German Studies at Chico State
Why learn German? There are many
reasons!
Why learn German at Chico State? Read on ...
[German at CSU,Chico - Curriculum
and Course Offerings - Technology in the German
Curriculum
Extracurricular Activities
- Other Opportunities for Majors: Now and Future]
German at CSU, Chico
As former and current students will attest, the German Studies program at CSU,
Chico is dynamic, innovative, and exciting! The German curriculum accordingly
consists of a variety of courses collectively designed to provide students with
a personally enriching and marketable set of skills and knowledge. In addition,
many extracurricular opportunities exist for students wishing to explore German
beyond the classroom.
Curriculum and Course Offerings
The lower division sequence of courses (German 101 - 202) introduce the
basic principles of the German language, build students’ communicative proficiency
and cultural literacy. The faculty's student-centered approach to language learning
helps students learn to express themselves in German with increasing accuracy
and fluidity. Understanding and being able to communicate with other cultures
is essential in a global economy. Learning another language helps promote tolerance,
break down stereotypes, and foster positive attitudes across cultures. Exposure
to a foreign language and culture also contributes greatly to students’ understanding
of themselves and their own culture.
The upper division offerings in German represent a broad range of courses
which are continually expanding in breadth. Students develop skills and knowledge
which are diverse enough to be broadly applicable, but which are also specific
to their educational and personal goals and plans. While the curriculum includes
traditional courses in literature and culture, it also incorporates thematic
approaches to important current topics such as: German Regionalisms, Technology
and Culture, Bestsellers in German Literature, and German "Krimis".
We also offer courses in German cinema, Business German, contemporary issues,
current events, and German-American relations. The list continues to expand.
Technology in the German Curriculum
The latest information technologies play an integral role in the German curriculum.
Lower division courses all either have an online component or meet once per
week in the department's own Multimedia Language Learning Center. The lab provides
language students with access to many new resources which can enhance their
language experience and expand their cultural knowledge.
Multimedia Language Learning Center
Many of our upper division German courses have online components (see course
offerings). In addition, several courses incorporate a broad array of online
learning resources, from online interactive vocabulary trainers and grammar
exercises, to diverse audio and video resources and radio and news broadcasts,
the latest information about current cultural and political events, and much
more.
Extracurricular Activities
Students on a German Club
gold panning trip at the Yuba River.Every few semesters, the German program sponsors a German Brown Bag Lunch Series.
The series features guest speakers and creates the opportunity for interdisciplinary
discussion on contemporary cultural issues. Past topics have included
“Current Issues in Germany,” “Dealing with the Nazi Past,” and “Germany Within
Europe.” In the past, the German Studies Lecture Series has brought internationally
recognized scholars to the CSU, Chico campus. Such notable figures as Peter
Uwe Hohendahl and Patricia Herminghouse, who are both recognized authorities
in the field of German Studies, have visited and spoken at Chico State. Occasionally,
the General Consul of the Consulate General of Germany in San Francisco and
representatives of the Goethe Institute German Cultural Center also visit and
give lectures at the CSU, Chico campus. Check out our upcoming
events!
Other Opportunities for Majors - Now and Future
Unique to the German program at Chico State is its annual exhange program with
the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. Each year a teaching
assistant from Mainz comes to Chico State and plays an active role in the life
of the German program, participating in classroom and extracurricular activities,
and meeting frequently with students on an informal basis outside of class.
In addition, one Chico State student is selected annually to attend the university
in Mainz. The Chico State student chosen receives an 4000 € scholarship
to cover expenses while living in Germany. The CSU system also sponsors International
Programs in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. While students at all
levels of proficiency are encouraged to apply, students who have at least 3 or
4 semesters of German language instruction before participating will meet with
the most success. For those interested in business, the Department of Business
sponsers an exchange with a business school in Pforzheim, Germany, and Chico State's
Department of Engineering has and exchange arrangement with a technical school
in Hamburg. There are several other opportunities to work
or study abroad.
The quality of the German program at Chico State is evidenced by the acceptance
of recent majors at top-notch graduate and law schools, including such institutions
as the University of Buffalo, Georgetown University, American University, the
University of Indiana at Bloomington, and University of California campuses at
Berkeley, Davis, and Santa Barbara. Our students have made us very proud. A recent
graduate is the recipient of a Rotary Club Ambassadorial Scholarship which provides
full financial support for an academic year in Germany, and another former student
was awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship. Our students have found employment
in various fields, from business to translation, from teaching to travel agent/tour
guide.
If you are an alumna/alumnus of the CSU, Chico German program, please contact
us and let us know what you're doing!
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California State University, Chico
