The student works with textbooks and tapes and meets with a tutor for two hours a week of oral practice. A final examination is given by an outside examiner approved by the National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs from a neighboring university. Students interested in pursuing these courses should consult Professor Zuerner in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures before spring registration for the following academic year. An additional videodisc station supports the use of multimedia programs. A scanning workstation enables users to digitize materials for multimedia lessons and Web pages.
Audio equipment provides support for cassette-tape programs in all languages.
The center receives and tapes foreign satellite broadcasts and maintains a permanent video collection. The department gives these Paris Chamber of Commerce examinations annually. This examination, jointly developed by the Gothe Institute and the Deutsher Volkshochschulverband, attests to students' knowledge of business German and their ability to express themselves orally and in writing. The department administers the ZDfB annually. The department encourages qualified students to participate in Skidmore's programs in Paris or Madrid and to take advantage of accredited programs in Germany, Italy, and Spanish America.