At Grinnell, all studies take place within a liberal arts framework, focusing on the study of German literature and culture through the contexts of the arts, history, social history, philosophy, and politics. But German also has practical applications relevant to the choices students face about their professional futures. Whether vocational or academic considerations guide your course selection, German offers some real advantages.

With nearly 100 million speakers, German ranks first in Western Europe in numbers of native speakers. As a language of business, diplomacy, and tourism in Western Europe, it stands second only to English; in Eastern Europe German holds first place. Its publishing industry, which ranks third in the world, produced 36% more new book titles in 1995 than did the U.S. Germany continues to play a prominent leadership role within the European Union.

A knowledge of German grants access not only to rich literary, philosophical, historic, and artistic traditions but also to many kinds of contemporary economic, political and cultural developments. English-speaking students of German develop an awareness of other modes of thinking about and interpreting human experience. Since German and English are historically related languages, students may also expect to develop an increased sensitivity to the nature and capabilities of their own language.

Grinnells German curriculum is designed to appeal to a wide range of interests and to prepare students for a variety of professions. We can achieve this goal because we consider the artistic, historical, social and philosophical contexts as vital to the study of German culture. Grinnell German majors later pursue diverse careers. Job titles among graduates include art conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a language instructor at Colby Community College, director of export sales at Noss Dynamics International, a reporter at The Patriot Ledger, and an optometrist. Many of the Grinnellians who pursue the major in German attend graduate or professional school within a few years of graduation.

At Grinnell, students can take advantage of numerous programs and activities to expand their linguistic and intellectual horizons beyond the classroom. Off-campus study in Germany or Austria provides students with an excellent opportunity to achieve linguistic and cultural fluency. Most Grinnell German majors and many non-majors study in Munich, Freiburg, Bonn, Berlin, or Vienna. On campus, a weekly dinner meeting in Cowles Dining Hall at the German Table lets students and faculty members practice and speak German in an informal setting. The campus also has a German House, where students create a total-immersion environment to strengthen and reinforce their language skills. A language assistant from a German-speaking country lives in the German House and serves as an informal resource person and tutor. By maintaining an extensive German film collection - including films by Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Vali Export - the department gives students access to films from both recent cinema and classics from the Weimar era.

All courses are conducted in German, and instructors prefer a communicative and interactive approach to lecture formats. Small classes mean that personal attention and extensive interaction among students and faculty are essential features of the major. The literature courses span from the Middle Ages to contemporary times and cover all literary genres. German majors at Grinnell study German literature and culture through the contexts of history, social history, philosophy, and politics. Because Grinnell's German major is solidly grounded in the liberal arts, students enjoy interdisciplinary study. The senior seminar, the capstone course for majors, offers a combination of literary theory and practice and provides an opportunity for reading and discussion at a very advanced level.