German

The years from the founding of the republic in 1919 to the National Socialists' seizure of power in 1933 are among the most politically and artistically eventful in German history. While the young Weimar Republic initially struggled with start-up and legitimization problems, culture experienced a period of prosperity that has lost none of its fascination to this day. Expressionist film, Bauhaus, New Objectivity, and epic theater are just some of the cultural achievements of the Weimar Republic. However, the Golden Twenties came to an abrupt end due to the world economic crisis, which led to the collapse of the republic, which was to bring the National Socialists to power in 1933 and meant the end of all diversity. Using historical sources, various art forms, and scientific presentations, the seminar provides an overview of central aspects of the politics and culture of the Weimar Republic. Starting with an examination of the political background of the founding of the republic, the course deals with the above-mentioned aspects and social phenomena such as the "new woman" type.

In the B2 level, students systematize, consolidate, and expand basic knowledge of lexis and grammar acquired in the basic and lower intermediate level. The development of academic work forms and techniques is becoming increasingly important. Course objectives include the improvement of the active and passive language use through the systematic expansion of the vocabulary as well as a focus on the training of oral and written skills. Further emphasis is given to the development of the language skills in everyday life as well as study-related situations in Germany. The B2 level is split into two courses, the B2.1 course covers the first half of the level and the B2.2 course covers the second half of the level.

This course is intended for students who have no prior knowledge of German. In this class on the A1 level according to CEFR, students learn and solidify basic grammatical structures and systematically build their vocabulary. They train the four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing in everyday situations and do simple exercises to practice and improve their verbal and written skills. Students are introduced to independent forms of learning and studying. The class covers and reflects on civilization and culture in Germany, Berlin, and at the university as related to everyday life. Topics include personal information, living situation, work, institutions, and traffic.

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed the intermediate level of German and who have a sound knowledge of German. It focuses on encounters with various written, spoken and audio-visual texts and exchanges with other course participants. Students further develop and expand their competencies in listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as their understanding of German culture while being enabled to learn reflectively and strategically. The course addresses cultural, political, and historical aspects of the city of Berlin and the German-speaking countries, which students analyze and compare with their own background and experiences. Through this course students develop and regularly employ new strategies for language acquisition. Students gain an improved ability to participate in conversations and discussions of various topics in a German-speaking environment while choosing the right linguistic register. Furthermore, students further improve their ability to read and understand  texts of various length and from a variety of genres without difficulties. In addition, students expand and refine their essay writing skills, and are able to write, independently revise, and correct written work that meets the standards for academic writing.