German
Summer School thrives in Taos Ski Valley
By Carolyn
Gonzales
The German
Summer School, founded by UNM German Professors Peter Pabisch
and George F. Peters during the 1975-76 academic year, has thrived
at the Taos Ski Valley.
In recognition
of its longevity, Pabisch recently published, Going on
Thirty Years. The German Summer School of New Mexico,
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, 2002.
Foreign
languages has seen a steady decline and a waning student interest,
said Pabisch. The German Summer School provides students
with an immersion program without having to travel to Germany.
And they have fun.
This year,
eight faculty taught during the 31-day program under Pabischs
direction. He also taught five courses. Language courses were
offered at various levels, depending upon student proficiency.
Regardless of the students years of German study, they
came away with an improved ability to understand and speak the
language.
Whether
at the dinner table, in class, talking in their rooms or playing
hacky-sack, the students are required to speak nur Deutsch,
only German, said Pabisch. As a result, their language
skills improve rapidly during the program.
At the
summer schools Grundkurs, or lecture series,
the students heard about geology, the holocaust, European history,
philosophy, and listened to the German Consul General von Graevenitz
discuss German-European politics and diplomacy.
The high
level of foreign language instruction is demonstrated through
the students passing the intensive Goethe language examinations.
Renate Saggau, a representative of the Goethe Institute in New
York, coordinated and directed the exams.
Forty-seven
students took more than 240 credit hours bringing almost $30,000
in income to the University, said Pabisch. Of those, 13
were from New Mexico, 13 from Texas and others came from Alabama,
Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin
and even Greece.