At Utrecht University, more and more students are choosing to study German. Just last week, the media painted a bleak picture because VU University Amsterdam is discontinuing that program.
But in Utrecht, for the umpteenth year in a row, there are more applications than in the previous year. And that trend is on the rise. Aber warum?
Reporter Ulrike Nagel investigated.
Summary of the RTV Utrecht Video on the German Program (2010)
The RTV Utrecht video covers the growing popularity of the German studies program at Utrecht University.
Key Points:
- Rising Student Numbers: Interest in the German program in Utrecht has increased. Last year there were 14 students, and at the time of filming there were 23 students.
- Contrast with Amsterdam: This stands in contrast to the Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam, which at that time stopped offering the German program due to only one application.
- Factors Behind Utrecht’s Success:
Utrecht has been among the top three
universities for German studies for years. The factors contributing to its appeal include:
- Extensive academic support.
- A high retention rate.
- Reversal of the Trend: Although 23 students for an entire degree program may not seem like many, the trend is positive and shifting. The number of students is rising, which contradicts earlier media reports.
- Reasons for the Revival:
- Germany is once again a popular vacation destination, and cities like Berlin are seen as “hip.”
- One student suggests that the “worst wounds” from the period 1940–1945 have slowly “healed.”
- The instructor, Ewout van der Knaap, suggests that the success of German soccer may play a role, making it easier for people to identify with Germans.
- The old role model of the German teacher (“So, that’s how you used to approach the language…”) no longer seems to hold the students back.
- Student Perspective:
- Jan Willem Strik (21 years old) chose German after realizing that medicine wasn’t for him. He mentions the “beautiful culture” and the “lovely language” and has developed a love for the country through his German friends. He would like to become an interpreter or a teacher at a VWO/gymnasium in the future.
- Marlon, a German major, had a “really great teacher” and hopes to “follow in her footsteps a little.”
- Historical Low Point and the Future: The low point came in 2004, with only four applicants in Utrecht. Since 2004, the numbers have been climbing again. For the coming year, the professor expects another increase, pointing to a new generation of German teachers in the making.
