GERMAN 101 – First Semester German
(4 credits)
- Section 001: MTWRF 9:55-10:45 am Room: 355 Van Hise Hall
- Section 002: MTWRF 11:00-11:50 am Room: 387 Van Hise Hall
- Section 003: MWR 3:30-4:50 pm Room: 378 Van Hise Hall
Prerequisites: None. Open to First-Year Students.
(This course is also offered for graduate students as GERMAN 401.)
Description: Presumes no knowledge of the German language. In the course students learn basic vocabulary around topics such as classroom objects, daily routines, descriptions of people and objects, simple narration in present time, etc. German 101 covers material presented in the textbook Vorsprung from Kapitel 1 to Kapitel 5. Students read and discuss “real” texts (written by and for native) speakers from the start. Grammar is explained using examples from these texts as well as from a graphic novel, told in installments, that traces the journey of an American exchange student, Anna Adler, to the university in Tübingen as well as her adventures once there. The course also offers basic cultural insights and comparisons that are further elaborated on in second-year courses. Testing is done in increments of chapter quizzes; there is no mid-term and no traditional final exam. Students also complete writing & reading assignments as well as matching assessments, all with a take-home component. There are two oral projects. Class participation is encouraged and an attendance policy is in place. This course cannot be audited.
Required texts:
- Lovik, Guy, and Chavez. Vorsprung, 4th edition (Cengage) and bundled e-book license (access to Mindtap). Check the course Canvas site for information on options for purchasing the required materials or Cengage Unlimited (subscription service).
Recommended texts:
- Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition).
- (Good) German/English English/German dictionary.
Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 102 – Second Semester German
(4 credits)
- Section 001: MTWRF 11:00-11:50 am Room: 386 Van Hise Hall
- Section 002: MTWRF 12:05-12:55 pm Room: 375 Van Hise Hall
- Section 003: MTWRF 1:20-2:10 pm Room: 355 Van Hise Hall
- Section 004: MTWRF 3:30-4:50 pm Room: 390 Van Hise Hall
Prerequisites: GERMAN 101 or appropriate score on the placement exam. Open to first-year students.
(This course is also offered for graduate students as GERMAN 402.)
Description: Continuation of GERMAN 101. Students learn to narrate using past time markers, to express wishes and conditional ideas, to expand on their ability to describe, and to understand and produce extended texts on everyday topics. German 102 covers material presented in the textbook Vorsprung from Kapitel 6 to Kapitel 10. Students read and discuss “real” texts (written by and for native) speakers from the start. Grammar is explained using examples from these texts as well as from a graphic novel, told in installments, that traces the journey of an American exchange student, Anna Adler, to the university in Tübingen as well as her adventures once there. The course also offers basic cultural insights and comparisons that are further elaborated on in second-year courses. Testing is done in increments of chapter quizzes; there is no mid-term and no traditional final exam. Students also complete writing & reading assignments as well as matching assessments, all with a take-home component. There are two oral projects. Class participation is encouraged and an attendance policy is in place. This course cannot be audited.
Required texts:
- Lovik, Guy, and Chavez. Vorsprung, 3rd edition – enhanced (Cengage) and bundled e-book license (access to iLrn). Check the course Canvas site for information on options for purchasing the required materials or Cengage Unlimited (subscription service).
Recommended texts:
- Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition).
Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 112 – Second Semester Dutch
MTWR 9:55-10:45 am Room: 491 Van Hise Hall (4 credits)
Prerequisites: GERMAN 111 or appropriate score on the placement exam. Open to First-Year Students.
(This course is also offered for graduate students as GERMAN 312.)
Description: Continuation of GERMAN 111/GERMAN 311. All required course materials will be provided.
Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 203 – Third Semester German
(4 credits)
- Section 001: MTWR 11:00-11:50 am Room: 375 Van Hise Hall
- Section 002: MW 3:30-5:10 pm Room: 355 Van Hise Hall
Prerequisites: GERMAN 102 or appropriate score on the placement exam. Open to First-Year Students.
(This course is also offered for graduate students as GERMAN 403.)
Description: GERMAN 203 reviews German grammar but (a) prior knowledge of these concepts is assumed and (b) the sequence of grammar forms to be reviewed differs from that of first-year curricula (in other words, the grammar focused on in 203 is not identical to that dealt with in 101). The primary objective of the course is to give students the opportunity to explore language as it is embedded in the culture. Students will explore mostly contemporary but also historical aspects of the cultures of the German-speaking countries through a journey through the Stationen (stations) of which each stands for a major city in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland and the region that it represents. Testing is done in increments, with chapter quizzes instead of mid-terms or a traditional final exam. Students complete writing and reading assessments, all with a take-home component. There are two oral projects (not traditional exams). During the second half of the semester students will have the opportunity to sign up for a mini seminar of their choice. These weeklong seminars substitute for regular class meetings and permit students to explore specific interests in German language, linguistics, literature, and culture/history. This course cannot be audited.
Required texts:
- Augustyn and Euba, Stationen, 4th edition (Cengage) and bundled e-book license (access to MindTap). Check the course Canvas site for information on options for purchasing the required materials or Cengage Unlimited (subscription service).
Recommended texts:
- Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition).
Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 204 – Fourth Semester German
(4 credits)
- Section 001: MTWR 9:55- 10:45 am Room: 499 Van Hise Hall
- Section 002: MTWR 11:00-11:50 am Room: 374 Van Hise Hall
- Section: 003: MW 3:30-5:10 pm Room: 499 Van Hise Hall
Prerequisites: GERMAN 203 or appropriate score on placement exam. Open to First-Year Students.
