Willkommen! Welcome to German at Portland Community College!
Why learn German?
❇Knowing German gives you an edge in so many areas of study including engineering, science, business, art, architecture, music, international relations, literature, technology, and more.
❇41 million Americans claim German ancestry, making it the largest heritage group in the United States. 100 million EU residents speak German as their native language, making German the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe. Another 31 percent of EU residents speak German as a second language.
❇Germany has the third strongest economy in the world. It is the second most important import market in the world, and the third most important import partner of the U.S.
❇There are approximately 6,000 German-owned companies in the United States. They employ 920,000 Americans! Some of the largest German companies of which are active in the state of Oregon (Daimler Truck North America/Freightliner, Adidas, Reebok, Siemens, Infineon Technologies, BASF, Rohde & Schwarz, Siltronics).
Proficiency in German helps you to function productively for an employer with global business connections.
❇ German is the language of Goethe, Kafka, Mozart, Bach and Beethoven. Indulge in reading and/or listening to their works in their original language.
❇ Attend university in Germany for free!
PCC German classes feature:
-Supportive and fun classroom environment (in-person and on Zoom) with a lot of partner/group work and one-on-one instructor support
-Language immersion made easy through interactive, intuitive, student-focused instruction with an emphasis on meaningful communication
-Full integration of speaking, grammar, writing, listening and culture at every level
-Instructors with Master’s Degrees and 25+ years experience teaching German as a second language (and who have been students of German ourselves!)
-Instructors with native fluency who have lived and worked abroad
-Access to a course website with video, audio, and other activities for at-home use
-One textbook and fully interactive website for a full 2-year course sequence (GER 101-102-103 and GER 201-202-203)
-Free German tutors and instructor office hours for additional help
-Fun cultural opportunities such as: Stammtische (regular informal evenings of German conversation and food at an authentic German restaurant–Otto and Anitas) , Film-Abende, German cultural events through German organizations in Portland, and more!
-Free tuition for senior citizens over the age of 62 who audit
What will you learn?
At PCC, we teach all of our first and second year German courses in full immersion and focus on the five skills: listening/speaking/reading/writing/culture. We integrate grammar lessons in a natural and fun way so that you can immediately use it for meaningful communication all while developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for the culture.
Our in-person and online German courses are all taught with live class meetings twice a week either at the Sylvania campus or via Zoom. Each class session features both teaching of new material and a lot of partner/small group practice in a culture driven format with the goal of communication (not just grammar tests!). Our classes allow students to practice with classmates and get immediate feedback from the instructor.
Students can also interact with their instructors during Zoom office hours. Free online German tutors are available for extra practice and help.
We are happy to report that we regularly receive feedback about our students performing above average when transferring to 4-year institutions (e.g. PSU, U of O, etc.). We would love to have you as part of our program!
Who am I?
A bit of background information, my name is Susan Stober (pronouns: she/her/hers) and I have been teaching at PCC since 2001 as an adjunct instructor. I am a veteran teacher of over 30 years with a passion for the German language and culture. I hold a bachelor’s and master’s in German and multiple years of living and teaching in Germany and Austria lend a personal connection to the language bringing a little Germany to every class session. I love German so much that I have taught all ages from preschool through college! My kids and I only communicated in German for the first five years of their lives too, attending a German preschool and lots of German playgroups. Those were the days!
Speaking of family, mine consists of my wonderful husband of 25+ years Ian, our daughter Quinn who graduated in Studio Art and Computer Science at the University of Puget Sound and our coding whiz son Griffin who is at OSU. We all love to travel and volunteer, camp, backpack, play games (especially cards) and watch family movies. Our family is also pretty obsessed with books; Griffin acts like our private librarian with the newest “must reads!”
Again, willkommen! Can’t wait to see you in our classes, to learn and have fun with you, and to share my love for the German language and culture.