{"id":4,"date":"2022-11-02T18:09:55","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T18:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/german\/?page_id=4"},"modified":"2026-03-03T19:20:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T03:20:04","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/usc-german-studies-program\/home\/","title":{"rendered":"Why German?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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In today\u2019s world of global interconnectivity you have to be able and willing to look beyond your own community and step outside your comfort zone to be successful.<\/p>\n

No matter whether you find yourself working in business, politics, humanitarian work, education, the arts, science, technology or any other field, it is impossible to be a \u201ccitizen\u201d of one culture while ignoring the rest of the world. Part and parcel of the new paradigm of the 21st-century work environment are not only skills such as multitasking and adaptability to constantly changing technologies or personality trades such as flexibility. One of the key elements of a successful life and career is also the ability to navigate in a multicultural society, in a global economy and in a world in which all countries and its citizens are growing increasingly dependent on each other.<\/p>\n

Germany has long been a tremendously influential “player” in cultural history, economics and sciences.<\/p>\n

You may think:”Why should I study German? Most Germans speak English . . .”<\/p>\n

English may be the “lingua franca” and you may be able to function on a superficial level in German speaking countries by speaking English only. <\/p>\n

However studying the German language is key to truly becoming culturally proficient, and of course, English is a Germanic language, so you already know some German as a native speaker of English. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Reasons to study German\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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There are a multitude of reasons why you will not regret your choice of German as a foreign language and German Studies as a window into the culture of German speaking countries. Here are some to consider:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

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The Goethe Institute created a series of videos to inform you\u00a0why learning German is going to be a huge asset to you\u00a0– please, click on any of the following images to watch these videos and to find out more about how German can be useful in your future.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\n \n \n Johann Wolfgang von Goethe\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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He who does not know foreign languages does not know anything about his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n \n Christa Wolf\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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Every revolutionary movement also liberates languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n \n Hans Georg Gadamer\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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Nothing exists except through language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n \n Martin Heidegger\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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German language speaks Being, while all the others merely speak of Being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n \n Theodor Adorno\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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History does not merely touch on language, but takes place in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n \n \n Ludwig Wittgenstein\n\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n \n \n
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The limits of language mean the limit of my world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Take German at USC in the Spring!!!!<\/h1>\n

German 1 (Ger 101): M & W \u00a012-1:50pm\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

German 2 (Ger 102): M TU W TH \u00a09-9:50am and TU & TH 11 -12:50pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

German 3 (Ger 201): \u00a0M & W 12-1:50pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Composition and Conversation on Contemporary Affairs (Ger 320): <\/strong>M & We\u00a02- 3:50PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/classes.usc.edu\/term\/20261\/catalogue\/school\/DRNS\/program\/GERM<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Contact Us\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Department Office<\/h3>\n \n \n
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The German Studies Program is housed in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
\nCollege of Letters, Arts and Sciences<\/p>\n

Taper Hall 255
\nLos Angeles, CA 90089-4353<\/p>\n

Fax (213) 740-8550 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Phone (213) 740-2735<\/p>\n

slavic@usc.edu<\/p>\n

Academic Program Administrator: Julianne Vu<\/p>\n

juliannv@usc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n \n

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Department Chair<\/h3>\n \n \n
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Dr. Colleen McQuillen<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n (213) 740-2735<\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n mcquille@usc.edu<\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n
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Program Director <\/h3>\n \n \n
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Dr. Britta Bothe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n (213) 740-2735<\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n bothe@usc.edu<\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":374,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-content-detail.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy German? - USC Dornsife German Studies Program<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/usc-german-studies-program\/home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why German? - USC Dornsife German Studies Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/usc-german-studies-program\/home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife German Studies Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-04T03:20:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/usc-german-studies-program\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/173\/2023\/04\/Screenshot-2023-02-20-at-19.42.49.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1662\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"370\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/usc-german-studies-program\/home\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/usc-german-studies-program\/home\/\",\"name\":\"Why German? 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