For a complete listing of all German courses, see the Academic Catalog.
German 111: Beginning German I (taught in German)
Students begin to learn German through listening, speaking, reading, and writing about situations familiar to us including our personal biographies, families, daily life, studies, travels, and hobbies. Regular writing assignments help students to learn vocabulary, check spelling, and form thoughts with German sentence structure. Regular speaking activities aid in acquiring accurate pronunciation and listening skills. By the end of the semester, students will feel comfortable conversing in German about a wide range of topics relating to everyday life, including yourself and your family, your studies, clothing, weather, and living.
German 112: Beginning German II (taught in German)
Students continue to develop basic language skills with emphasis on expanding vocabulary and on writing assignments that aid in the practical application of grammatical concepts. Communicating in German about familiar personal topics, students acquire vocabulary about sports, food, holidays, school, the environment, and everyday life in German-speaking societies. By the end of the semester, students will have gained increased comfort conversing in German about everyday topics; new knowledge of historical and contemporary German-speaking cultures in Europe; and experience reading, discussing, and producing short German texts in the present and past tenses.
Prerequisite: GERM 111 or by placement test
Two Sections: MWF 9:05-10:00 / MWF 10:45-11:40am
Counts for majors: Performance
German 231: Intermediate German I (taught in German)
Students explore and expand their notions of identity in general, and of German identities in particular, by “reading” and interpreting written texts, films and images that deal with questions of individual and group identity, and by examining how their individual experiences, perspectives and interests influence their understanding of, and reactions to the texts. By the end of the semester, students will have deepened their vocabulary and writing skills through targeted, collaborative, and iterative writing tasks, and feel comfortable expressing their opinions orally through interactive speaking tasks, short presentations, and reflective speaking activities outside of the classroom.
Prerequisite: GERM 112 or by placement test
Two Sections: MWF 10:45-11:40am / 2:00-2:55pm
Counts for majors: German, Performance
German 232: Intermediate German II (taught in German)
This course integrates language learning with understanding and analyzing effects of the past on the present. Topics include forms of protest, resistance, and political engagement within German-speaking societies in Europe and in transatlantic relations. Through close reading of a graphic novel, film, songs and other texts, students improve their ability to read, write, speak, and understand German, and develop their critical literacy skills in a highly communicative environment. New insights gained into the German-speaking world foster analytical and communicative competence that will serve students well in future professional, academic, and cultural experiences.
Prerequisite: GERM 231 or by placement test
MWF 10:45-11:40am
Ole Core: WLC, GHS / GE: FOL-G
Counts for majors: German, Performance
Counts for concentrations: German Studies
German 247: Germanic Fairy Tales (taught in English)
This course provides an introduction to the study of folklore and presents a spectrum of approaches to the interpretation of fairy tales. Students read and discuss writings stemming from oral traditions such as the Nibelungenlied, and chapbooks including Till Eulenspiegel, and Faust; eighteenth-century fables created on models from antiquity; fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm; and Kunstmärchen (literary fairy tales by known writers), and explore the literary aspects of the works and their historical contexts.
M-F 8:00-10:00am
Ole Core: CRE, GHS / GE: ALS-L, HWC
Counts for majors: German, Nordic Studies
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, International Relations, Nordic Studies
German 251: History and Memory (taught in German)
Students examine the National Socialist period (1933-1945), its embeddedness in German cultural memory, and its implications for contemporary society. Students read, discuss, analyze, and write about a series of literary texts (including films) emerging from or reflecting on what historian Friedrich Meinecke called “the German catastrophe.” The course is writing intensive and includes short weekly assignments as well as several longer, multi-step writing projects. Advanced grammar review supports analytical tasks.
Prerequisite: GERM 232 or by placement test
T 11:45am-1:10pm, Th 12:45-2:05pm + required weekly discussion section
Ole Core: WAC, WLC / GE: ALS-L, FOL-G, WRI
Counts for majors: German, Performance, Political Science
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, International Relations
German 252: German-Speaking Societies in Global Context (taught in German)
Students examine contemporary issues in German-speaking Europe such as national and regional politics, environmental sustainability, diversity and migration. They compare multiple perspectives on, and intersections between the issues by reading, discussing, and analyzing diverse expository texts including (auto)biographical writings, journalistic articles, and critical essays. Coursework includes writing assignments and oral presentations that emphasize textual analysis with a focus on texts’ strategic organization, argumentative structure, style, content, and layers of critical voices. Advanced grammar review supports analytical tasks.
Prerequisite: GERM 232 or by placement test
T 11:45am-1:10pm, Th 12:45-2:05pm + required weekly discussion section
Ole Core: WLC / GE: FOL-G, ORC
Counts for majors: German, Performance, Political Science
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, International Relations, Management Studies
German 272: Die DDR: Ansichten von beiden Seiten der Mauer / The GDR from Both Sides of the Wall (taught in German)
Students examine the history, society, culture and politics of the German Democratic Republic from multiple contrasting perspectives: East-West, trans-Atlantic, Cold War blocs, before-during-after the state’s official existence 1949-1989. The exploration considers literature, film, biography, interviews, and authentic cultural artifacts. Students practice academic writing skills, focussing on developing academic discourse following German university style.
Prerequisite: GERM 251 or 252 or with instructor permission
T 9:35-11:00am, Th 9:30-10:50am
Ole Core: GHS, WAC, WIM (½) / GE: HWC, WRI
Counts for majors: German, Performance, Political Science, Environmental Studies
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, International Relations, Management Studies, Environmental Studies
German 372: Arbeitskulturen / Cultures of Work (taught in German)
Students examine how the concept of “work” is represented and how its value is defined in German-speaking societies, both historically and today. Through close reading, discussion, analysis, and interpretation of selected expository and literary works, students develop a cultural-political understanding of the role that work plays in everyday lives. They hone their skills of analyzing the forms and contexts of production and reception of German-language works of various genres, and advance their writing and presentation skills through an individual research project.
Prerequisite: at least one 270-level course or with instructor permission
T 9:35-11:00, Th 9:30-10:50
GE: WRI / Ole Core: WIM (½)
Counts for majors: German, Performance, Political Science
Counts for concentrations: German Studies, International Relations