September GAI Café

Start your Saturday morning with good company, great coffee, and delicious German cake at the GAI Café, held on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Germanic-American Institute. Savor homemade and specialty German cakes alongside strong, aromatic coffee, all available for purchase. Whether you come for the cake, presentation at 11 a.m., or simply to catch up with friends, we can’t wait to see you at the GAI Café!

Presentation at 11 a.m: Mit Deutsch zu Hause: Raising Bilingual Children in an English-speaking World

Do you want to share your German heritage with your child but feel overwhelmed by the "English-only" world outside (and maybe even inside) your door?

Raising bilingual children is a journey filled with joy, but it also comes with real-world challenges—especially when your child replies in English or your partner doesn't speak German. Join us for a practical, supportive workshop led by Professor Juliane Schicker, where we’ll turn "I should speak more German" into "I can speak more German."

In this session, you will learn:

• The "Low-Stress" Toolkit: Easy ways to integrate German into your daily routine without it feeling like "lessons."
• The Non-German Partner Strategy: How to keep the language alive even when only one parent speaks it?
• Beating the English "Invasion": Practical tips to encourage your child to use German, even when English feels easier for them.
• Connection Over Correction: How to foster a deep, emotional bond through your native language?
• Stop worrying about "perfect" and start focusing on "possible." Let’s build a supportive community of German-speaking families right here in Minnesota.

Speaker Bio
Born and raised in (East) Germany, Juliane Schicker earned her teaching degree from the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg before completing an M.A. in German at Texas Tech and a Ph.D. in German at Penn State. She is Associate Professor of German and Department Chair of German and Russian at Carleton College in Northfield, MN, and has also taught German at the GAI in the past. Her teaching and research focus on memory studies, culture, and the arts as well as on immersion pedagogy—helping students of all ages learn German not just through grammar, but through real-world culture, arts, and lived experiences. She has published various book chapters and articles, among them one specifically on immersion strategies. Whether teaching students the basics of the German language while talking about their likes and dislikes or guiding them through complex cultural history, Juliane cares deeply about creating environments where every person can feel curious, supported, and welcomed. Outside the classroom, she enjoys the making of and listening to music, spending time at the pool with her bilingual child, and discovering new places.

Kaffee and Kuchen $8