German Teaching Profession, Bachelor of Arts
In German the fundamentals of literary and cultural studies and linguistics are taught. Students are expected to simultaneously acquire the ability to work independently on texts and conduct research. To this end, they study two subjects equally: literary studies and linguistics.
Literary studies provide an overview of literary-historical eras, of cultural history, and genre theories. During studies, texts are analyzed according to different theories, organized according to historical genre, and placed according to historical issue. Furthermore, students are taught to recognize the roll of media control of texts and to work with visual media. Generally, appropriation and application of theories in literary studies should lead to responsible reflection of literary terms and the roll of literature and aesthetic experience with society.
During the linguistic portion of studies, students receive an overview of the history and theories of linguistic and communication studies. In addition to terminology, students become familiar with the basic questions in the subject and possible approaches to solutions. Furthermore, students learn to analyze linguistic units such from morpheme to text or discourse from a linguistic perspective. Finally, students will be able to understand the roll of language as a fundamental communication medium, that is not exhausted by the transfer of information.
German as a university subject differs from German as a school subject. During university studies, focus is placed on adapting to literary, linguistic, and communication work, that is greatly shaped by theories, reflected upon, and abstract. The acquired work techniques and methods prepare students for demands in later teaching careers. Transfer of these skills is primarily achieved during a practical semester during Master's studies later on and practical training