German
Last updated: 3 years, 4 months ago
German is the study of the German language and its literature. The study of German can involve prose texts, poetry and drama, as well as translation, summary and grammar exercises.
Application Resources
Here are some general resources related to German. These should be a useful introduction, regardless of which German related course you’re interested in and where you might want to study it.
Here are some resources which are related to German. They should prove to be a useful introductory overview, no matter what German-related course you are interested in or where you may wish to study it.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the German language. You are likely to come across a variety of accents, speaking paces and tones, all of which are brilliant exposure to ‘real’ German, i.e. how it is spoken everyday, not how you’ve been used to with listening exercises from a textbook! Noting down phrases and vocab is a great way to expand your knowledge of the language, and is good scholarly practice for when you come to University!
‘Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten’ 🔗 🌟 This is a daily podcast from Deutsche Welle (DW), bringing you the news from a variety of contemporary issues, all in slow-spoken German! A great way to prepare for interviews, especially because you are likely to be asked something in German.
‘Easy German’ 🔗 Another fantastic resource - podcasts are uploaded here a couple of times a week and are recorded by two native speakers, who speak in Hochdeutsch (Standard German), which is easily understood! Sometimes there are interesting debates on useful vocabulary, too.
‘Marktplatz - Deutschlandfunk’ 🔗 This podcast is great if you want to challenge yourself! Plenty of engaging discussions and opinions on contemporary issues and debates.
Online Libraries
Browse these sites to discover new texts. Follow what you find interesting, and take notes as you go. This sort of independent research and engagement - especially if you follow it up with further research, or similar texts - is useful in preparing for university, and might form the basis for a part of your personal statement!
German Lit 🔗 🌟 This is potentially the best free resource online for getting an insight into all the wonderful aspects of German Literature, created by a range of university professors! This will no doubt be a fantastic aid in sparking your interest in literature.
‘Zeno’ 🔗 An online catalogue of thousands of different kinds of German media and literature, ranging from prose, to poetry, to drama. Feel free to explore and see what interests you most!
‘Project Gutenberg’ 🔗 A massive online library containing thousands of e-books - this can be particularly good for finding some of the set texts on the course, texts on preparatory reading lists or anything you have uncovered in introductory texts.
Grammar
These resources are particularly useful for brushing up on your grammar, vocabulary and spoken German, which are essential for your degree. You could come back to these resources in the summer between A Levels (or equivalent) and starting university, if you wanted to make sure you haven’t forgotten all the language skills you’d learned!
‘Grimm Grammar’ 🔗 A fun resource designed by the University of Texas, in order to help you improve your German grammar in an interactive manner.
Nthuleen 🔗 🌟 One of the best grammar resources available, created by the fantastic Nancy Thuleen. The exercises and notes available here will cover practically everything you need - and all kostenlos!
Books
These are a few introductory books which you may find interesting/useful in terms of getting to grips with a period of literature, particular authors and so on. Anything you read could also come in useful when it comes to writing your personal statement - take notes and think critically while you read to get the most value out of the time you spend reading.
Nicholas Boyle, German Literature: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008)
Eva Kolinsky & Wilfried van der Will, The Cambridge Companion to Modern German Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998)
Judith Ryan, The Cambridge Introduction to German Poetry (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012)
Our Top Tip
If you come across references to particular books, poems or plays in these texts, try reading them alongside the English translation if you’re still lacking confidence reading in German. This will help you develop your fluency and your confidence, and it’s an excellent addition to your personal statement.