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Undergraduate courses in German were offered at Queen's as early as 1870 and were taught on a regular basis after 1888 by John Macgillivray, who founded the Department of German in 1902. Our courses offer comprehensive range of topics in German language, literature and culture. We are also known for a friendly atmosphere and small class sizes. The combination of excellent academic and social opportunities creates a dynamic learning environment in which to explore German culture.

GRMN Courses

The Department offers language acquisition, culture and literature courses in German. German can be taken as elective, can be part of the World Language Studies MinorLLCU Major; or Linguistics Plans; or taken toward a Medial or Minor in German Studies. If you have taken German up to 300-level, are not in German Medial or Minor, and your overall GPA on those courses is 2.90 or higher, you are eligible for a German Certificate of Competence.

Course Title Description
GRMN 101/3.0 Beginner's German I This course is for students with no previous knowledge of German. The course concentrates on the basic language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) and introduces elements of German culture as recorded in its customs, history and literature.
GRMN 102/3.0 Beginner's German II This course is for students with a limited background in German. The course concentrates on the basic language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) and introduces elements of German culture as recorded in its customs, history and literature.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 101/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 201/3.0 Intermediate German I A continuation of GRMN 102/3.0 aimed at expanding basic language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking). Students will review and deepen their knowledge of grammatical structures through exposure to a variety of German-language media and culture.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 102/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 202/3.0 Intermediate German II A systematic review of grammatical structures with the aim of enhancing students鈥 linguistic competence, with particular emphasis on written communication.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 201/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 203/3.0 German Conversation and Culture An intermediate conversation course designed to advance skills in oral communication and cultural competence, supported by grammar instruction and written assignments. Students will engage with different media sources, including German-language television, film, internet, print media and music.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 102/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 306/3.0 Business German I: German in the Workplace

Designed for students at the intermediate-advanced level. The course aims at developing communicative competence in the fields of business, commerce, industry, and German in the workplace, with specific emphasis on oral communication.

PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 307/3.0 Business German II: German in the Workplace Designed for students at the intermediate-advanced level. The course aims at developing communicative competence in the fields of business, commerce, industry, and German in the workplace, with specific emphasis on approaches to intercultural communication. 
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 308/3.0 German Culture through Stories 鈥 18th & 19th Century Intensive development of language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) in the course of a general introduction to the cultural history of the German-speaking countries up to and including the nineteenth century.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 309/3.0

German Culture through Stories 鈥 20th & 21st Century

Intensive development of language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) in the course of a general introduction to the cultural history of the German-speaking countries in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 311/3.0 Topics in Cultural History I An introduction to reading, discussing and writing about German literary texts in German. Major periods, authors, and texts of the 18th and 19th centuries will be examined in their cultural and historical contexts. Students will be exposed to different genres: excerpts from novels and dramas, as well as short stories, poems and film adaptations.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 312/3.0 Topics in Cultural History II An introduction to reading, discussing and writing about German literary texts in German. Major periods, authors, and texts of the 20th century will be examined in their cultural and historical contexts. Students will be exposed to different genres: excerpts from novels and dramas as well as short stories, poems and film adaptations.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 315/3.0 Work and Study in Germany

Students who have participated in the Werkstudentenprogramm (or an equivalent program or internship) may obtain academic credit on their return by presenting, by the end of the fall term of the same year, a 2,500 word essay about their experiences and submitting to a 90-minute written and a 20-minute oral exam, all in the German language.
NOTE Participation in the Werkstudentenprogramm is required.
PREREQUISITE Permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

NOTE: This program is currently suspended

GRMN 317/3.0 Contemporary Germany through Media and News This course's aim is threefold: to improve students' comprehension and production of oral and written German through practice in reading, writing, listening and speaking; to increase their knowledge of contemporary issues in Germany, with a special focus on transnational perspectives; and to better their analytic skills and media literacy.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 419/3.0 Roots of Fascism: Resistance to Liberalism in the 19th Century A survey of various currents of thought from 19th-century Europe that illustrate conservative discomfort with industrial society and help to make the outbreak of fascism understandable after 1918. The course will distinguish between conservative, nationalist, aesthetic, and religious trends, illustrated by relevant readings from different countries.
NOTE Taught in English together with LLCU 319/3.0. Students in a GMST Plan will submit written assignments, tests, and examinations in German. Normally, students will read German texts in the original.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 420/3.0 Fascism in Europe from Napoleon to Hitler An introduction to the growth of the fascist mentality in Europe from a cultural perspective. The course will treat the Third Reich as part of the broader conservative and nationalist challenge to liberalism.
NOTE Taught in English together with LLCU 320/3.0. Students in a GMST Plan will submit written assignments, tests and examinations in German. Normally, they will read German texts in the original.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 425/3.0