(This course is also offered for graduate students as GERMAN 404.)
Description: GERMAN 204 (like GERMAN 203) reviews German grammar but (a) prior knowledge of these concepts is assumed and (b) the sequence of grammar forms to be reviewed differs from that of first-year curricula (in other words, the grammar focused on 204 is not identical to that dealt with in 102). The primary objective of the course is to give students the opportunity to explore language as it is embedded in the culture. Students will explore mostly contemporary but also historical aspects of the cultures of the German-speaking countries through a journey through the Stationen (stations) of which each stands for a major city in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland and the region that it represents. Testing is done in increments, with chapter quizzes instead of mid-terms or a traditional final exam. Students complete writing and reading assessments, all with a take-home component. There are two oral projects (not traditional exams). During the second half of the semester students will have the opportunity to sign up for a mini seminar of their choice. These weeklong seminars substitute for regular class meetings and permit students to explore specific interests in German language, linguistics, literature, and culture/history. This course cannot be audited.
Required texts:
- Augustyn and Euba, Stationen, 3rd edition (Cengage) and bundled e-book license (access to iLrn). Check the course Learn@UW site for information on options for purchasing the required materials.
Recommended texts:
- Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia & Hill Press (latest edition).
Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 214 – Fourth Semester Dutch
MTWR 12:05-12:55 pm Room: 374 Van Hise Hall (4 credits)
(This course is also offered for graduate students as GERMAN 314.)
Description: Continuation of GERMAN 213/313. All required course materials will be provided.
Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 245/GERMAN 445 (meets with) – Topics in Dutch Life and Culture: Amsterdam/New Amsterdam/New York
TR 2:30-3:45 pm Room: 386 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor (3 credits)
GERMAN 445 Discussion Sections:
- Section 301: W 12:05-12:55 pm
Prerequisites: None. Open to first-year students.
GERMAN 245 is taught in English and presumes no prior knowledge about the Low Countries (The Netherlands and the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium).
Description: Immigration is a topic of great interest in Europe and the United States in our time. This course will study the fascinating record of the early European/Dutch settlement known as New Amsterdam/New Netherland, and allow the student to consider what it meant at the time, and what this history contributes to the present. We will also discuss why this history was, for a while, relatively unknown—possibly effaced by the English settlers—and ask ourselves why this history was obscured, what difference it made, and the lovely story of how it has been brought to light.
This course will involve a lot of discussion in class and online. It invites students to read attentively, to think carefully, and to discuss thoughtfully and vigorously – face-to-face and/or on-line. In addition to learning about the culture of New Netherland, students will have ample opportunity to practice their critical thinking skills and their oral and written communication skills. This course also functions, where needed, as an introduction to some “ways of knowing” that belong to the traditions of the Humanities. While it requires some practice and discipline, the ability to engage even sensitive matters in a spirit of respect and cooperation is an important skill for life, for employability and for citizenship.
Learning outcomes, in sum:
- improved critical thinking skills;
- improved oral and written communication skills;
- solid basic understanding of the founding of New Netherland in its cultural context.
Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 249 – Intermediate German – Speaking and Listening
(3 credits)
- Section 001: MWF 11:00-11:50 am Room: 483 Van Hise Hall
- Section 002: MWF 12:05-12:55 pm Room: 395 Van Hise Hall
Prerequisites: GERMAN 204 or appropriate score on placement exam or consent of the course supervisor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with GERMAN 262, GERMAN 258, and GERMAN 285. Open to first-year students.
Language of Instruction: German
Description: Drawing mainly on contemporary audio and video materials from German-speaking countries, including podcasts, video clips from German-language television, and two contemporary films (Das Wunder von Bern and Vitus), this course is intended to deepen students’ appreciation of German as a spoken language by making them more aware of how native speakers adapt their German to fit the contexts in which they use it. The main objectives of the course are:
- to improve students’ comprehension and production of spoken German via exposure to the language in use in audio and video formats;
- to promote students’ awareness of how spoken German varies according to speech situation and region, mainly in terms of sound structures (pronunciation) and vocabulary;
- to enhance students’ understanding of contemporary German-speaking cultures in Europe and beyond and the central role that language plays in shaping these cultures.
Required Work and Grading: Each week students will receive a Wochenplan outlining required work for the coming week that will include in-class activities and homework assignments. A main component of these Wochenpläne will be tasks to promote development of effective pre- and post-listening/viewing strategies for the audio and video clips we will work with. Since an important aspect of the course is making students not only more aware of how native speakers pronounce German, but also the ways in which their pronunciation may differ from native norms, they will be recording themselves for most homework assignments using the free software Audacity. We will also work quite a bit with phonetic transcriptions of German to understand better how spoken German corresponds to or deviates from the written language. Finally, in order to expand their vocabulary and heighten their awareness of variation in spoken German, students will be required to create a “personal dictionary” over the course of the semester. Most weeks they will be asked to write down at least 10 new words and phrases they learn and note information about pronunciation and usage. Students will be asked to submit their personal dictionary installments to their instructor on Fridays. In-class work will be centered on activities spelled out in the Wochenpläne and sometimes supplemented by audio-visual materials, but it is expected that students will access these materials (on multiple occasions) mostly outside of class. All audio-visual materials will be accessible electronically over the 249 Canvas site, Learning Support Services, or online. In terms of cultural content, we will be working with sources that address topics such as the impact of the World War II and post-war eras; East/West differences and reunification; language use in Austria and Switzerland; and youth speech and popular culture
The final grade for the course will be determined as follows:
– 4 quizzes @ 10% each = 40%
– 12 homework exercises @ 2% each = 24%
– 10 personal dictionary installments @ 1% each = 10%
– Preparation before and participation during class = 10%
– In-class listening comprehension quiz 3 = 3%
– Final pronunciation assignment = 3%
– Five-minute oral presentation (Referat) = 10%
There is no required textbook for this course; all materials will be accessible over Canvas.
