It offers a variety of programs with a concentration in German Language and Culture. Language is studied both experientially (through classroom practice of sounds, intonation patterns, posture and gestures and situations typical of the target language) and theoretically (learning how to study language through, for example, grammatical analysis). The programs include a core component of courses in comparative literature, general and applied linguistics, and cultural studies to help contextualize German language and culture. An understanding of German culture is acquired through courses on its history, modern life and classical and contemporary literature and cinema.