Is Less More? Historic and Current Cultural Aspects of Minimalism and Reduction

The current surge of minimalist movements (e.g. de-cluttering) offers insight into the texture of present and past cultures. The course will explore spiritual, health related, economic and aesthetic aspects of reductionist movements concerning nutrition, lifestyle, housing, design and exercise.
NOTE This course is taught concurrently with LLCU 325/3.0.
LEARNING HOURS  120 (36L;84P)
PREREQUISITE  A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

GRMN 426/3.0 Film in the new Europe This course will investigate how the new Europe and film shaped each other. European film is our starting point for investigating the connections between work and art. Topics will include: urban space; (post- and para-); socialist societies; border crossings, especially gendered labour and cultural flows.
NOTE Taught in English together with LLCU 326/3.0. Students in a GMST Plan will submit written assignments, tests and examinations in German. Normally, they will read German texts in the original.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 427/3.0 Sickness and Health 鈥 Cultural Representations in Medical Discourse Investigates cultural images and metaphors of disease, with an emphasis on the evolution of normalcy. We will study representations of disease (photography, museum exhibit, literary text), their historic development, and theoretic reflections on media with respect to both historical and contemporary notions of sickness and health.
NOTE Taught in English together with LLCU 327/3.0. Students concentrating in German will submit written assignments, tests and examinations in German. Normally students will read German texts in the original.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 429/3.0 Uncanny Encounters: Narrative Analysis of the Fantastic Genre

The course offers an overview of the related genres of the Fantastic, the Fairy Tale, Dystopia, Science Fiction, and Horror. Examples will include popular works such as the Twilight Saga, Harry Potter, and/or The Hunger Games, but also traditional texts by Hoffman and Kafka. Parallel to the fictional works, the course offers theoretical analysis.
NOTE Taught in English together with LLCU 329/3.0. Students in a GMST Plan will submit written assignments, tests and examinations in German. Normally, students will read German texts in the original.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

EXCLUSIONS    GRMN 429/3.0; ENGL 273/3.0

GRMN 433/3.0 Conflict and Culture: Literature, Law and Human Rights An examination of international discourses on conflict and resolution, including theories of reconciliation, human rights, and international law, as portrayed in various media (fiction, theatre and film) and diverse cultural contexts (e.g. ancient Greece, Germany, South Africa and Canada).
NOTE Taught in English together with LLCU 322/3.0. Students in a GMST Plan will submit written assignments, tests, and examinations in German. Normally, they will read German texts in the original.
PREREQUISITE A grade of C in GRMN 202/3.0 or permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 531/3.0 Directed Special Studies I Reading courses enabling individual study of a particular author or problem in greater depth, the specific topic to be selected in consultation with the Head of Department. An essay of appropriate length may, after consultation, be submitted in either course in lieu of a final examination.
PREREQUISITE Permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
GRMN 532/3.0 Directed Special Studies II Reading courses enabling individual study of a particular author or problem in greater depth, the specific topic to be selected in consultation with the Head of Department. An essay of appropriate length may, after consultation, be submitted in either course in lieu of a final examination.
PREREQUISITE Permission of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

Click  for a list of the current Course Offerings.

Resources

There are many ways you can get involved in German beyond the classroom. You can come to a German film screening during LLCU International Film night. You can watch German movies from Stauffer Library's robust streaming and DVD film collection. You can attend potlucks at the Queen鈥檚 University International Centre in order to immerse yourself in other cultures and get to know exchange students from Germany!

 (QUIC) is an international education support service for students, faculty and staff at Queen鈥檚. Through its activities the Centre promotes an internationally informed and cross culturally sensitive university community.