Please contact the supervisor, Prof. Mark Louden, at mllouden@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 258 – Intermediate German – Reading
(3 credits)
- Section 001: MWF 12:05-12:55 pm Room: 1339 Sterling Hall Instructor: Jeanne Schueller
- Section 002: MWF 1:20-2:10 pm Room: 491 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Julie Larson-Guenette
Prerequisites: GERMAN 204 or consent of instructor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 262. Open to First-year Students.
Language of instruction: German
Course Description and Learning Goals: This course is designed to acquaint students with German literary, cultural, and historical texts and provide an overview of cultural developments in German-speaking countries. An important goal of this course is to offer explicit instruction on reading strategies to help students improve their comprehension of a range of texts.
In GERMAN 258, students will:
- recognize different genres, reading styles, and strategies;
- implement critical reading skills for reading and comprehending different types of texts;
- demonstrate the ability to read autonomously;
- identify, define, and implement vocabulary related to the topics covered in class.
Required Work and Grading: Much of the required work for this course will involve tasks to promote the development of effective reading strategies for the diverse texts and genres with which we will work. Students will turn in graded assignments on Canvas. These assignments consist of in-depth activities that guide students through the readings. Students are expected to prepare readings and accompanying exercises in advance of every class and to participate fully in whole-class discussions and small-group/partner work. Class discussions will be conducted in German.
The final grade for the course will be determined by weekly assignments, two reading exams (midterm & final), two self-directed reading assignments, and active class participation.
Required texts:
- A photocopied course reader
- Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Die Physiker (The Physicists, drama)
- Maxim Leo, Haltet euer Herz bereit: Eine ostdeutsche Familie
Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 262 – Intermediate German – Writing
(3 credits)
- Section 001: TR 9:30-10:45 am Room: 375 Van Hise Hall
- Section 002: TR 11:00-12:15 pm Room: 483 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Monika Chavez
Prerequisites: GERMAN 204 or appropriate score on placement exam or consent of instructor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 258.
Languages of instruction: German and English.
Course description and learning goals: This course focuses on developing students’ ability to analyze and produce a range of genres (text types) in contemporary written German. Examples of genres covered extend from poetry to short fiction and drama to various kinds of nonfiction (reports, synopses, etc.). Special attention will be paid to reviewing key points of grammar and expanding vocabulary. In this course it is hoped that students will:
- become more aware of the grammatical, lexical, and pragmatic features of various genres of German as a written language;
- learn how to use existing written texts (real German texts) as models for one’s own writing;
- explore how different genres of written language emulate or deviate from norms of spoken language or can be performed as oral language (e.g., recitals, storytelling, dramatic performances, comic strips, instruction manuals, narratives);
- share with others in the writing processes through collaborative writing, reader response, portfolio management, and performing/reading aloud another’s work;
- learn to appreciate the relevance of grammatical accuracy, lexical precision, proper discourse organization, and voice/expressiveness in communicating shared and individual experiences across language and cultural boundaries.
Required work and grading: This course emphasizes the use of writing models and an appreciation of genre (text type). It strikes a balance between individual and collaborative writing and between teacher- and student-guided writing activities. Students will develop and pursue individualized goals, for example, working toward accuracy in specific grammatical features or enhancing specific thematic vocabulary. The overarching goals will be (a) to gain an understanding of the conventions of different genres of German writing; (b) to improve stylistic abilities through expanded vocabulary and writing models (real German texts), from which we will learn about important features of written language, such as relative pronouns, zu-infinitives, passives, simple past and past perfect tenses, and subjunctives; and (c) to take linguistic risks. We are not aiming for 100% grammatical accuracy but improved accuracy in basic features such as subject-verb agreement and case assignment together with experimenting with “more difficult” features, even if they do not always turn out perfectly. Students will be encouraged to identify areas in which they need to improve and then focus on these in their writing. By the end of the semester, each student’s work should resemble a managed portfolio, with the last assignment asking students to reflect on their writing development. In-class work will consist of collaborative writing activities (including planning and feedback), discussions, and explication of text features (based on real German texts), vocabulary expansion with a particular focus on synonyms Common class meetings will be suspended for a brief period of time so as to accommodate individual writing conferences with the instructor. There is no traditional final exam.
Required texts:
- Durrell, Martin (any edition and format). Using German Synonyms. Cambridge University Press
- In-class materials for each day (listed under the date), to be downloaded from CANVAS.
- At-home materials for each day (listed under the date), to be downloaded from CANVAS.
Please contact Monika Chavez, mmchavez@wisc.edu, with any questions.
