SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES

GERMAN STUDIES

The Department of German pursues a program of German studies as part of the humanistic endeavor to understand and evaluate culture. Departmental courses are focused on language, literature, and film in context, that is, within the historical, social, intellectual, and political circumstances of their production and continuing reception. Clearly, we come to understand ourselves and our immediate culture much better through the study of different languages and cultural systems. Therefore, university language study is not merely a matter of memorizing vocabulary and practicing pronunciation. It is the serious investigation of a foreign linguistic system and the cultures which are defined by it. It is difficult—in fact, nearly impossible—for us to scrutinize and analyze something we know as intimately as our native language, and yet this is the order by which we formulate our thoughts and the order which may sometimes formulate our thoughts for us. The "foreignness" of a foreign language allows us to objectify an entire linguistic system, to observe its structure and its usage, and then to make comparisons with our own linguistic situation. This kind of knowledge of one's native language is the foundation of critical reflection on texts of any nature—historical, philosophical, literary, political, legal, journalistic, and others. Thus, serious study of a foreign language is absolutely crucial to a university education. The Department teaches its language courses with this principle in mind and seeks to provide its students with a framework for these linguistic and cultural comparisons.

Department literature and film courses offer a variety of critical perspectives from historical, social, or politically engaged readings to feminist and post-structuralist analysis. Topics range from studies of individual authors, periods, and genres to the history of German-language literature and film, the theory of criticism, and the relations of German-language literature to other literatures.

All courses in the Department are taught in German to the extent compatible with the aim of the course. In the lower-division language courses students develop skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing through an engaging, collaborative, task-based curriculum. The courses place a great deal of emphasis on meaningful cultural literacy in German, employing a diverse range of authentic texts and materials from the beginning, including avid use of Internet resources. During the second year (intermediate), students benefit from a curriculum based on authentic literary and cultural content (theater, media) and simulation of "real world" situations. These courses have the additional goal of contributing to students' education in the humanities and developing their skills in critical thinking.

The ability to speak and write German can open up opportunities in communications, foreign trade and banking, transportation, government, science and technology, tourism, library services, and teaching. Because German plays such an important role in modern technology, employers in international law, business, the foreign service, the airline industry, journalism, professional translating, and all levels of education increasingly seek students with a knowledge of German. German is excellent preparation for professional schools. It can be combined successfully with work in the natural sciences, business and management, and the computer sciences, and it is invaluable for advanced work in the humanities and the arts.

Recent graduates of the German Department have begun careers in international law, business, the foreign service, the airline industry, journalism, and all levels of education, including university teaching.

- From the 2007-2008 UCI General Catalogue