About the course:
German 104, an intermediate German course, builds on the language abilities acquired in GER 101-103 (or equivalent). With a content-based approach to language instruction, the course helps students not only to review and expand their German language abilities, but also to develop these within a meaningful context that supports the development of specific content knowledge – in this case, Austria.

The communicative approach to language learning that we take in this course focuses on learning to use German language forms, i.e., grammar and vocabulary, in meaningful contexts across both spoken and written genres. The course aims to develop students’ ability to interpret (not merely read or listen), communicate (not merely give and receive information), and perform (not merely write or speak) in German. In other words, the course will help students to become literate users of the German language.

The course covers modern-day Austrian society by examining two overarching and interlocking themes: culture and identity. Throughout the semester, students will explore what these concepts mean against the backdrop of such topics as: geography, history and people, music, art, architecture, food and drink, language and dialect. Authentic texts representing a number of genres (i.e., songs, personal stories, essays, interviews, biographies, historical timelines, and a novel) will be used to enrich students’ developing content knowledge of present-day Austria.