GERMAN 272 – Nazi Culture
TR 1:00-2:15 pm Room: 114 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Pamela Potter (3 credits)
Discussion sections:
- Section 301: R 11:00-11:50 am (Honors) Room: 378 Van Hise Hall
- Section 302: W 3:30-4:20 pm Room: 490 Van Hise Hall
- Section 303: W 4:35-5:25 pm Room: 379 Van Hise Hall
- Section 304: R 11:00-11:50 am Room: 3355 Engineering Hall
Prerequisites: None. Open to first-year students. (Counts toward the Humanities breadth requirement and as a cognate course for German majors, optional honors section available.)
Language of instruction: English
Was Nazi Germany the incarnation of evil in the modern world? Did its culture consist only of propaganda? How did everyday Germans conduct their lives in the Third Reich? This course introduces students to the conditions that led to the Nazis’ rise to power in 1933 and then examines how Nazi policies influenced daily life. We will consider both the small ‘c’ culture of everyday life – gender relations, religion, education, consumer culture –and the more traditional domains of high and low culture: music, theater, film, radio, art, architecture, and literature. The course aims to identify common misconceptions about life and culture in Nazi Germany, to gain a deeper understanding of the workings of its cultural policy and use of media, and to assess whether there is anything we can identify as a distinct “Nazi culture.”
All readings are in English and will be available on Canvas. There will be a mid-term and final examination, as well as additional weekly assignments due in the sections. Grading rubrics will vary depending on whether you are in the honors section or one of the regular discussion sections (the honors section, taught by Professor Potter, is open to students in the honors program).
Course learning outcomes:
- demonstrate a thorough understanding of the historical conditions that led to the dominance of the Nazi party;
- demonstrate an awareness of the living circumstances of Germans in the years of the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and World War II;
- critically assess and deconstruct common myths and misconceptions about Hitler, the Nazi party, propaganda, and everyday life in the Third Reich;
- recognize the similarities as well as difference between Nazi culture and cultures of other contemporary societies through cultural phenomena that include the arts, media, literature, entertainment, taste, education, gender roles, national identities, and belief systems;
- apply oral and written skills in interpreting original documents (in English translation) and identifying the rhetorical power of xenophobia, populism, and exclusion as they functioned in Nazi society and as they continue to function today.
Required text: NONE
Recommended text:
- Mary Fulbrook, A History of Germany 1918-2008: A Divided Nation, any edition (Wiley- Blackwell)
Please contact pmpotter@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 276/LITTRANS 276 – Special Topics in German and World Literatures: Global Migrants and Refugees
TR 2:30-3:45 pm Room: 224 Ingraham Hall Instructor: Professor B. Venkat Mani (3 credits)
Prerequisites: None. Open to first-year students.
Also Counts toward:
- International Studies Major [Culture in the Age of Globalization Track]
- German Major
- European Studies Certificate
- South Asia Studies Certificate
Instructional Mode: Face-to-face. Lecture required. The course is taught in English. Readings and discussions will be in English.
Course Description: Migration is a highly contested topic in the world today. In 2016 the number of people living outside nations of their birth was highest in recorded human history. For 2019, the United Nations’ High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates 70.8 million forcibly displaced people around the world, highest since the recorded data available since the two World Wars. The proliferation of refugees and stateless people in the world has coincided with the resurgence of exclusive nationalism, and divisive rhetoric centered on securing and insulating borders. In Europe and North America, immigration has defined the demographic make up of specific nations for centuries. Especially since the end of the Second World War, waves of mass-migration have had a major impact on politics, society, and culture, giving rise to forms of aesthetic expression in literature, film, and music.
In this course, we will engage with “migration” as a social, cultural, political, and historical phenomenon. In addition to discussing migration as a journey from the nation of birth to the adopted nation of residence we will discuss migration as a multidirectional, multi-lingual movement of ideas. The focus of our course will be migration into Germany, but we will compare and contrast it with migration into the US, UK, and Canada.
What is so special about the German migration history in the 20th century? How does migration change the social fabric of Germany and other European nations? How has migration enriched literature, culture, music, food, and sports? How do racial, ethnic, religious, and other differences pose challenges to inclusion of German/ European migrant subjects? What is the difference between willful and forced migration? How do we understand refugee narratives? How These and other questions will be central to this course.
We will discuss how the understanding of migration in the Euro-American world has changed in the 20th and 21st centuries. We will analyze how migration as an experience is manifested in literature, cinema, and music, and how issues of identities and difference, tolerance and acceptance, nationalism and cosmopolitanism form and inform societies today. Most importantly, we will explore how categories such as home and elsewhere, the self and the other, belonging and cultural citizenship find expression in contemporary nations.
Course Requirements: Students are required to have read the texts, viewed the films and videos, heard the audio materials prior to the sessions for which they are assigned. Students should have engaged with discussion prompts and questions provided on handouts each week.
The final grade will be based on the following factors:
- Attendance – 15%
- Active Class Participation – 10%
- Two weekly “tweets” (in English) on twitter.com (based on your readings of the texts) – 15%
- In-class mid-term (not open-book or open-notes; 75 minutes) – 30%
- Take-home final (cumulative; open-book; essay questions to choose from; to be submitted on Canvas) – 30%
Required Materials:
The following texts are available for purchase at the University Bookstore and/or a vendor of your choice. They are also available as Course Reserves (College Library):
- Anwar, Arif. The Storm. ISBN: 9781501174506
- Kugler, Oliver. Escaping Wars and Waves. University Park: The Pennsylvania University Press, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-271-08224-0
- Manseau, Peter. Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter. New York: Free Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781416538707
- Nguyen, Viet Thanh. The Refugees. ISBN: 9780802127365
- Sanghera, Sathnam. Marriage Material. New York: Europa Editions, 2016. ISBN 9781609453077
All other shorter texts will be made available through Canvas. Films will be made available through password protected streaming. Links will be posted on Canvas.
