Subject Area: German Studies

Introductory German A is an elementary level German language course for students with no prior knowledge of the language. Together with Introductory German B, it serves as the gateway to the introductory sequence in German Studies. Based on a communicative and task-based approach, it is designed to develop proficiency in oral and written communication skills and to provide students with knowledge and understanding of the societies and culture of German-speaking countries. Students develop their listening and speaking skills through a number of different activities, as well as their reading and writing skills. Vocabulary and grammatical structures are presented in the context of culturally and socially relevant issues. Topics include communication, travel, personal information and cultural activities. A lecture on basic grammatical and linguistic features (and occasionally on Contemporary Germany) complements exercises and discussions conducted as target-language activities in tutorials.