German
German Activities
What do those interested in German do at and around Linfield in addition to taking German courses?
German Immersion Weekend
Every spring, for more than 25 years, German language students, German speaking professors, and German, Swiss, or Austrian natives have traveled to a rustic setting in the Sister's Wilderness, or at Government Camp on Mt. Hood. And we continue to do so. From Friday afternoon until Sunday we hike, sing, cook Spätzle, play games, chat around the campfire, and more. And we speak nothing but German. This is always a highlight of the school year and a wonderful way for German students to practice what they have learned.
Fulbright Teaching Assistant from Austria
In 2009/2010, Andreas Schwab from Innsbruck is our Fulbright Teaching Assistant. Andreas is an energetic teacher who helps students' conversation groups, offers tutoring, is active in the German Club, teaches MLGR 030, and hosts a variety of cultural events.
German tutors
Every semester, advanced German students are available as German tutors. They not only help students with specific language tasks, but they are also eager to just be communication partners. They love to talk about their study abroad experience, for they have either spent a semester in our study abroad program in Vienna, Austria, or have spent their junior year at a university in Munich, Heidelberg, Freiburg, or Tübingen.
German MLGR 030
MLRG 030 is a one-credit pass/no pass course, taught by our Austrian Fulbright Teaching Assistant, under the supervision of one of the German professors.MLGR030 can be audited. This course gives German students additional opportunity to engage in language practice outside of their regular classroom, and with students who have just returned from studying abroad.
Language Tables
Every Wednesday, students, professors, and employees of the college that speak the German language meet for lunch in Dillin, our cafeteria. This relaxed and fun gathering is a weekly highlight for those of us who have the German language in common.
Field
Trips
The ultimate field trips we offer are, of course, the January term abroad, the semester abroad, and the year abroad. But short of that, the area around McMinnville offers a number of events and sites that are of interest to German students. Some of our field trips have included: a visit to the Benedicitine Monastery at Mt. Angel, founded by Swiss monks in the 19th century; a visit to the annual Oktoberfest at the town of Mt. Angel, formerly Engelsberg; a trip to Portland to the German butcher-bakery-grocery store with a following German dinner at Prof. Hommels house; an Advent afternoon in Portland at Prof. Hommels house, where students made advent wreaths, straw stars, and other Christmas tree decorations, followed by a German dinner; a visit to the Portland Art Museum to an exibit of prints by German Impressionist and Expressionist artists; a day-hike with Prof. Richardson in the beautiful Oregon coast range; a day with visiting nursing students from Germany who studied at Linfield's School of Nursing on our Portland Campus; attendance at the Portland Opera's final rehearsals of German language operas (rehearsals are an inexpensive way to see operas); attendance at Linfield's music students' final rehearsals, where they sing in German, among other languages; attendance of Linfield's Christmas candlelight service, where students perform holiday songs in various languages; a tour of Widmer Brewery, conducted in German, followed by a pub meal.
German Club
Depending on who is leading the club, the German Club is usually active and offers a wide variety of activities to enjoy German language and culture in a variety of ways such as:
- trips to German restaurants and German stores in Portland
- German cultural events such as Christmas Bazaars and Oktoberfeste
- German cooking
- German movie nights
- German music events, and more.
The activites vary each semester. Students do not have to speak German to join the club. Therefore it is a way to also get to know International students at Linfield, for we currently have members from Korea, Norway, France, and Vietnam, in addition to American students and Andreas from Austria.
German language film evening
Some of our German students host German language film evenings on their own. We have an extensive collection of German language films for students to chose from. Students are also encouraged to attend screenings of German language films shown in conjunction with Prof. Hommel's course, MLGR 240: German Film and Society. Even though the course is taught in English, films are all in German (with English subtitles).
International Films
We have a large collection of foreign films in our library to view with members of the German Club, for example. Films we have shown in the past are from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, China, Spain, Mexico, France, Argentina, Morroco, and Senegal.
Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik (DSAP)
The Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik, a five-week German immersion program in Portland,Oregon, has been in existence for over 30 years. We encourage our German students to study there, for five weeks, with German students from all over the USA.