What if a language class could also prepare students for the working world? For students proficient in the German language there’s one that can.
Seeing the connection between the students’ interest in German and their interest in business, the German department combines both the knowledge of the German language and the desire to get involved in the business world through its business German class, titled “German for the Working World.”
The students taking this class effectively run a company called Speakeasy. In doing this, they are encouraged to be creative and to improve their German, as well as use other foreign languages they may know.
Because so many students of German are interested in working in Germany one day, being involved in Speakeasy can be beneficial to students of German.
Speakeasy is the work of Dr. William Fischer of the German program, and the products are created by the students in the Business German classes. The products made by students have been everything from language-learning cards to Frisbees and travel mugs sporting words for “Earth” in different languages.
In making these products, not only do the students improve their German skills by creating German-language products in a class taught in German, but they also gain good business sense by making the products out of recycled material and coming up with ideas about how to improve Speakeasy.
Unfortunately, this term saw a decline in Speakeasy’s performance as a company. This was not due to the actions of Fischer or the students. Instead, it is because the German for the Working World class was canceled this term in favor of a second section of German 301. Because enrollment has been very high in the 301 class, it seemed like a wise decision for Fischer to teach a second section. Based on the track record of third-year German enrollment, it seemed as if the second section would end up with over 20 students.
However, there are significantly fewer this year, turning a seemingly good decision into one that was not so beneficial to the German program after all, because the enrollment in German 301 was well under what was anticipated. Fischer’s new section of 301 started the term with only nine students.
A class with fewer than 15 students is in danger of being canceled, and German for the Working World only had five students enrolled before it was canceled shortly before the start of the term, making the decision to cancel it in favor of a second section of 301 seem all the more sensible.
The department still had to look at the number of students enrolled when deciding to cancel a course.
Fischer had thought about teaching a by-arrangement course for those five students who had signed up for business German, but by-arrangement courses can be very difficult for faculty. Ten by-arrangement courses, each with one person, is far more laborious for the teacher than one course with ten people.
Unable to create products for Speakeasy without the help of a class full of German students, Fischer is behind on Speakeasy’s holiday sales. Fischer had hoped to have Speakeasy’s products in the Portland State Bookstore by this time, but was unable to do so as he is the only one currently working on Speakeasy’s products. The holiday season is a crucial time for any business hoping to sell items, and Speakeasy is no different.
Fischer had hoped for his section of third-year German to be more career-oriented and that the students currently taking it would be able to contribute to Speakeasy. However, though greater in number, these students are less advanced in their knowledge of the German language. Because German 301 involves a lot of learning of the language, it cannot have a lot of business German work integrated into it.
For Speakeasy to work, there needs to be a class for which business German is the main focus. Having put the 301 students to work on product ideas in a way that still relates to 301 is progress. “It’s just happening in a different way that’s not Speakeasy-specific.” Fischer said,
The cancellation of German for the Working World does not just prevent the students who wanted to take the class from taking it, but it also sets a company behind on its operations. However, the course will have a much higher enrollment in Spring term, once the current third-year students have taken 301 and 302.
German for the Working World combines third-, fourth- and fifth-year students, making 320, 420 and 520 the same class. Because there is no 303, the students of third-year German should be thinking of business German as a continuation of 301 and 302.
The faculty of the German program are hoping to have a business- and career-oriented upper-division track for the German program and may some day soon have created the courses for that.
German programs all over the country are being cut altogether from universities and high schools alike, but PSU’s German program is still just as successful as it has always been, despite a few setbacks every now and then.
Anyone interested should try to learn German. Not only is the German program at PSU worth taking advantage of, but it can now help students build their careers.
“There is nothing like Speakeasy anywhere. I’ve found that out,” said Fischer. The German program at Portland State is particularly unique, and one aspect of the program that makes it so original is the business German class.
Hopefully, German for the Working World will develop into several career-oriented German classes.