by Emily Christiansen

If I had been asked in high school what I would end up studying in college, the answer would probably not have contained “German”. In fact if somebody had suggested to me that I pursue a degree in German, I probably would have thought they were crazy. Although I had studied German throughout high school, my initial motivation was simply that the German teachers at my high school were much more entertaining than the teachers of the other language. As an incoming freshman at the University of Portland, I naturally elected to utilize German in order to fulfill the two year language requirement. I had tested into the second year of the language course and was only expecting to take two semesters worth of German classes.

By the initial orientation weekend, my plans had changed. During orientation I was introduced to not only the idea of study abroad but the idea of the unique year-long study abroad program in Salzburg, Austria. Over the course of that weekend I met many enthusiastic Salzburg alumni who convinced me that my life would be incomplete without the Salzburg program. In a lot of ways they were correct. I applied for and participated the next ye ar in the Salzburg program. Unlike a lot of other study abroad programs, Salzburg is not a language immersion program, however, it provided the perfect venue to improve and practice my German and a get a more global perspective on life and politics (my intended major). My participation not only inspired within me a new love for the German language and culture, but it also left me with a stronger idea of myself and my future ambitions. During the course of the year I learned how well a major in German would complement a major in political science and at the end of the year decided to declare my second major.

If I had gone to a school other than UP, I do not believe I would have studied or been as successful with German. It is true that study abroad made a sizeable contribution to my success, but of no less importance was the enthusiasm and commitment of the professors to student’s success as well as the small class sizes. Classes were never boring and were constantly filled with unexpected surprises that related to the German culture. The classes that I remember the most were those taught by Professor McLary. Her classes are what language classes should be like combining reading, listening, discussion, and of course activity. I remember one class in particular in which Professor McLary dressed up and personified a mad scientist (as it related to German children’s literature we were reading) for a portion of a class period. Although this is just one instance from one of UP’s excellent professors, I think it nicely illustrates that classes were never boring and that it was easy to stay engaged in the subject matter.

Since I, like most of the students majoring in German, also had a second major, the professors often helped me to relate my interest in political science to my interest in Germany. During my junior and senior years, this personal attention and advising was of great importance to me as it lead me to apply for and receive a Fulbright Grant in order to research the changes in German immigration law and its impact on the relations between the state and the religion of Islam. Currently, I am completing my Fulbright Grant in Duisburg, Germany. The Fulbright experience is one-of-a-kind and it is one that I feel very fortunate to have received. Although the majority of the world speaks English, there is nothing that can describe the satisfaction I feel at being able to communicate with people in their own native language and witnessing their surprise at the fact that I am an American who can speak German. By living here I have learned just how valuable knowledge of a foreign language is, not only for personal satisfaction, but for personal diplomacy and future career prospects. Next year I am planning on attending law school and after obtaining my law degree I hope to work in international law – a career for which knowledge of at least one other language is a necessity.