Introduction to German

German is a language of great cultural and commercial importance. Within Europe, it is spoken by more people than English or French. A fluent command of German, combined with a knowledge of the cultural development of the German-speaking world, is a prerequisite to career opportunities in many parts of the continent - German graduates rank among the most employable of all university-leavers. As the first post-war Chancellor of Germany, Konrad Adenauer, famously stated: 'If I want to sell something, I'll speak your language; if I want to buy something, you'll speak mine'.

The German Section at the University of Kent is an important part of the School of European Culture and Languages. It comprises friendly, approachable staff with a range of specialist interests, from language teaching to the fields of literary studies and linguistics. Class sizes are deliberately kept small; whilst we encourage students to become independent learners, we also place great importance on contact time, feedback and student support.

Along with the other European language sections, German is housed in the Cornwallis Building, a purpose-built modern edifice at the heart of this attractive campus, next door to the Gulbenkian Theatre and coffee shop, one minute's walk from the well-stocked University Library and within easy reach of the rest of the campus. The building is provided with comfortable seminar rooms and excellent computing and audio-visual facilities.