North Dakota Chapter of the

                American Association of Teachers of German

Summer programs for students and teachers

For your internationally oriented students, here are a few tips on what to do this summer:

1. For high students who want to fully immerse themselves in German culture and language, a number of non-profit student exchange organizations offer summer programs. Youth For Understanding USA, whose exchange program with Germany began in 1951, gives students a chance to learn German while living with a local host family for six weeks. Call 1-800-TEENAGE or visit their website. AFS also offers a similar intensive program. Call 1-800-AFS-INFO.
2. College students can choose from a wide variety of programs for summer study. Whether studying music composition in English or learning German and theater, DAAD’s extensive guide will point your students in the right direction. Check out DAAD's extensive database.
3. Combining academic rigor and Berlin's dynamic youth culture, FUBIS is one of the most unique summer programs in Germany.
4. The Internship Program of the German Bundestag ("Internationale Parlamentspraktika") provides graduating college seniors and recent graduates under 30 the opportunity to work within the German parliamentary system and gain hands-on experience there. The program is accepting applications until May 15th. For more information, please go to the Bundestag website.

Perhaps your students would rather pick up German without leaving the country? For high school students, there's the German-language immersion camp “Waldsee” in Bemidji, MN. Waldsee, literally “woods by the lake,” is immersion in action. Students live with American, German, Austrian and Swiss counselors for up to a month in an entirely German-speaking environment where English is outlawed and American foods and pop culture are equally verboten. Call 1-800-222-4750 or visit the Concordia Language Villages online for more information.

College students can participate in the Deutsche Sommerschule am Atlantik, a three- and six-week immersion program at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. There’s a special course for musicians as well, which will train musicians in the language skills indispensable for studying the extensive German musical repertoire and related literature.  Scholarships are available. For more information, visit DSA's website.

For students on the West Coast, Portland State University offers the Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik, a 5-week total immersion program. Special programs in business German and economics are offered as well. For more information, visit DSP's website.

Finally for teachers, there are numerous conference and seminar opportunities in the upcoming months. In addition to the Deutsche Sommerschule am Atlantik and Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik's special teacher training programs, following seminars are still accepting applications:

1. AATG's "Alle lernen Deutsch" committee invites secondary and post-secondary German teachers to meet in Washington DC from July 12 to 16 to explore ways of promoting the study of German among underrepresented groups by creating internship and community-based project opportunities. In addition, the workshop will explore America's German heritage and the contributions of Germans to broader American culture, in order to make the study of German more relevant for your students. Attendees will receive support for round-trip transportation to Washington D.C. and full room and board. For more information, go to ALD's website or contact Janice Mitchell.
2. TPRS, a teaching method that is "revitalizing German programs," according to the workshop organizers, will be taught at Sweet Briar College from July 23 to 28. A workshop fee of $375 covers workshop, room and board, and 3 hours of graduate credit in Education will be available by arrangement. For more information, contact Hank Schwab.
3. For teachers of business German, the University of Duesseldorf will offer praxis-oriented teacher training seminars focusing on business vocabulary and intercultural communication. Teachers can choose to attend one or both of the July 3-14 and July 17-21 sessions. for more information, visit the workshop's website.