专业描述

The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures continues a long tradition of teaching Germanic languages, literatures, and cultures at Harvard that goes back to the poet Longfellow, who gave the first courses on Goethe on this campus. Today, the faculty consists of distinguished and energetic scholars and teachers devoted to a wide variety of specializations, including intellectual history, literature and culture, folklore, and film studies. Some courses are offered completely in German or a Nordic language, some completely in English, and others with readings in the foreign language and discussion in English. The language courses are taught in small groups using an interactive approach that helps students become more comfortable in the language from the outset. If you wish to deepen your knowledge of the language, don't forget to explore our Study Abroad and Work Abroad options! The department offers students a choice of four concentration tracks. In each, the focus is on literature and culture, understood in the broadest sense. The programs are designed not only to prepare students wishing to pursue graduate studies but also to enrich those planning careers in government, law, business, medicine, or the arts. The department's offerings help students gain new perspectives on their own cultural position as they develop a more sophisticated understanding of traditions close to, but often strikingly different from, their own. Languages taught in the department include German (all levels), Swedish (up to third year), and the full range of other Nordic languages (Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Finnish, which are taught in language tutorials when a student's academic program warrants it). For a course list, click here. Information on concentration requirements, secondary field, and language citation in Germanic Languages and Literatures is available here. The "Languages at Harvard" brochure is available here.