Orientation Language Course (September)

The AYF language course held during Orientation is an intensive German composition and conversation course offered in groups based on proficiency level. A placement test is used to determine the appropriate level.

The course focuses equally on grammatical structures and practical application of functional vocabulary drawn from everyday life and a university setting. Classes meet five days a week for four units per day. Total number of teaching units in this class: 72 contact hours.

Advanced Language Course (October – December)

The so-called Aufbaukurse continue where the Orientation language courses left off. In ten weeks, from the middle of October until the third week of December, students continue to improve their German in these advanced composition and conversation courses.

Classes meet three days a week for two units per day. Total number of teaching units in this class: 60 contact hours.

By the end of December, AYF participants will have enjoyed more than 130 units of intensive German training offered by experienced and well-trained teachers.

Atlantic Crossings: Germany & Europe in Transatlantic Context & Historical Perspective (Prof. Michaela Hönicke-Moore)

In this course we explore current German and European politics, society, and culture in a transatlantic and historical perspective. Through readings and discussions, excursions and games, films and news media, we examine together the entangled history of “the West” – bringing our familiarity with the US context into dialogue with discoveries about Germany’s and Europe’s past and present.

The course will provide you with an introduction to some key developments in modern transatlantic history:

• • Great War and modernity
  • rise of fascism and the Holocaust
  • crises and legacies of the Cold War
  • origins and trajectory of the European Union
  • new challenges in the 21st century

Through original sources and artistic representation, we will study previous episodes of conflict and cooperation and dive more deeply into current affairs and the connections between Europe and the United States. You will discover how historical actors, contemporary observers, journalists, artists, and filmmakers have made sense of past events and how this history manifests in the cityscape of Freiburg and in present-day German discussions. The seminar and its assignments will help you expand your vocabulary and gain greater facility in discussing current events, their transatlantic resonance, and their historical context.

Germany in the 21st Century: A Country Between Past, Present, and Future (Dr. Arndt Michael)

The course deals with some of the most significant developments in modern Germany. The heart of the course is the analysis and discussion of Germany in the context of the recent events. In addition, the seminar will examine major political and socio-economic changes since 1989/90 and will progress through the period under its first female chancellor, Angela Merkel, to the current government under chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Students will be introduced to the German political and economic system, with a focus on the Germany party system as well as major policy areas that shape the role of today’s Germany. The course will also examine the growing influence of domestic and foreign policy challenges for Germany and its crucial role within the European Union. Current topics with attention to their historical and cultural background will also be dealt with, enabling the students to learn about the “new” role of Germany.

In general, students will develop both intercultural awareness and competence, including a deeper understanding of the history and political processes within Germany. The course aims to encourage the participants to think “outside of the box” and to analyze independently the substance, background and future of Germany, basing their judgments on academic debate, key documents, basic facts and first-hand reliable information sources, eventually being better to “understand” how Germany has attained its current position in Europe and the world.

Competence Workshop: Academic Reading, Writing, Presenting (Lisa Steiner, Sophia Friton) 

In this workshop we will practice the key competences reading, writing and presenting that are essential for successful study – not only at a German university.

Together we will examine all stages of the academic writing process from understanding the task at hand, researching and evaluating available material, until we are ready to present a written product. By continually reflecting on their experiences with established reading and writing strategies, participants develop their personal „tool box“ for the remainder of their college education.

From Unification to Reunification: German History 1871 to 1990 (Clemens Huemerlehner) 

The years between 1871 and 1990 can be seen as one single era of German history. The founding of the German Empire in 1871 and the events of the years 1989/90 signal two different processes of unification as well as the beginning and the end of this era. A closer look at the intervening years, however, reveals a time of political, economical, and cultural change marked by serious political crisis and social conflict.

This course will offer an introduction to German history from the German Kaiserreich and First World War, through the Third Reich and divided Germany to unification in 1990. Special attention will be paid to the Kaiserreich and Weimar Republic. A closer knowledge of these periods of German history will enable us to understand the development of the Nazi dictatorship and the West and East German paths to democracy and communism, respectively, after 1945.

Integrated into this course is a multi-day field study trip to Berlin.

The European Union: History, Institutions, Policy Fields (Dr. Arndt Michael) 

The seminar offers an introduction into the system of the European Union. Starting with a historical overview, the key developments that led to the union of the European states are discussed – from the European Coal and Steel Community to the European Community all the way to the Economic and Monetary Union of today and the situation after the Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties and the eastern expansion of the European Union.

Following the historical overview, we will take a closer look at the institutional structure of the European Union. We will consider the most important bodies of the European Union such as the European Council, the Commission, and the European Parliament.

Finally, we will examine selected current policy fields of the European Union. Using case studies from the economic and monetary union as well as the common foreign and security politics, an understanding of the inner workings of the European Union and the problems it faces can reached.

Internship Seminar (led by Prof. Michaela Hönicke-Moore, Academic Director)

This seminar is the required academic component of the AYF Internship Program. The seminar responds flexibly to the particular internship placements held by students during a given summer semester, integrating student experiences into class discussions and presentations.

Intercultural issues, business communication, and gender issues in the work place provide additional focal points for class discussions. The course will be led by the Academic Director and may invite guest speaker(s).

Competence Workshop: Academic Reading, Writing, Presenting (N.N.) – depending on demand

In this workshop we will practice the key competences reading, writing and presenting that are essential for successful study – not only at a German university.

Together we will examine all stages of the academic writing process from understanding the task at hand, researching and evaluating available material, until we are ready to present a written product. By continually reflecting on their experiences with established reading and writing strategies, participants develop their personal „tool box“ for the remainder of their college education.

