Understanding Germany and her German-speaking neighbours

Elective Course

This course is designed to aid students in better understanding Germany and her German-speaking neighbours by providing them with an introduction to topics that relate to major current events anddevelopments in these countries from the diversified political and social to cultural aspects. Topics include Germany’s political system, contemporary life in unified Germany, family and social life, German customs and traditions, and multicultural aspects of German society. Students will work individually, in pairs, and in groups. They will present the result of their work to their fellow students for peer review. This involves project work and class work. They will use new media to allow practice and improvement of multiple literacies. During the course, students will be required to complete an in-class test, submit a research paper and conduct a presentation on a topic of their choice. This course will also give an overview of other German speaking countries. Classes will be conducted in German and English. Guest lecturers will be invited to give talks on selected topics. Students will have the opportunity to discuss and raise in-depth questions during the talks.