No eText fees involved. No required software tools.
Please contact bvmani@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 279/JEWISH 279/LITTRANS 279 – Yiddish Literature and Culture in America
MW 9:55-10:45 am Room: 2317 Engineering Hall Instructor: Sunny Yudkoff (3 Credits)
Discussion sections:
- Section 301: R 9:55-10:45 am Room: 106 School of Social Work Building
- Section 302: F 9:55-10:45 am Room: 2104 Chamberlin Hall
- Section 303: R 8:50-9:45 am Room: 201 Van Hise Hall
- Section 304: F 12:05-12:55 pm Room: 490 Van Hise Hall
Prerequisites: None. Open to first-year students.
Fulfills Ethnic Studies Requirement.
Language of Instruction: English
Description: American literature has never been written in one language. While English has become dominant in the United States, there has been a long tradition of American literary and cultural production in other languages. This class focuses on the Jewish immigrant experience in Yiddish—a language that brings together German, Hebrew, Russian, Polish, Latin, Aramaic, and more. We will follow Yiddish culture from the beginning of the twentieth century until today as it has been supported, neglected, or imbued with nostalgia.
The questions driving our inquiry will be: What does it mean to translate America into Yiddish and what does it mean to translate Yiddish for America? Through the prism of cultural translation, we will explore how Jews writing in Yiddish navigated America as members of religious minority, identifying and analyzing points of Jewish-Christian difference. We will further investigate how Yiddish writers narrated the experiences of other minoritized groups, such as African Americans and Native Americans. How, we will ask, are hierarchical social relationships constructed in multi-ethnic and multi-lingual America? How, in turn, does the Jewish experience become and not become a paradigm of Americanization for subsequent communities of migrants? Throughout the course, we will also examine how some Yiddish writers translated classic American literature and social mores into Yiddish, while others sought to translate their own Yiddish, ethnic, and migrant experiences into English. Major terms to be discussed include: cultural translation, ethnicity, migration, “Melting Pot,” multilingualism, and assimilation.
Requires Texts will be listed on the course syllabus on Canvas.
Please contact Sunny Yudkoff, yudkoff@wisc.edu, with any questions.
GERMAN 305/GERMAN 385 (meet with) – Literatur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts
(GERMAN 385: Honors Seminar – German Literature: Literatur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts)
TR 2:30-3:45 pm Room: 387 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Sonja E. Klocke (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Successful completion of GERMAN 249, GERMAN 258, and GERMAN 262.
Language of instruction: German
Description: In this class you will become familiar with twentieth and twenty-first century literature from the German-speaking countries. We will read and seek to understand these texts within their respective historical and cultural contexts. They are chosen to provide variety with regards to genre (poetry, prose, drama), time and place of production (from the early twentieth century to the second decade of the twenty-first century; from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland), as well as the gender and ethnic and/or migration background of their authors. In class discussions, we will develop the necessary techniques to read and interpret literary texts. In addition to the texts listed as required, literature by other authors such as Franz Kafka, Else Lasker-Schüler, Bertolt Brecht, Erich Kästner, Anna Seghers, Ingeborg Bachmann, Heinrich Böll, Günter Grass, Reiner Kunze, Sarah Kirsch, Wolf Biermann, and Yoko Tawada will be made available on Canvas. While there will be brief lectures providing concise information regarding historical and cultural contexts as well as theoretical background, the emphasis is on in-class discussion entirely in German. Participants need to be prepared to actively participate in these discussions as well as in online discussions, to take a midterm exam, and to write a short scholarly paper at the end of the semester.
Evaluation:
Attendance; active participation in class; online discussion (canvas); midterm; short scholarly paper.
Required texts (any edition, but has to be in print, no electronic versions):
- Alina Bronsky, Scherbenpark
- Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Der Hof im Spiegel
- Christa Wolf, Der geteilte Himmel
- Juli Zeh, Corpus Delicti
Further texts will be made available on canvas.
Please contact sklocke@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 325/LITTRANS 326/GERMAN 625 (meets with) – Holocaust, Occupation, Memory
TR 4:00-5:15 pm Room: 155 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor (3 credits)
GERMAN 625 Discussion Sections:
- Section 301: W 1:20-2:10 pm
LITRANS 326 is taught in English. GERMAN 325 and GERMAN 625 offer substantial Dutch-language practice.
Description: Participants in this course will consider a variety of texts selected from the Dutch-language literary tradition that engage with the Nazi occupation of the Low Countries during WWII, the Holocaust—from the perspective of the Low Countries—and the memory of both these in later decades.
We will read Anne Frank—arguably the best-known Dutch writer of all time—, and texts from various perspectives: excerpts from camp diaries, and novels that consider the experience and transgenerational (epigenetic?) memory of the experience of the holocaust and occupation of survivors, bystanders, collaborators, and of “children of the war.”
We will look at the techniques, devices, methods and structures that writers employ to engage and educate the reader, to provide an aesthetic experience, to challenge the reader, and to raise the big questions. This course invites students to read attentively, to think carefully, and to discuss thoughtfully and vigorously – face-to-face, informally online, and in more formal papers and exams.
