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German – deutsch

Picture of beautiful German town
Surfing in Munich
Sacher cake
Schweiz

The German Program

The following German courses are offered as part of the German program:

First semester
German 101 German I (5 units)

This course is the first semester of German. This elementary level course is a study of the German language and German-speaking cultures with emphasis on the development of communicative skills and basic structures through listening, speaking, reading and writing. No previous experience in German is required. In German 101 we will cover the first five chapters of the free online textbook Willkommen Deutsch für alle (Einheiten 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Second semester
German 102 German II (5 units)

This course is the second semester of German. This elementary level course is a study of the German language and German-speaking cultures with continued emphasis on the development of communicative skills and basic structures through listening, speaking, reading and writing. This course will cover the second half of the free online textbook Willkommen Deutsch für alle (Einheiten 6, 7, 8, and 10).

Third semester
German 201 German III (5 units)

German 201 is the third semester of German. This intermediate level course is a study of the German language and German-speaking cultures, focusing on intermediate level structures and readings of culturally relevant authentic materials. Emphasis is on developing oral, listening, reading and writing skills in order to acquire proficiency in German. Class is conducted in German with the free textbooks Willkommen Deutsch für alle 1 (Einheit 9 only) and 2, and other free resources.

Fourth semester
German 202 German IV (5 units)

This course is the fourth semester of German. This intermediate level course is study of the German language and of special topics on the culture of the German speaking world. Emphasis is on further development of cross-cultural awareness, as well as the development of oral, listening, reading and writing skills in order to improve communicative competence in German. Class is conducted in German with a free textbook / resources. One free textbook used is called Wolkenkratzer. 

The above classes are part of the AA degree and Certificate of Achievement in German.
For more information, please contact Prof. Manneh.

Third or fourth semester (not part of the AA degree or Certificate):  

German 225 German Reading and Conversation (3 units) (prerequisite: GERM 102)

An intermediate-level study of the German language and culture. Focus is on spoken language with readings of cultural material serving as a basis for discussion. Course is taught in German with a free textbook / resources. (Currently not offered).

German course offerings Summer 2024:

GERM 101 – Asynchronous Online: OPTIONAL Zoom meetings TBD*

German course offerings Spring 2024:

GERM 101 – Hybrid (one meeting per week in the classroom on the San Marcos campus in H-317) – days and times of the in-class meeting: Wednesdays 1:00-3:30 pm
GERM 101 – Asynchronous Online: OPTIONAL Zoom meetings TBD*
GERM 102 – Asynchronous Online: OPTIONAL Zoom meetings TBD*
GERM 202 – Asynchronous Online: OPTIONAL Zoom meetings and classroom meetings on Thursdays from 4-5:30 pm
*The exact times and days of these optional class meetings will be announced by the instructors at the beginning of the course.

(In the online schedule you find a second line per class call “LAB” or “TBA”.  Each of our classes has a language lab requirement of 16 hours which are automatically integrated into your class. Although it shows up in the schedule as a separate line, you do not enroll for it separately. For the online classes, the lab portion is online as well, so you do not need to come to campus for any part of an online course!)

Textbooks for German: All-Zero Cost (OER)!

All course materials will be provided at no cost to the student.
In German 101 and 102, we are using the textbook “Willkommen Deutsch für alle“.
In German 201 and 202, we are using Willkommen Deutsch für alle 2,  “Wolkenkratzer” and other resources, mainly from the Deutsche Welle website.

For writing the Umlaute, I recommend to use Lexilogos.

Degree and Certificate Program AA in German

The degree will provide required course work for students majoring or minoring in German. In addition, completing the course work will meet the second language competency requirements at many colleges and universities. It will also provide instruction for students seeking language skills for personal development or travel.

To fulfill the A.A. Degree requirements or to receive the Certificate of Achievement, students must complete 20 units in German. Upon completion of this program, student will be able to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity at the intermediate level and will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the culture of the German speaking world.

Knowing German is a vital skill in countless career fields, given the relevance of German businesses to the global economy. German is relevant for students specializing in arts and humanities, including literature, theatre, history, art history and music, as well as the social and political sciences, education, business and international relations.

German course requirements for the Certificate/AA degree:

•German 101*  (5 units)
•German 102*  (5 units)
•German 201    (5 units)
•German 202    (5 units)
*For students who have NOT taken German 101 or 102 at Palomar, it may be possible to use Credit by Exam to meet these requirements. Students who have already taken the required courses may apply for the degree at any time. If you are interested in the degree or certificate, please talk to Prof. Manneh and/ or meet with your counselor as soon as possible.  Here is some more information on the AA degree and Certificate in German.

Why learn German?

  • Eins.  With 100 million native speakers, German is the most commonly-spoken language in Europe. Around the world, 15.4 million people learn German as a foreign language (Germany Info).
  • Zwei.  German opens doors. Education, finance, career, travel, heritage and personal enjoyment are some of the areas enriched by the study of German. Germany offers more scholarships for international students than any other country and – tuition is free!  Germany is one of the most important trading partners of the United States. German companies, such as Adidas, BASF, Bayer, Bosch, Lufthansa, SAP, Siemens, T-Mobile or Volkswagen account for 800,000 jobs in the US (making them the third largest group of foreign employers in the country), and US companies have created approximately the same number of jobs in Germany. Knowing German can boost your annual salary in the US by 4%, in Europe by even more (Goethe-Institut).
  •  Drei. German is the language of many great philosophers, writers, artists, scientists and composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Einstein, Marx and Nietzsche. 92 Nobel prices have gone to German-speaking thinkers, and German and Austrian filmmakers have shaped the history of Hollywood (Boston University). 
  •  Vier. English is a Germanic language, and many of the most common words are almost the same in English and German. Many German grammar points are similar in English, and most sounds are the same as in English as well. Similar culture, values, food and drink also make learning German both easy and fun (Fluentu).

Do you have any questions on scholarships, connections with German speakers in the San Diego area, or other aspects of learning German? Please contact Prof. Manneh!