The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and the Department of Foreign Languages have partnered to create a new Business German program.
Designed to equip students with the necessary language and cultural skills to succeed in a German work environment and complement existing German language courses, the Business German program forges connections between study of the German language and post-graduation career opportunities. Assignments are based on real-life scenarios students might encounter working in Germany.
Directors of the program David Neville, assistant professor of German, and Scott Windham, chair of the foreign languages department, did a “soft” rollout of the program this past fall attracting 15 students, who have given positive feedback.
“Most students tell us that they see the program as being a valuable addition to their education, one that increases their chances of employment after graduating by equipping them with the linguistic and cultural skills necessary to manage a multicultural and global work environment,” Neville said.
The program, open to all majors, features an online component as well as biweekly labs to provide face-to-face support. This semester focused on reading job advertisements and preparing application materials.
At the end of the program, students are given the opportunity to take the Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf, an internationally recognized examination that tests the level of German language ability for proof of German business language proficiency.
“Any student who would like to stand out as a globally-savvy job candidate in an extraordinarily tight job market should also consider getting involved in the program,” Neville said.
For more information visit http://www.elon.edu/businessgerman.
By Rachel Vierling ‘12