Learning outcomes:
This course particularly encourages students to expand their knowledge of human cultures, specifically of literature. In acquiring this knowledge, we will practice a range of 21st-century skills, including inquiry and analysis; critical and creative thinking; written and oral communication; and ethical reasoning.
Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 337 – Advanced Composition and Conversation
MWF 12:05-12:55 pm Room: 201 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Julie Larson-Guenette
Prerequisites: Successful completion of GERMAN 249, GERMAN 258, and GERMAN 262.
Description: GERMAN 337 will summarize, synthesize, and build upon the content and skills from previous German coursework with specific aims to enhance and improve students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing of German. Course content will cover a range of topics related to contemporary German society and culture along with grammar review.
In GERMAN 337 students will:
- implement strategies for enhanced listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills (including translation);
- identify and develop elements of grammar needed to improve accuracy in speaking and writing;
- differentiate and apply vocabulary for discussion of topics spanning across genres and registers;
- examine and analyze cultural perspectives and products of the German-speaking areas.
Required Work and Grading: Coursework includes regular homework assignments; active preparation and participation for class discussions and group work; an individual oral presentation; writing assignments (short weekly assignments and essays); a readers’ response journal; and two exams (mid-term and final). Texts cover a range of topics and genres to include short stories, poetry, news articles, cartoons, music, documentaries, podcasts, contemporary film, and a novel.
Required Materials:
- Fehringer, Carol, German Grammar in Context (2nd edition). ISBN-10: 144416726X
- Max Frisch, Homo faber: ein Bericht (novel) [NOT a glossed or abridged version] ISBN: 3-518-36854-0
- Additional materials (e.g., readings, links) will be available on Canvas.
GERMAN 352/GERMAN 960 (meets with) – The German Language in America
MWF 1:20-2:10 pm Room: 479 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Mark L. Louden (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Successful completion of nine credits of “2xx” German language coursework (GER 249, 258, and 262) or (GER 249 and 274) or (GER 249 and 284) or (GER 249 and 285).
Description: Varieties of German have been spoken in America from the colonial era to the present day. This course will introduce students to the diverse ways that the German language has figured into the lives of American communities across time and space. Since essentially all heritage speakers of German in America have been bilingual, we will pay special attention to the ways that German and English have influenced one another.
Specific topics covered in the course will include: dialectal diversity of spoken German; forms of standard written and oral German; German-English contact; use of German in education, religion, and the arts; German-American literature; the German-language press; German-American language humor; maintenance and shift in German-speaking communities; and German in Amish, Mennonite, and Hutterite communities. In exploring these topics we will draw data from Pennsylvania Dutch, Texas German, German in Wisconsin, and other varieties.
The final course grade will be based on regular homework assignments, two in-class examinations, and a final research paper. The course will be conducted in German. All required materials, which will include primary and secondary texts and audio files, will be delivered over Canvas.
Please contact the supervisor mllouden@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 372-1 – Österreich: Natur als Kultur
TR 1:00-2:15 pm Room: 383 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Monika Chavez (3 credits)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of (GERMAN 249, GERMAN 258, and GERMAN 262) or (GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 274) or (GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 284) or consent of instructor.
Language of instruction: German
Description: Austria’s close relationship between nature and culture most famously has been depicted in the movie, The Sound of Music. However, neither nature – the sites and the supposed escape route over the mountains from Salzburg- nor the culture – the songs, the costumes, etc. – are authentic. Different from what is shown in the Sound of Music, Austria for centuries has been a multilingual and multicultural society. Many aspects of the cultural and linguistic legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire continue to thrive within the national borders of modern-day Austria and are enhanced by modern migratory movements as well as political shifts in recent European history.
We will journey through all nine states of Austria and, of course, explore the famed Alps but also other Austrian landscapes: river valleys, lakes, and the flats of steppes. We will retrace the cultural legacies of Celts, Romans, Slavs, Germanic peoples, and earlier/other peoples who lived and journeyed through the area, such as the relatives of the famous ice man, Ötzi, and of those who carved the Venus of Willendorf. All people who have inhabited what is now Austria and its bordering regions, relied on the local landscapes to create a variety of cultural practices that include language, trade goods, foods and drink (most notable, viniculture), religious rites, funeral rites, social structures, literature, music, dances, festivals, and films.
The course demonstrates how territorial and national boundaries shift and peoples move and merge and the cultural practices keep meticulous records of it all. It will become clear how the Sound of Music, as entertaining is it may be, does not do justice to the diverse landscapes and cultural practices that characterize what we know as Austria but really is the latest in a series of incarnations, culturally enriched by the contributions of many.
Assignments include homework in preparation of in-class work; small quizzes after each of the 9 themes (each corresponding with a state of Austria) as well as at the end of all 9 themes; a learning diary in installments; and 2 projects, one collaborative, in which students pursue in depth topics of their choice. There is no final exam.
Required materials: All provided by the instructor via Canvas.
Please contact mmchavez@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 372-2 – Theater auf Deutsch
M 5:00-7:30 pm Room: 155 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Sabine Groß (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Successful completion of (GERMAN 249, GERMAN 258, and GERMAN 262) or (GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 274) or (GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 284) or (GERMAN 249 and GERMAN 285) or consent of instructor.
