German Studies Department Learning Outcomes

German Studies at Whitman helps students develop the critical skills to be informed global citizens through the study of German language and the literature, culture, and history of the German-speaking world from a variety of academic perspectives.

Major-Specific Areas of Knowledge

• Students will gain an understanding of the interdisciplinary field of German Studies, including its literary, historical, philosophical, aesthetic and other perspectives.
• Students will develop disciplinary flexibility by working within and across disciplines to explore questions related to German-speaking cultures.

Communication

• Students will attain Advanced Mid level German proficiency according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines in all main language skills, including speaking across a variety of registers, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be able to communicate across several modes, including written, oral, presentational, and analytical.
• Students will gain advanced writing skills including project creation, management, drafting, and revision in German and English.

Critical Thinking

• Students will be able to analyze and make sophisticated arguments about German-speaking texts and cultural products in German and English.
• Students will gain a high degree of information literacy, learning how to find, assess, and incorporate research materials from libraries, databases, archives, etc. into their own projects.
• Students will be able to articulate the importance of valuing linguistic and cultural diversity within the German historical and cultural context and their own cultures of origin.