Access to the world
"I chose German studies as a major because my family background is German. As I grew up, everything at home was German: the food, the way of thinking, the discipline. I heard my parents and grandparents talking in German, but I was more into English and Portuguese, my native language. It is very important to me, now, to recover that culture," says a student from Brazil. For a German studies major from Russia, it was "the structure and the order of German, how it sounds. I just love the language." A German studies professor adds, "Some of us, like myself, fall in love with the language; but I'm especially excited for my German studies students who are also in fields like political science or business. Knowledge of that language will expand their horizons, giving them access to another whole arena."

Becoming world citizens
"The goal of our program," points out a professor, "is international understanding, thinking of ourselves as world citizens. The students learn there is a wide spectrum of ways to look at politics, business, and everyday life." One German studies major says, "From the classes and the Germany Abroad I have learned to adapt to another culture, to know that I can accept what somebody does without necessarily having to make it mine. I can still be myself, but I can respect other cultures easily. The major has increased my awareness of what goes on in countries other than America." A junior says she thinks it's important that there are "people who learn foreign languages and try to reach out to the world and other cultures."

Firm foundation from on-campus resources
"The German classes at Prin are very productive," says a senior. "You get a good basis right from the beginning. There are grammar classes and reading classes, but the emphasis is on speaking. We do a lot of outside reading and get exposure to current affairs in Germany through watching satellite TV in the language lab. You really get used to the language by hearing it that way." A student with majors in German studies and chemistry says, "Most of my classes have had ten people or fewer, which gives you a lot of time to work with the professor and get the verbal part of German, as well as the more technical stuff you'd get in a bigger class. In the more advanced sections, we really don't use the language lab other than to watch the news, because we are in such close contact with the professors." One of the professors, in fact, wrote the first-year German textbook that Principia uses. "We're taught a methodology, how to learn," says a senior. "The German studies major also helped me get to know people better, to expand my horizons."

Challenging and rewarding coursework
"I enjoyed the literature classes the most," says a recent graduate. "It was fun to be able to read and discuss works in German and write papers in German, too. My German improved so much when I was doing that." For one senior German studies major, though, it was the literature classes that were the most demanding. She explains, "For a final project, one group read German fairy tales, learning their style and form. Then they wrote their own, in German. Another student read about a famous historical figure, a German leader and warrior who led a controversial life and was the subject of a lot of literature. The student then wrote his own version of the man's life, in German." And a student who knew two languages before beginning her German studies adds, "As with every foreign language, it takes a lot of work, every day. You need to work on it."

Learning language and culture abroad
"Our trips to Germany are people-to-people," says a professor. "Each student lives with a German family. We want the German culture to be alive, not a museum, for our students. In fact, the whole major is designed to bring German life, letters, and culture alive." A senior German studies major says, "The abroad is the highlight of the program. By immersing yourself in the culture, your horizons really expand within the European community. Germany is a strong country with a very interesting history and social system. You get a perspective very different from the American perspective." On the German Abroad especially, says a senior, "You learn that German is not really one language. There are over 70 dialects." The professor adds, "The major is structured so we can do more than teach students the language. We teach them a lot about the culture. When we take students to Germany, they get a good feeling for the country. So, when they go back to visit or work, they have a much better understanding of how to approach the people."

Taking German studies beyond our borders
"Two of the fields that our majors have gone into," says another professor, "are international business and the foreign service. Other students combine German with another language and go into teaching." A senior with German studies major and a minor in business administration says, "It takes patience, but it's rewarding to master a complex language like German. German is an important language in the business world." A junior with a German studies and business administration double major says, "I think that German is very good for business, especially if you are doing a business or economics major and plan to work in Europe. I think it will be very useful in the future, even if you have some other major." She plans to return to Moscow after college to work in international business. "The German studies program prepared me very well for going into grad school," says a recent graduate who continued his studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. "And the Germany Abroad gave me a greater appreciation for what's going on in the world." He is currently training at the State Department for a career in the foreign service.