/or figures associated with German-speaking cultures.