This is the second course in a two-course sequence. The sequence provides students without prior exposure to the language with a sound basis for learning German as it is used today in its spoken and written forms. The goal of the sequence is proficiency in communication skills with an emphasis on oral proficiency. The sequence also acquaints students with contemporary culture and life in the German-speaking countries.

This is the first course of a two-course sequence at the intermediate level. The sequence provides students with the tools to increase their ability to function in German. Communicative activities, contemporary texts, and the study of vocabulary and grammar are used to expand all communication skills, especially oral proficiency. This sequence continues to address issues of contemporary German life and culture.

This is the second course of a two-course sequence at the intermediate level. The sequence provides students with the tools to increase their ability to function in German. Communicative activities, contemporary texts, the study of vocabulary and grammar are used to expand all communication skills, especially oral proficiency. This sequence continues to address issues of contemporary German life and culture.

This course is designed to help students further develop two of the four basic language skills: listening and speaking. Students will expand on skills they have attained in previous language courses with particular emphasis on the advancement of their speaking proficiency in German. Through a task-based approach the course aims to assist students in learning to speak German with a greater degree of fluency and accuracy. Students will communicate solely in German throughout the course. Each class session will consist of communicative activities and practice. The learning of the German language will occur through the completion of communicative tasks in different formats and circumstances (e.g. interviews, situational sketches, oral projects). There will be little emphasis on grammar, but the emphasis on pronunciation and vocabulary will be significant. Authentic audiovisual materials will be an integral part of the course, as will the submission and review of spoken samples of German on the part of the student via MyCourses.

This course is organized around the notion of what Germany is today and the historical, social, cultural and literary determinants of that concept. Through a series of texts, films and videos designed to introduce the students to contemporary German society, thought and cultural practices, the course seeks to explore the following questions: What is Germany today? What is it to be German today? How do the Germans see themselves, and how are they seen by others? In what ways do cultural practices, globalization, and ethnicity influence the formation of modern German identity (and is there one?)? Where do these notions come from? How does that compare to notions of identity and society in the US? Discussions will include analysis of cultural stereotypes, family life, sports, language, media, politics, immigration, etc. The focus of this course is cultural analysis, exploration, and comparison. In order to critically examine these questions, this course focuses on various aspects of modern German culture from the 1950’s to the present. Since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, German society has undergone numerous changes, which manifest themselves politically, socially, culturally and economically. Through films, readings in history and social science, magazine articles, literature and books, this course will scrutinize these changes and their meaning within the context of present-day German society.

This is the first course of a two-course sequence at the advanced level. This sequence is designed to develop in-depth proficiency in the four language skills of speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. This sequence develops the ability to understand and communicate freely on a variety of familiar and unfamiliar topics by expanding the vocabulary base and by discussions, compositions, and oral reports based on cultural and literary texts and audio-visual materials. The sequence includes a rigorous study of advanced grammatical structures and usage. Students must take a placement exam if this is their first RIT class in German and they have prior study of German.

This is the last course of a two-course sequence at the advanced level. This sequence is designed to intensively develop proficiency in the four language skills of speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. This sequence develops the ability to understand and communicate freely by expanding the vocabulary base and by discussions, compositions, and oral reports, based on cultural and literary texts and audio-visual materials. The sequence includes a rigorous study of advanced grammatical structures and usage Students must take a placement exam if this is their first RIT class in German and they have prior study of German.