The "Kulturpass": Strategies for Enhancing Cultural Engagement outside the German-Language Classroom.

Extracurricular events in foreign language programs are often treated either as extra credit or an afterthought. And yet if organized creatively and systematically, activities that promote cultural engagement outside the classroom can enhance and extend the curriculum, deepen exposure to the target culture, create a sense of community among students, and raise the department's profile on campus. This article argues that extracurricular activities can and should be an important corollary to the foreign language curriculum, and offers a specific strategy for creating a successful activities program – the Kulturevent series and the Kulturpass. The paper outlines the impetus behind the Kulturpass, howit works, what results we have seen since implementing it in fall 2010, and why we believe it has been so successful.