Language of instruction: German
Description: This course allows you to use and improve your German in a variety of performance-centered activities, and to discover new dimensions of German. Explore the theatricality of language! We will play with sounds, movements, and rhythms. You will read (excerpts from) plays and perform individual scenes. While there will be occasional mini-lectures (in German) and periods of discussion, this is a highly interactive class that includes regular group work. Most of our sessions will have workshop character.
No acting or theater background is required. Participants should bring an interest in performance and in exploring text and language in a new way. Expect to experiment, to laugh, and to approach language as an adventure as well as a medium of communication.
The group will work with Professor Sabine Gross as well as German/theater Ph.D. student Leah Ewing.
Course evaluation will be based on:
- Regular attendance and active participation (NOT on acting skills)
- Creative ideas and their collaborative and/or individual development for selected scenes/texts
- Individual vocabulary work
- A written analysis of a scene
- One or two quizzes on topics covered in class (theater history, different approaches to theater)
Texts will be shared via CANVAS.
Please contact sgross@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 392 – German for Graduate Reading Knowledge II
TR 9:30-10:45 am Room: 140 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Salvatore Calomino (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Some previous acquaintance with German grammar or reading. Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates.
Language of instruction: English
Contacts:
This course provides further practice in reading and translating German expository prose in a variety of fields. At the start of the semester a review of both grammatical and syntactical topics vital to progress in reading will be combined with a discussion of selected chapters in R.A. Korb, Jannach’s German for Reading Knowledge. During the balance of the semester specific reading will be made available through both photocopy and internet sources. The goal for all participants will be enhanced practice and confidence in reading German at various levels of both scholarly and journalistic prose, in addition to developing a focus in reading for their specific research areas.
Required text:
- Jannach, Hubert and Richard A. Korb, German for Reading Knowledge. Heinle. Most recent ed.
- Cassell’s German-English / English-German Dictionary. Cassell & Co./ MacMillan. (or other equivalent dictionary, unabridged)
Please contact SCalomino@aol.com or calomino@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 411 – Kultur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts
TR 9:30-10:45 am Room: 386 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Professor B. Venkat Mani (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Successful completion of (GERMAN 249, GERMAN 258, and GERMAN 262) or (GERMAN 429 and 274) or (GERMAN 249 and 284) or GERMAN 249 and 285).
Instructional Mode: Face-to-face. Students will be notified in advance of virtual/blended sessions. The course is taught in German. Readings and discussions will be in German.
Course Description: What is “German?” Is it a linguistic term, a cultural adjective, a nationality, or something more? What does being “German” mean in the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multicultural societies of German-speaking world today? Is there something specific about the “German” experience of the 20th and 21st centuries? What distinguishes “German” cultural production—literature, cinema, music, print- and digital cultures—from other European and non-European countries during the course of the 20th and 21st centuries? How do political realities and historical events—the two World Wars, the Holocaust, the division of Germany into GDR and FRG, and German Reunification—leave their marks on the intellectual and cultural production in the German language? How does decolonization around the world, and the steady flow of migrants and refugees from Asia and Africa into German speaking countries after World War II transform our socio-cultural understanding of what is German today?
These and other questions will be central to the course German 411. The course aims to offer a deeper understanding of Germany in the 20th and 21st centuries. Together we will read literary, philosophical, sociological, and political texts, watch films, and also look at transformations in the print and digital cultures in Germany. We will discuss these texts through conceptual frameworks of nationalism and cosmopolitanism, exile and diaspora, history and memory, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and self and the other.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the semester, students will be able to:
- differentiate and critically reflect on various concepts of “culture”;
- comment on formal and substantial differences among cultural products (literature, film, art, music);
- identify the influence of political and historical realities in Germany on cultural productions;
- will have acquired and developed specialized vocabulary to engage in discussions about various aspects of German culture and improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills;
- demonstrate the knowledge they have gained about 20th and 21st century German culture in an extensive final exam.
Course Requirements: Students are required to have read the texts, viewed the films and videos, heard the audio materials prior to the sessions for which they are assigned. Students should have engaged with discussion prompts and questions provided on handouts each week.
The final grade will be based on the following factors:
- Attendance – 15%
- Active Class Participation – 10%
- Two weekly “tweets” (in German) on twitter.com (based on your readings of the texts) – 15%
- In-class mid-term (not open-book or open-notes; 75 minutes) – 30%
- Take-home final (cumulative; open-book; essay questions to choose from; to be submitted on Canvas) – 30%
Required Materials:
The following texts are available for purchase at the University Bookstore and/or a vendor of your choice. They are also available as Course Reserves (College Library):
- Kugler, Olivier. Dem Krieg Entronnen. ISBN 9783037311677
- Hesse, Hermann. Eine Bibliothek der Weltliteratur. ISBN 9783150070031
- Schlinck, Bernhard. Der Vorleser. ISBN 9783257229530
All other shorter texts will be made available through Canvas. Films will be made available through password protected streaming. Links will be posted on Canvas.
No eText fees involved; No required software tools.
Please contact bvmani@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 510 – German-Jewish Culture Since the 18th Century: German-Jewish Social Thought
TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm Room: 1251 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Adam Stern (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Contact instructor.