QUIC programs and services support

  • the academic and personal development of international students, other international members of the Queen鈥檚 community, and their families;
  • the academic and personal development of Queen鈥檚 students, staff and faculty interested in Education Abroad; and
  • the internationalization of the campus by working with university departments, offices, groups and individuals to enhance and diversify the international learning environment at Queen鈥檚 through educational and training activities.

QUIC offers many cultural events and get-togethers for students, as well as the opportunity to volunteer to support international students with improving their English as they integrate into Queen鈥檚 life.  It is a fruitful way to meet other students from other countries, to help and to learn from one another.

Check for the most up-to-date information.

LinguaeLive was founded by 成人大片 professor Dr. Jennifer Hosek. LinguaeLive connects people learning each other鈥檚 language; it is a tool developed by teachers for students to work with peers in complementary language classes, no matter how far away. They can communicate using any method, such as VOIP or Chat.

Many of the students who used LinguaeLive are still in touch with their partners even after they graduate, and some finally get to meet their partners in person! And many continue to learn their target languages and cultures through their friendship after graduation.

For more information, please watch .

Films in German and with English subtitles are screened throughout the academic year either as part of the LLCU International Film Night or a German Film course (such as GRMN 428).

These screenings are open to all students and Kingston public.

You can also check our news section for the most updated event information.

With approximately 450 student clubs to choose from, you can easily enhance what you learn in the classroom and have  the chance to embrace your passions. More than 100 cultural and ethnic student clubs and organizations foster diversity and cultural engagement on campus. Below is AMS (Alma Mater Society) club that may be of interest to students of German:

hosts cultural and discussion events that bring together students of a common linguistic background and/or interest, regardless of academic concentration. The majority of our events are nights dedicated to one language (determined by popular demand) with a cultural theme (for example, Oktoberfest for German; Lunar New Year for Chinese). Students of all abilities are welcome, as the administration of these discussion-events will utilize an innovative 鈥渞otation method鈥 for discussions. Participants will grouped by language ability level, and will rotate between conversing with those at their own level, teaching/being taught something new by those of another level, and thematic/game-style discussion in a large group. Holistic multilingual events will also be hosted, celebrating the universal characteristics of language, international exchange, and benefits of multilingualism. All events will include the presentation of cultural foods, either prepared by the executive committee or assembled by potluck.

Related Links

Learning German
Learn how to communicate the basics, like where you live and what your hobbies are. This course caters to level A1, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
German language manual for English speakers. With this manual you can learn German online; it includes comprehensive German grammar, with audio, explained in a clear manner,  and  using easy navigation.
This page provides an over-all view of what you need to learn to pronounce words correctly. The drop-down menu at the top of the site provides direct links to more information about different sounds and groupings.
Test your pronunciation - single words or full sentences! From SitePal
Collection of language-learning resources for students, teachers and anyone who loves music. Ranging in style from classical to hiphop, from rock to rap, each song is furnished with a German/English vocabulary and supplemented with interesting links.

News and Newspapers
DW represents Germany in the international media landscape. Germany鈥檚 international broadcaster conveys the country as a nation rooted in European culture and as a liberal, democratic state based on the rule of law.
(German) FAZ, is a national centre-right wing German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main.
Die Welt (English: The World) is a German national daily newspaper. It takes a self-described "liberal cosmopolitan" position in editing, but Die Welt is generally considered to be conservative.
German national weekly newspaper well-regarded for its journalistic quality. It is the most widely read German weekly newspaper.

Der Spiegel is a weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.

Culture
The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany鈥檚 cultural institute, active worldwide. They promote the study of German abroad and encourage international cultural exchange. They also foster knowledge about Germany by providing information on its culture, society and politics.
German Culture Collection is a collection of links on different topics including art, food, travel, history.
"Make it in Germany" is the multilingual "Welcome to Germany" portal for international qualified professionals. The website shows qualified professionals from other countries what makes it worthwhile to live and work there.
The Facts about Germany website is a service by Frankfurter Societ盲ts-Medien GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office, Berlin. It covers a wide range of information about  life in Germany.

 collection at Queen's Library provides a wide variety of print and electronic resources, including the dictionaries, article indexes, books, theses, videos, and much more.

If you need help from a librarian, please contact your Research and Instruction Librarians: