Willkommen! 
Welcome to the German programme at CUHK! The German language and culture programme has been supporting links between Hong Kong and the German-speaking countries for over 40 years.
We offer courses in German language (from level A1 to B1 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and on various aspects of German culture. Prior knowledge of German is not required to join our programme.
During summer breaks of your undergraduate studies, you can take summer courses on German language and culture in the universities abroad, e.g. in Germany and Austria. The credits earned in those courses can be counted towards your minor studies in German and your graduation.
Why study German?
It’s fun!
Our classes are communicative and fun. You will have plenty of opportunities to learn German through in-class interaction.
German is the language with the most native speakers in Europe.
Native speakers of German (ca 95M speakers) live in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and their neighbouring countries.
German opens the door to a world of education opportunities.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland offer a wide varieties of excellent undergraduate and graduate degree programmes that are taught in German or English. In Germany and Austria, local and non-local students can take degrees either free of charge, or at a comparatively low tuition fee.
German paves the way to great professional opportunities.
Germany is among the leading exporting nations and one of the key economic players in the world. Speaking German opens up a larger number of job opportunities for you in Hong Kong, as employers of German-speaking countries who do business in Hong Kong are interested in finding staff who speak German and are familiar with the culture of German-speaking countries.
Germany is a world leader in innovation, technology, and engineering.
The leading industries in Germany are the automotive, mechanical engineering, electrical and chemical industries. German is the language that goes with this leading and innovative role in the world.
German is the key to understand the outstanding cultural and scientific achievements of human beings.
German has been the language of the key works of cultural heritage as well as scientific achievements of human beings: in literature (e.g. Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht), music (e.g. Mozart, Bach), philosophy (e.g. Kant, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein) and other areas. – Did you know that Albert Einstein published his ground-breaking works in German?
Testimonial 
I find the German program in CUHK really rewarding because the teachers value reading, writing, listening and speaking skills equally and this has laid a solid foundation for my future German learning. The program also opened the door to invaluable experiences, where I had my confidence boosted in a German public-speaking contest and made lifelong friends when studying a language course in Berlin last summer!
Cheung Tsz Wun Kitty
This is what students say about our courses:
Students are required to complete a minimum of 18 units of courses as follows:
| Units | |||
| (1) | Required courses [a]: | ||
| (a) GERM2000 German II [b] | 3 | ||
| (b) GERM2001 German III and GERM3000 German IV, or GERM3050 German III & IV | 6 | ||
| 3 | ||
| (2) | Elective courses: | ||
| Any GERM courses other than GERM1000, 1001, 2050 and those listed above | 6 | ||
Total: | 18 |
Explanatory Notes:
| [a] | Students who have prior knowledge of German before admission may be exempted from taking GERM2000, 2001, 2050, 3000, 3001 and 3050. They should seek the advice of the Department to take substitute courses in accordance with their academic qualifications. |
| [b] | Students who have taken the summer intensive course GERM2050 will be recognized as having fulfilled this requirement. |
| [c] | Students who have taken the summer intensive course GERM3051 will be recognized as having fulfilled this requirement and 3 units of elective courses of Requirement (2). |
| Code | Course Title | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| GERM1000 | German I | 3 |
| GERM1001 | First Step in German | 1 |
| GERM1100 | Germany Today | 3 |
| GERM2000 | German II | 3 |
| GERM2001 | German III | 3 |
| GERM2020 | Sounds of German | 3 |
| GERM2050 | German I & II | 6 |
| GERM2100 | Exploring German Literature | 3 |
| GERM2200 | German Cinema | 3 |
| GERM3000 | German IV | 3 |
| GERM3001 | German V | 3 |
| GERM3002 | German VI | 3 |
| GERM3020 | German Conversation | 3 |
| GERM3041 | German for Professional Communication | 3 |
| GERM3050 | German III & IV | 6 |
| GERM3051 | German V & VI | 6 |
| GERM3060 | German through Fairy Tales | 3 |
| GERM3100 | Special Topics in German | 3 |
| GERM4001 | German VII | 3 |
GERM1000 German I (Course Outline)
As the first in a series of six language courses, this course invites students without prior knowledge of German to explore the basic features of the German language. Supported by audiovisual aids, students will receive intensive practice in spoken and written German through interactive class work, homework and online exercises. They will become familiar with the basic concepts of German grammar and learn how to interact in some simple everyday situations.
This course is designed for complete beginners only; no prior knowledge of German is required. If you have studied German before, please contact your teacher for placement in appropriate level.
Note: For students who have learnt German before, please contact the teachers of the language programme for placement test.
GERM1001 First Step in German (Course Outline)
[This course is offered via asynchronous online mode. Students should register the course via KEEP, a CUHK eLearning platform where the course materials are uploaded.]
This online self-learning course invites students without prior knowledge of German to explore some basic features of the German language and culture through a virtual journey. Based on texts, audio and video input, and interactive tasks, students will be able to practice both spoken and written German. This course serves as a taster course for students who might consider taking German courses at CUHK in the future.
Students intending to take any of the one-unit language courses to be offered via online mode must read the following information:
One-unit Online Language Courses – Information for Students
GERM1100 Germany Today (Course Outline)
Germany as a once divided and then unified nation with a complex history and rich culture continues to attract international interest. This course investigates trends and developments in contemporary German culture and society from a cross-cultural perspective: How Germany comes to terms with the history of Nazi dictatorship and World War II and how she copes with the repercussions of the unexpected unification will be highlighted through reference to comparable problems of selected Asian countries. The situation of young people and women in society, trends in popular culture, attitudes towards education, work ethics and other issues will be approached in the same way. Finally, the discussion will focus on the changes brought by processes of acculturation and globalization that will shape German society for the twenty-first century. The course contents will be illustrated by up-to-date audiovisual materials. No knowledge of German is required.
No prerequisites.
GERM2000 German II (Course Outline A)(Course Outline B)
Building on the knowledge acquired in GERM1000, this course aims to further develop students’ ability to communicate in German in various everyday situations. It also seeks to give students a taste of German culture and invites them to explore cultural differences. Through intensive practice students will develop more confidence in interacting in German while further expanding and solidifying their understanding of the basic grammar and pronunciation patterns.
Pre-requisite: GERM1000
GERM2001 German III (Course Outline)
This course aims to further enhance students’ communication skills in the four language domains listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students are expected to communicate confidently in a wider range of social interactions including more formal situations and simple professional contexts as well as reporting past events and sharing experience. At the end of this course, students will have completed a proficiency level comparable to level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Pre-requisite: GERM2000 or 2050
GERM2020 Sounds Of German (Course Outline)
This course is an introduction to the phonetic system of the German language, with an emphasis on the similarities and differences between German and English pronunciation. Illustrations and examples will be taken from modern spoken German. Students learning German are encouraged to take this course.
Pre-requisite: GERM2000, 2001, 2050, 3000, 3001, 3002, 3050, 3051 or 4001
GERM2050 German I & II (Course Outline)
This is a summer intensive German language course for beginners, covering the full syllabus of GERM1000 and 2000. This course is only open to students that have not studied German before.
Note: For students who have learnt German before, please contact the teachers of the language programme for placement test.
GERM2100 Exploring German Literature (Course Outline)
This course is designed to introduce students to some most representative figures in German literature. Emphasis is to be placed on the critical and analytical reading of their major works in English or Chinese version.
No prerequisites.
GERM2200 German Cinema (Course Outline)
German cinema has always captured the attention of the world. This course is an introduction to the history and major developments in German cinema. It explores the language of cinema and the aesthetic strategies used by filmmakers. Through analyses and discussions about the making and content of the films, students will not only get to know the films as entertaining art, but embed them in a social and historical context. Films are screened outside class hours. All films are with English subtitles, all readings and discussions in English. No knowledge of German is required.
No prerequisites.
GERM3000 German IV (Course Outline)
This course aims at increasing students’ communicative fluency in oral and written German. Using a variety of classroom activities and multimedia, students will build up their competence in the four language domains listening, speaking, reading and writing. Through intensive practice they will be able to communicate in a wide range of social situations with the appropriate awareness of the pragmatic rules involved. Students receive guidance in the process of composing longer texts displaying a range of registers and styles relating to past, present and future events. This course is for students who have previously taken German III.
Students with any previous knowledge of German acquired outside the German program at CUHK MUST contact the course coordinator in order to ensure enrolment into appropriate level.
Pre-requisite: GERM2001
GERM3001 GERMAN V (Course Outline)
This course focuses on the further development of communication skills in German with emphasis on the expression of personal views and the training of argumentative strategies. The course will also engage students in critical reflections on various aspects of life in German-speaking countries and their own social environment. Students will be guided to analyze various types of data to support their views. They will learn how to express their wishes and aspirations using the appropriate registers.
