German (JH)

Overview

Why study German?

To study German is a passport to possibility. The language is spoken by over 100 million people. German is an official language of the European Union and an asset in the jobs market in Ireland, Europe and around the world. Studying German expands your mind. German is the language of some of history’s most influential artists and thinkers, and Germany – for good and ill – has shaped European and world history. You don’t have to have done Leaving Certificate/A Level German to study with us: we also offer Beginner’s German in First Year.

Do you enjoy…

• Learning a new language with native speakers in small groups, theatre rehearsals, debates, and other social activities?
• Challenging received wisdom, thinking critically, analytically, and independently?
• Reflecting on the culture and history behind a widely spoken European language?

German at Trinity

• You will study the German language to an advanced level in small group settings with native speakers.
• You will explore and engage with the cultural, literary, social and political diversity of Germany and the German-speaking world.
• You will have a life-changing opportunity to study abroad.
• You will develop linguistic abilities, intercultural competencies and critical thinking skills for a competitive advantage in the job market.

In depth study of languages has never been more relevant. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes it easier for companies and organisations to establish contact with foreign partners, further advancing globalisation, there is an increased need for high-level multilingual staff who can manage international teams, take legal responsibility for translations, and conduct multicultural negotiations. Ever advancing AI may indeed replace a basic command of a foreign language but highly fluent critical thinkers are, and will remain, in high demand.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

Independent thinking and critical analysis skills, advanced linguistic abilities, intercultural communication competencies, and advanced research and presentation skills are just a few of the core competencies which a degree in German will help you develop and expand.

Graduates follow a wide range of careers all over the world. While a limited number of these build directly on a specialised knowledge of subjects studied, more commonly it is the general intellectual and personal skills developed which prove to be of most obvious value to employers. Some graduates also go on to take postgraduate courses in areas such as law, marketing and business for which a degree in arts and humanities provides an ideal background.

Our recent graduates are working in areas as diverse as diplomacy, tourism, publishing, investment banking, second-level teaching, the Civil Service, arts administration, translation and interpreting. Graduates have secured careers in Google, Deutsche Bank and Enterprise Ireland, as well as in telecoms, IT, education, public service, the media, law, and in universities in Ireland, Europe, and North America.

Your degree and what you’ll study

Pathways 

At entry, German must be combined with one other subject. In later years, you will be able to select additional subjects and electives. The pathways available for study are Single Honours, Major with Minor and Joint Honours in German. Please see page 30 for further information.

First and second years

The course will cover three main areas: 

German language: this will cultivate your written, oral and aural skills and help you develop fluency and accuracy in expression, preparing you for study abroad.

Area studies: this introduces you to social, political and cultural issues in modern Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Literature and textual studies: you will explore key aspects of modern German literature and film, and you will read and analyse literary and non-literary texts in German.

In second year, seminars will discuss topics such as National Socialism, Hitler, German-Jewish literary and cultural history, German applied linguistics, and themes from twentieth-century German and Austrian literature.

Third and fourth years 

You will combine advanced language study and a wide range of module choices, allowing you to choose options that reflect your own interests. Options span German intellectual history, culture and literature from the nineteenth century to the present, and German applied linguistics.. In your final year, you will research and write a Capstone project on a subject of your choice in consultation with a supervisor expert in the area.

You will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and exams. We use a mix of traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods – essays, project work, presentations and journals. Language modules are assessed by written, oral and aural examinations. There are QQI/FET routes available for this course.

There are QQI/FET routes available for this course. Please see www.cao.ie for details.

Click here for further information on modules/subjects.

Study abroad

A year or semester studying abroad is a highlight of a German student’s Trinity experience. Immersing oneself in the language and culture is one of the most valuable ways of achieving fluency when you are studying a language. Single Honours students have a compulsory third year of study abroad and other students are encouraged to spend a year or a semester abroad also. At a minimum, you will be required to spend two months in a German-speaking country prior to taking your final exams. We currently have exchange agreements with Cologne, Göttingen, Konstanz, and Vienna universities. For more information on study abroad destinations and requirements visit: www.tcd.ie/global/mobility