High in the spectacular Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, eighteen miles from the picturesque artists' town of Taos, students and instructors from across the country and around the world live together in one of Taos Ski Valley's premier hotels, the Thunderbird Lodge, speaking German only. This highly competitive total immersion German summer school is listed by the University of New Mexico as a Program of Excellence and renowned nationally as one of the country's best summer schools.

A carefully planned program of academic courses and workshops, evening activities, and excursions is designed to provide total immersion in German language and culture while taking advantage of the rich multicultural traditions of New Mexico and allowing participants to explore one of the most beautiful scenic regions in the United States. Taos Ski Valley has the flavor of an Alpine village and the Thunderbird Lodge has the ambiance of a fine Bavarian inn, thanks to the careful attention of the owners and hosts, Munich-born Elisabeth Brownell and her husband Tom.

Students may attend the Santa Fe Opera, visit the famed Taos Indian Pueblo, stroll through the galleries of Taos and Santa Fe, hike the wilderness trail to 14,000 foot Wheeler Peak-all while interacting in German with dedicated instructors from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and several well-known American universities.

Applications are invited from all interested individuals who have completed at least two years of college German or the equivalent. This includes high school seniors, life-long learners, college and university students from all disciplines, and teachers of German at all levels.

Course work in German language and German Studies is offered from the third-year undergraduate through the Master's degree level. A placement test and oral interview, followed by individual advisement assure that students enroll in the appropriate courses. Normally, students take an intensive language course followed by the compulsory "Grundkurs" five days a week in the morning and a seminar and mini-seminar in afternoon periods. Workshops are offered in the evening. Classes are held on Saturday, but Wednesday and Sunday are free for excursions and special activities.

For more current, in-depth schedule information, visit the German Summer School Home Page. A typical summer curriculum may include the following courses:

German language (2 credits) Intensive proficiency oriented instruction at the advanced intermediate, advanced, and graduate levels, including business German, German stylistics, and the student newspaper, Der Zauberberg (2 credits). Lectures and Discussions in German Studies, "Deutschland und die Deutschen nach der Wende."

Full Seminars (2 credits) Introduction to German Literature, Introduction to German History and Culture, Contemporary Issues in the German Speaking World, Goethe's Werther-the Text and its Reception, German Lyric Poetry, plus additional topics.

Mini-Seminars (1 credit)

• Books about Fathers or: The Children of the Perpetrators
• Current Literary Developments in Germany: A Writer's View
• Masterpieces of Middle High German: The German Ballad.

Workshops (1 credit)

• Culture and Television in Germany
• Theater Workshop
• Uwe Timm's Work in Progress
• A Thousand Years of Austria
• German Film

Courses for German Teachers and Teacher Candidates (offered in the second half of the session)

• Wie vermittelt man ein aktuelles Deutschlandbild im Klassenzimmer-Kultur und Landeskunde im Unterricht (2 credits)
• Wie verstehen wir Texte-Literatur im Unterricht (1 credit)

Earn up to seven undergraduate or six graduate semester credits from the University of New Mexico and certify your level of language proficiency by taking one of the Goethe Institute's internationally recognized language examinations: Zertifikut Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Zentrale Mittelstüfenprufung, or Oberstufe.