Who we are
The Canadian Association of University Teachers of German/ L’Association des Professeurs d’Allemand des Universités Canadiennes (CAUTG/APAUC) was founded by sixteen professors of German from ten universities who met at the Université de Montréal during the 1962 Learned Societies’ Conference. As the Association has evolved, its main objective has become the promotion of studies and research in Germanic Studies at the post-secondary level.
Germanic Studies as the field of common professional interest is understood to include not only German, but also other Germanic Languages besides English, as well as scholarship related to the literatures, cultures, and linguistics of these languages, past and present. Membership is open to current and former staff members and graduate students of Canadian universities and colleges whose main professional concern is Germanic Studies. Associate membership is available to interested scholars from other fields or from non-Canadian institutions. For further information, please contact the Secretary-Treasurer.
The Conference
Among the principal activities of CAUTG/APAUC is its annual conference, which takes place as part of the Congress of Learned Societies at a selected Canadian university in late May and early June of each year. The conference provides a forum for communication of research in Germanic Studies, professional development for teaching, and the discussion of common professional interests. Generally CAUTG/APAUC hosts a guest lecturer or author from German-speaking Europe whose presentation may also be of interest to other disciplines and Learned Societies. Recent panel presentations have centred on literature and pedagogy, standards in language training, interdisciplinary research and teaching, new technologies, and the future of the profession. Junior and senior scholars have delivered papers on a wide variety of literary, cultural, and linguistic topics. Proposals for papers may be submitted by any member in good standing, and those who present papers are eligible for modest travel support.
The Journal
Since 1965 the Association has published a scholarly quarterly, Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies. Jointly sponsored with the German Section of the Australasian Universities Modern Language and Literature Association, it receives submissions and has subscribers from throughout the international community of scholars in the field. CAUTG/APAUC also publishes a semi-annual newsletter, the CAUTG/APAUC Bulletin, and a Directory of Departments of German at Canadian Universities and Colleges. Individual members are involved in a number of other publication projects.
The Programs
The Association sponsors and organizes a number of programs for scholars and students in the field:
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It sponsors a language program abroad, the Canadian Summer School in Germany (Kassel). |
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With the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (PAD), it participates in an exchange of teaching assistants. |
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In cooperation with the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), it coordinates a summer job program for Canadian students in Germany, the Werkstudentenprogramm. |
Furthermore, a standing committee of CAUTG/APAUC works with the Goethe Institute to develop programs, standards, and testing for Business German at several Canadian universities.
CAUTG/APAUC is an organizational member of the Canadian Association of Teachers of German (CATG), a national organization linking teachers at all levels and in all regions of Canada. It is also a constituent member of the Canadian Federation of the Humanities and Social Sciences, which advocates for the interests of university scholars and organizes the annual Congress of Learned Societies.
