Introductory German for Business 470:109
German, Austrian, and Swiss companies traditionally enjoy worldwide an excellent reputation representing innovation, quality and cutting-edge technology. EU Member States are collectively the United States’ biggest trading partner, and Germany, as Europe’s largest economy, is at the heart of that relationship. After China and the United States, Germany is the world’s third-largest exporter. In 2017, bilateral trade between Germany and the US in goods and services totaled nearly $238 billion, with U.S. exports of $85 billion and imports of $153 billion. US affiliates of German firms employ over 670,000 American workers. A great number of German corporations and banks have branches in New Jersey and the New York City area. Many companies name German as the language they would most like their employees to know.
This hybrid course presents an introduction to the language typically used in business settings in German-speaking countries. It prepares students to the use of the language in specific business-related contexts and helps them develop a better understanding of the German corporate culture. In this course the students will practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking on topics relevant to the German-language business environment at the beginner level.
During the course, students will work with such topics as:
- Meeting business partners;
- Business trips, company visits, professional fairs;
- Offers, purchasing, and leasing;
- Day-to-day office life;
- Office organization and equipment.
The course is taught in German with English used in comparisons and translation exercises.
