GERMAN HOUSE -- 1997-1998

Dennis F. Mahoney
Professor of German
Department of German and Russian
422a Waterman
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405-0160
(802) 656-1476
Please e-mail me at dmahoney@zoo.uvm.edu
The German House Program has been designed to provide students the opportunity to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the German language and culture in ways not commonly possible in a traditional classroom setting and timetable. Given the residential component of the German House, students are able to speak German on an ongoing basis. With the aid of the faculty program director and the student program coordinator, students can reinforce language learning and share their experiences and knowledge of German culture. Through a program of films, discussions, guest lecturers, group meals, hikes, excursions, festivities and other cultural and social activities, an environment is created in which German is not only encouraged but becomes a medium of expressing the students' personal interests. In the past, the German House has proved to be both a good preparation for study abroad in German-speaking countries as well as a means for students to retain fluency upon returning to UVM. German House residents traditionally have identified personal and social aspects -- the group spirit and the quality of life in the suites -- as being among the strongest features of the program.

I. Language learning as an ongoing process.

• All formal group meetings are conducted in German.

• The faculty director will always speak German when visiting the German House suites and participating in the weekly language table at the Living/Learning dining facilities.

• A special responsibility of the program coordinator will be to foster the use of German on a regular basis and to aid the students in their preparation of presentations at group meetings.

• German House students will take a German course offering appropriate to their level of speaking ability. Except under special circumstances and with the permission of the program director, students should be enrolled in intermediate-level courses or higher.

• As part of their fulfillment of the one academic credit awarded each semester for German House activities, students will provide written self-evaluations of their participation in German House in the form of an ongoing journal of the semester's events and activities.

• Above all, it is the students' own willingness to speak and use German which will help make German House a success for each and every participant.

II. Promoting awareness of German Culture.

• Once a week during each full week of both semesters, discussions in German will be conducted on present or planned activities of the German House. Some presentations, normally lasting about fifteen minutes, will be conducted by individual group members. Use may be made of the German Department's audio-visual materials. On occasion, German Department faculty may speak on topics related to German culture and civilization. Screening of German films available from UVM Media Services or discussions of German news events shown on SCOLA may also be part of our group meetings from time to time. A new option would be to make use of the wide array of information on German speaking countries, including on- line newspapers and magazines, available on the World Wide Web. Click here for German news on Deutsche Welle

• Given the student exchange program between UVM and the University of Augsburg, Germany, some of our student guests or professors visiting from Augsburg could be invited to share information and impressions about student life on our respective campuses.

• At an agreed-upon time, there will be at least one group meal each week where non-resident students and other interested members of the UVM community will have the opportunity to meet for informal conversation in German .

• From time to time, a feature film in German (to be obtained through the German or Austrian governments) will be shown in the Living/Learning Center. The general community is invited to these screenings.

• Guest speakers will be invited to the German House during each semester to give lectures relating to German culture and civilization (scholarly papers, reading from literary works, etc.). Concert performances of German composers have been sponsored by the German House in conjunction with the German/Russian Department and other Living/Learning programs.

• A number of social excursions will take place during the academic year, such as an autumn hike or a winter cross-country ski outing. A day trip to Montréal with other language houses or programs within L/L might be a way to share intercultural experiences and develop ties with other programs within the center.

• Similarly, German celebrations and festivals will be held during the course of the academic year to encour age socializing among German House residents, German Department faculty, and non resident students interested in German studies.

• As occasions present themselves, interested German House members will attend off campus events relating to German culture. For example, on the weekend of September 19-21, 1997, McGill University in Montréal will be sponsoring a conference on the topic "Images of Germany: Perceptions and Conceptions." Likewise, there are certain to be museum exhibits and concerts that could become a focus for a field trip.

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