German
What is German?
What does it mean to be a member of a German-speaking culture?
What motivates speaker of German?
It may be hard to say exactly what a German speaker is, but there’s one thing we know: German speakers are not typisch amerikanisch!
Are you interested in what makes cultures tick?
Do you enjoy searching out interesting people and visiting interesting places?
Do you want to be the very best speaker of German you can be?
If so, then Simpson’s German Program is right for you!
Go German!
At Simpson, we believe that communication is key. That’s why we teach our classes in German from the very beginning, enabling you to use your skills right away. Besides just knowing the language, though, you need to know how to understand German culture through German eyes. Thus, culture becomes the lynchpin for personal encounters with speakers of German. For this reason, all our courses are culture based and incorporate the learning of intercultural skills. Whether our cultural “text” is a film, a picture, a conversation, a web page, or a lyric poem, we will discover how that text increases our understanding of the German view of life. We will learn to find the cultural intersections that can facilitate communication, and to navigate the cultural gaps that hinder it.
An all-around education
Learning German means living it, not only in the classroom but outside as well. Get to know our German Fulbright exchange student; you’ll see her in your classes, at activities on campus and even in your dorm. Join us at the German conversation table or at German Club. Meet other students interested in all things international at the new World Language House.
Study Abroad
Simpson’s oldest study abroad program is the German Semester in Schorndorf. Since 1985 we have been taking students to this beautiful town near Stuttgart in southwestern Germany. There you can study German in a relaxed atmosphere while taking full advantage of the cultural attractions of a large city. A highlight of the program is the home stay with a German family. In addition, we make study tours of a dozen towns and cities, including Munich, Leipzig, Nuremberg, and Berlin. Come to Simpson and get to know your second family.
Your international future
The German Program at Simpson College can help you jumpstart your future, whether you hope to work overseas or just want to continue travel for personal enrichment. Our focus on autonomous learning will help you determine your own language-learning path and help you to become a truly life-long learner. And our international internship can be the stepping-stone to your future. Whether you are in business, communications, or the sciences, there are international internship possibilities for you.
What German at Simpson can offer you:
- Active use of German in and out of the classroom
- Creative and innovative projects
- Commitment to fostering autonomous learning
- Opportunity for an international internship in selected fields
- Varied curriculum with a cultural focus
- Study abroad experience in Germany
Patricia Calkins, Ph.D., Professor of German, joined the Simpson College faculty in 1997. She is interested in the history of daily life in Berlin, German culture since 1945, and autonomous language learning. Professor Calkins is the resident director of the Simpson College German Semester.
Contact Us
Department of World Language and Culture Studies
701 North C Street
Phone: (515) 961-1645
Fax: (515) 961-1498
patricia.calkins@simpson.edu