Playing with Texts: Kafka, Grimm, and the Tagesschau (Prof. Pia Banzhaf)

In this course students will stage various genres of literary German language texts as well as texts on current affairs in the medium of paper theater. Paper theater is an easily accessible, low-tech art form in which cut out figures help us act out the scripts. Imagine for example Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” performed in a tiny shoebox theater. This course offers a playful way to interpret texts and gain confidence in oral communication. No previous experience in the arts or theater is required.

Germany in the 21st Century: A Country Between Past, Present, and Future (Dr. Arndt Michael) – planned, tbc

The course deals with some of the most significant developments in modern Germany. The heart of the course is the analysis and discussion of Germany in the context of the recent events. In addition, the seminar will examine major political and socio-economic changes since 1989/90 and will progress through the period under its first female chancellor, Angela Merkel, to the current government under chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Students will be introduced to the German political and economic system, with a focus on the Germany party system as well as major policy areas that shape the role of today’s Germany. The course will also examine the growing influence of domestic and foreign policy challenges for Germany and its crucial role within the European Union. Current topics with attention to their historical and cultural background will also be dealt with, enabling the students to learn about the “new” role of Germany.

In general, students will develop both intercultural awareness and competence, including a deeper understanding of the history and political processes within Germany. The course aims to encourage the participants to think “outside of the box” and to analyze independently the substance, background and future of Germany, basing their judgments on academic debate, key documents, basic facts and first-hand reliable information sources, eventually being better to “understand” how Germany has attained its current position in Europe and the world.

Competence Workshop: Academic Reading, Writing, Presenting  (N.N.) – planned, t.b.c.

In this workshop we will practice the key competences reading, writing and presenting that are essential for successful study – not only at a German university.

Together we will examine all stages of the academic writing process from understanding the task at hand, researching and evaluating available material, until we are ready to present a written product. By continually reflecting on their experiences with established reading and writing strategies, participants develop their personal „tool box“ for the remainder of their college education.

From Unification to Reunification: German History 1871 to 1990  (N.N.) – planned, t.b.c.

The years between 1871 and 1990 can be seen as one single era of German history. The founding of the German Empire in 1871 and the events of the years 1989/90 signal two different processes of unification as well as the beginning and the end of this era. A closer look at the intervening years, however, reveals a time of political, economical, and cultural change marked by serious political crisis and social conflict.

This course will offer an introduction to German history from the German Kaiserreich and First World War, through the Third Reich and divided Germany to unification in 1990. Special attention will be paid to the Kaiserreich and Weimar Republic. A closer knowledge of these periods of German history will enable us to understand the development of the Nazi dictatorship and the West and East German paths to democracy and communism, respectively, after 1945.

Internship Seminar (led by Prof. Pia Banzhaf, Academic Director)

This seminar is the academic component of the AYF Internship Program. The seminar responds flexibly to the particular internship placements held by students during a given summer semester, integrating student experiences into class discussions and presentations.

Intercultural issues, business communication, and gender issues in the work place provide additional focal points for class discussions. The course will be led by the Academic Director and may invite guest speaker(s).

Competence Workshop: Academic Reading, Writing, Presenting (N.N.) – depending on demand

In this workshop we will practice the key competences reading, writing and presenting that are essential for successful study – not only at a German university.

Together we will examine all stages of the academic writing process from understanding the task at hand, researching and evaluating available material, until we are ready to present a written product. By continually reflecting on their experiences with established reading and writing strategies, participants develop their personal „tool box“ for the remainder of their college education.

Course offerings are listed in the SLI online course catalog every semester. However, while seminars in other departments often do not repeat (which is especially true in the humanities), the course lineup for SLI is quite stable. There is a very good chance, then, that SLI courses listed in the SLI Kurskatalog now will be offered again next year.

General information about SLI and its many other services and functions can be found on the Sprachlehrinstitut website.

Language and German culture course offerings (Landeskunde) well-suited to AYF students are listed in the section for Kurse für internationale Studierende aus Partnerprogrammen giving you a good idea of the kinds of courses that are typically offered.

As is customary in Germany, the University of Education (PH) issues course catalogs on a semester basis. The so-called Vorlesungsverzeichnis differs from a U.S.-style course catalog in important ways. It always only lists the lecture courses, seminars, exercises, lab and discussion sections offered during a given semester.

When consulting the Vorlesungsverzeichnis, please keep in mind that you will be able to get a good feel for what kinds of courses are offered in a particular department, say German – but the courses offered during future semesters will be announced closer to your time in Freiburg.

How to Search for PH Courses

The course catalog (Vorlesungsverzeichnis) of the University of Education is organized in accordance with degree programs and their respective exam requirements (Prüfungsordnungen) and is fairly complicated for those not actually studying at the PH toward a specific degree.

However, you can find some good quick-and-easy strategies for gaining an overview of available course offerings and finding out more about specific courses. If you would like to get a first impression of the PH offerings before arriving in Freiburg, please see the user guide for the course catalog of the Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg on our Guides & Information page.

The university’s course catalog (Vorlesungsverzeichnis) is primarily designed for local students with specific degree requirements. For international students not limited to a particular degree program it can be hard to navigate. Various search functions are available, and we will discuss the best strategies for finding individual courses during orientation.

Once you are in Freiburg, the Academic Director will provide you with a list of Recommended Courses. It offers a more manageable selection of courses culled from all the institutions where you may take courses: Uni, PH, SLI, and AYF courses can all be found in this one handy list. You are by no means limited to the courses on the Recommended Courses list, but it will give you a good starting point for further explorations.

How to Search for University Courses

If you would like to get a first impression of the Vorlesungsverzeichnis before arriving in Freiburg, please see the “User Guide – Course Catalog Uni Freiburg” on our Guides & Information page. It outlines some good quick-and-easy strategies for gaining an overview of available course offerings and finding out more about specific courses.