ABSTRACT
The Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik is an intensive five-week German immersion program at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. In addition to a full curriculum of upper-division language and content courses, it also offers a one-week professional development seminar for teachers of German that features cutting-edge pedagogy and allows teachers to earn professional credits as well as a lecture series with approximately 15 lectures that address the school’s theme. As one of the few immersion schools left in the country to survive the most recent budget cuts to small language programs, this contribution will focus on how the Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik helps retain students at Portland State University and how it can also help sustain small German programs in the United States. It addresses the organization of the school, its key features and the benefits to students who have attended it in the past. It also delineates various debates regarding the cultural and financial implications for students in U.S. immersion schools versus study abroad as well as student credit hours and progress toward degrees.
