Having grown up in Germany until the age of 15, I learned German in the German school system and by speaking to friends. Since I was a fluent German speaker when I started at UCLA, the German Department allowed me to tailor my studies to my level of proficiency in the language. I placed out of the language courses and could delve right into the study of German literature and culture, which was of particular interest to me.
I especially enjoyed the German culture classes, which ranged from intercultural Germany to contemporary German cinema, because these classes gave me more insight into many new aspects and perspectives of the German culture, which I hadn’t experienced. It was because of these classes that I decided to major in German.
The UCLA German Department not only allowed me to maintain my German fluency and stay up-to-date on current issues in Germany, but also allowed me to formally study the culture I had grown up in.