Pre-requisite: GERM3000 or 3050
GERM3002 German VI (Course Outline)
This course builds on the knowledge acquired through previous German language courses. It aims at leading students to a proficiency level comparable to the threshold from A2 to B1 of the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR), becoming “independent users” of German. To achieve this goal, students will be encouraged to work project-based through independent or collaborative work with their peers. At the end of this course students will have mastered the most important grammar features of German and be able to communicate effectively in a wide range of everyday situations and a number of professional contexts. They will be able to use their oral and written language skills to relate to, reflect on and analyze past and current issues involving the German-speaking societies.
Pre-requisite: GERM3001
GERM3020 German Conversation (Course Outline)
This course aims to enhance both listening and speaking ability in German. Selected student oriented stimuli and topics (social and contemporary issues and personal views) will help to practise the expression and exchange of ideas. Classroom activities may include dialogue, narration, speech, discussion and debate in direct approach or by using some means of multimedia.
Pre-requisite: GERM3000, 3001, 3002, 3050, 3051 or 4001
GERM3041 German for Professional Communication (Course Outline)
The course aims at introducing the basic features of spoken and written business-related and official German language use. Through different types of activities that enhance reading, listening, speaking and writing skills, the students will be able to handle different kinds of business-related and official situations in German confidently. Emphasis is put on the language use of German in genuine professional occasions such as telephone communication, reading and writing official letters, reading job offers, submitting job application, and preparing and attending job interviews.
Pre-requisite: GERM3000, 3001, 3002, 3050, 3051 or 4001
GERM3050 German III & IV (Course Outline)
This course aims at increasing students’ communicative fluency in oral and written German. Using a variety of classroom activities and multimedia, students will build up their competence in the four language domains listening, speaking, reading and writing. Through intensive practice they will be able to communicate in a wide range of social situations with the appropriate awareness of the pragmatic rules involved. Students receive guidance in the process of composing longer texts displaying a range of registers and styles relating to past, present and future events.
Pre-requisite: GERM2000 or 2050
GERM3051 German V & VI (Course Outline)
This course builds on the knowledge acquired through previous German language courses. It aims at leading students to a proficiency level comparable to the threshold from A2 to B1 of the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR), becoming “independent users” of German. To achieve this goal, students will be encouraged to work project-based through independent or collaborative work with their peers. At the end of this course students will have mastered the most important grammar features of German and be able to communicate effectively in a wide range of everyday situations and a number of professional contexts. They will be able to use their oral and written language skills to relate to, reflect on and analyze past and current issues involving the German-speaking societies.
Pre-requisite: GERM3000 or 3050
GERM3060 German Through Fairy Tales (Course Outline)
This course is a combination of content and language skills learning. Making use of folk tales, such as Grimm’s fairy tales, legends and literary fairy tales, students will enrich their understanding of the German language as well as their knowledge about fairy tales and German culture. The tales taught will be read in simplified versions in German.
Pre-requisite: GERM3000, 3001, 3002, 3050, 3051 or 4001
GERM3100 Special Topics in German
This course aims at furthering students’ understanding of selected area(s) of German language, literature or culture. Topics will vary from year to year. Offerings with different subtitles can be taken up for credit, up to a maximum of two times.
GERM4001 German VII (Course Outline)
This course builds on the knowledge acquired through previous German language courses. It aims at leading students to a proficiency level comparable to the threshold at B1 of the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR), becoming “independent users” of German. To achieve this goal, students will be encouraged to work with a communicative approach through independent or collaborative work with their peers. At the end of this course, students will have mastered most of the important grammar features of German and be able to communicate effectively in a wide range of everyday situations and a number of professional contexts. They will be able to use their oral and written language skills to relate to, reflect on and evaluate past and current issues involving the German-speaking societies.
Pre-requisite: GERM3002 or 3051.
German Learning Aids
Online dictionaries
http://www.leo.org/
https://www.dict.cc/
Basic German Phrases
http://www.fodors.com/language/german/basic-phrases/
“Easy German” Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbxb2fqe9oNgglAoYqsYOtQ
Study and Travel in Germany
German Academic Exchange Service
https://www.daad.de/en/
A Guide for Studying in Germany
http://www.studying-in-germany.org/
German National Tourist Board
https://www.germany.travel/en/index.html
List of useful websites – Germany in Hong Kong
German Consulate
https://hongkong.diplo.de/hk-en
German Chamber of Commerce
http://www.hongkong.ahk.de/
Goethe-Institute Hong Kong
https://www.goethe.de/ins/cn/en/sta/hon.html
German-Swiss International School
http://www.gsis.edu.hk/
