About German Classes at Austin College
The German Program teaches a rich array of topics, ranging from language and linguistics to literature studies, from folk traditions to film studies, but also includes contemporary issues such as environmentalism and immigration. We help students develop proficiency in German and acquire knowledge about and appreciation of literatures and cultures in the German-speaking world. Beginning and intermediate language courses enable you to communicate in German: You will develop basic skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Additionally, you will learn about German society and culture. In our advanced courses, you will gain a deeper understanding of the German language through discussion-based class sessions and produce your own written analysis.
Our German majors and minors have succeeded in a variety of meaningful career choices such as prestigious Fulbright teaching fellowships, corporate positions in the U.S. and abroad, positions in government and in NGOs.
Majors and minors are encouraged to enroll in an approved semester-long study abroad program in Germany or Austria. To those unable to study abroad, joining a travel Jan term to Austria or Germany might be of interest.
What’s happening in the program?
German Campus Weeks
The German Program at Austin College has regularly received funding from the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. to host various events on campus in order to bring awareness to the German language, to engage students in German cultural activities, and to enable the wider campus community to learn more about the significant contributions Germany has made in a global context:
- Shaping Germany Campus Weeks (2018)
- 500th Anniversary of Reformation Campus Weeks (2017)
- Germany Meets the U.S. Campus Weeks (2016)
- 25 Years Fall of the Berlin Wall Campus Weeks (2014)
- Think Transatlantic. US and Germany in the 21st Century Campus Weeks (2012)
German Program Details
- German Major Checklist
- German Minor Checklist
- See the German Courses
- See the Austin College Bulletin
- Visit the Classical & Modern Languages home page
- Shaping Germany Campus Weeks
German Faculty
Ruth Cape, Associate Professor of German
Wolfgang Lueckel, Associate Professor of German
Classes of Interest:
GER 254: History of German Cinema (typically each fall)
Learn about 100 years of film history in Germany. Delve into the 1922 Nosferatu, one of the most famous vampire films of all time, and how it has shaped cinema. Learn about the great rogue characters of the 1920s, Nazi cinema, postwar films and the Neuer Deutsche Film (New German Cinema) of the 1960s to 1980s.
GER 255: “The Greenest Nation?” (typically each spring)
See what Germans are doing to protect the environment and why they have the reputation of being fervently green. Learn about the solar and wind energy boom in Germany, Waldsterben (forest death), Mülltrennung (recycling) and Klimawandel (climate change).
All students who take German are encouraged and eligible to apply for a space in the German House in order to immerse themselves in German outside of the regular classroom and on a daily basis. The German House is part of the Austin College Jordan Family Language House. The German Club of Austin College hosts film nights and other events at this location. Each student in the language house receives personal attention in the target language by a native language house teaching assistant.
Meet Our Alumni
Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Study German at Austin College
- Access knowledge: German is among the Top Ten languages used for knowledge creation with almost 100.000 books published annually.
- Communicate with about 100 million German native speakers and many other speakers who learn German as a foreign language.
- Study and live in Germany: Take German classes at Austin College and then immerse yourself during a semester of study-abroad in a German-speaking location.
- Pursue business opportunities: Among foreign languages, German offers one of the highest earning potentials for business leaders.
- Read some of the greatest thinkers, authors and researchers in their native language: the Grimm brothers, Kafka, Nietzsche, Goethe, Martin Luther, and Albert Einstein all wrote in German.
- Look beyond the cliché: German culture encompasses much more than Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, and Oktoberfest. Discover the rich fabric of German culture beyond the images the tourism industry has created.
- Discover Europe and the European Union: Germany is at the heart of a political union of 27 members whose cultural diversity and long history are amazing and exciting.
- Learn about and explore multi-culturalism and cultural diversity in German-speaking countries.
- Discover your family roots: German-Americans are the largest ancestry group in the United States.
- Learn how language works by comparing parallels and key differences between German and your native language.
Links of Interest
- The Goethe Institute
- TV News Tagesschau
- German-American Chambers of Commerce
- The Dallas Goethe Center
- German Food in the Metroplex
- Deutsche Welle (news from and about Germany in English)
- Spiegel (prominent German news source in German and English)
- German Mission in the U.S.
- European Union
- Facts about Germany
- Overview of German History (in German)
