Local German Immersion & Experiential Learning

German 413, a third-year course that focuses on listening and speaking German, offers students local immersion experiences through mini field trips that provide the opportunity to interact with native speakers, heritage speakers, and those who learned German as a second language. On November 6, 2026, Conny Burian’s students went to Edelweiss Imports, located close to campus, and embarked on an hour-long tour of this iconic Calgarian Business. The tour guides, who spoke German the entire time, allowed the class a behind-the-scenes look at the bakery, explained that there are different regulations concerning ingredients and food production in Germany and Canada, highlighted food safety and environmental standards, and showed the group products by German, other European, and local Alberta artists and artisans. These real-life experiences promote accelerated language learning through authentic interactions outside the classroom.