Language of instruction: English
Description: In a famous essay on the history of Jewish Emancipation, the sociologist Zygmunt Bauman characterized the emergence of Jewish modernity in Europe as a shifting movement between “exit visas” and “entry tickets.” Beginning at the end of the eighteenth century, a series of decrees and legal reforms attempted to abolish the boundaries that had traditionally restricted Jewish rights in the Habsburg Empire and other German-speaking lands. The change was born of a commitment to universalism, which sought to overcome the markers of Jewish particularism and isolation. Among other things, these changes made it possible for Jews to leave their traditional communities and engage in a range of activities, occupations, and institutions from which they had previously been barred. The integration of Jews into “universal humanity,” however, was not immediate. Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it would become clear that “exit visas” were not the same as “entry tickets,” as a series of new ideologies, movements, laws, and categories of difference would work to marginalize Jews and prevent the admission they had been promised.
This course will examine how German-Jewish philosophers responded to this predicament and negotiated their uncertain place within German-Christian society. Particular attention will be paid to the engagement with a series of salient identity markers: “culture,” “nation,” “race,” and “religion.” Readings may include texts by Solomon Maimon, Moses Mendelssohn, Rahel Varnhagen, Samson Raphael Hirsch, Heinrich Heine, Theodor Herzl, Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, Hannah Arendt, and Franz Kafka.
Please contact adam.stern@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 612 – Literary Movements since 1750
TR: 1:00-2:15 pm Room: 379 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Hannah Vandegrift Eldridge (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or GERMAN 305/GERMAN 385 or consent of instructor.
Language of instruction: German
Description: This course provides a concise overview of the history and development of German literature and culture from the 18th century to the present. It is tailored for advanced undergraduate and for graduate students. We will read and discuss exemplary texts from four centuries; analyze the structure and historical particularity of these texts; contextualize them, and draw lines of connections to our present times. The course is reading-intensive. Our readings will be accompanied by brief in-class lectures presenting background about the political and social history; history of ideas; elements of literary theory, and information about existing research. The fundamental question about the function and specificity of literature within human culture will accompany our work throughout the entire semester. The course will be conducted in German.
Assignments:
- Attendance and Active Participation (Reading and Discussion) – 20%
- Short Presentation – 15%
- Course materials for an undergraduate course on Asylum, Exile, or Migration – 10%
- Mid-Term Paper (8 Pages, in German or English) – 20%
- Final Paper (15-20 Pages, in German or English) – 35%
Required Texts: TBA (primarily via Canvas).
Please contact heldridge@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 651 – Intro to Middle High German
TR 11:00 am- 12:15 pm Room: 140 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Salvatore Calomino (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Reading knowledge of German. Open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students.
Description: This course will introduce students to Middle High German grammar and vocabulary with the goals of fluency and accuracy in reading medieval texts. Lectures and discussions will cover topics in phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon. During the course of the semester students will read Das Nibelungenlied and a representative selection from various genres of Middle High German literature. Class time will be devoted to translation and to discussion of grammatical/lexical topics. Participants will write mid-semester and final examinations.
Required texts:
- Paul, Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik
- Lexer, Mittelhochdeutsches Taschenwörterbuch (hardcover ed. if possible)
- Weddige, Mittelhochdeutsch. Eine Einführung.
- Bartsch/De Boor, ed. Das Nibelungenlied.
Recommended
- Weinhold/Ehrismann/Moser, Kleine mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik.
- Hennig, Kleines Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (last ed. available)
- Saran/Nagel, Das Übersetzen aus dem Mittelhochdeutschen.
Please contact SCalomino@aol.com or calomino@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 676/GERMAN 683 (meets with) – Grenzen, Grenzüberschreitungen, und “Migrationskrise”
(GERMAN 683: Senior Honors Seminar – German Literature: Grenzen, Grenzüberschreitungen, und “Migrationskrise”)
T 4:00-6:30 pm Room: 474 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Sonja E. Klocke (3 credits)
Prerequisites: GERMAN 683 requires students to be declared in Honors program. Contact instructor for more details.
Language of instruction: German
Description: Discussions about borders and border crossings play a significant role not only in politics, but also in literature and film. In particular, the so-called “migration crisis” following the massive influx of refugees in Europe and particularly in Germany in 2015 has led to the publication of a great variety of texts, from Germans with and without a so-called migration background as well as migrants who have settled in Germany recently. In a variety of texts, we will consider various borders and means to overcome them. These include cultural, linguistic, and geographic borders as well as limitations of the body or limits imposed due to artificially constructed gender categories. In our discussions, we will figure out how borders develop, how various categories of borders intersect (e.g. gender, race, and cultural identity), and how individuals negotiate and challenge existing borders. In this context, questions pertaining to (post-)colonialism and migration in the age of globalization will play a significant role.
In addition to the novels, we will watch and discuss a film, and read short stories as well as short theoretical texts supporting your understanding of the primary readings. All of these will be provided on canvas.
Evaluation: Attendance; Participation; Presentation/Group Discussion; Research Paper.
Required texts:
- Jenny Erpenbeck, Gehen Ging Gegangen (2015)
- Olga Grjasnowa, Die juristische Unschärfe einer Ehe (2014)
- Navid Kermani. Einbruch der Wirklichkeit. (2016)
- Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Seltsame Sterne starren zur Erde (2003)
- Simon Schwartz, drüben! (2009)
- Juli Zeh, Corpus Delicti (2009)
(Any edition of these texts can be used in this class, but no electronic versions.)
Please contact sklocke@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 727 – Topics-Applied Linguistics: The Flipped Classroom
MW 9:30-10:45 am Room: 483 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Jeanne Scheuller (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Graduate or professional student.
Description: Although the concept of an inverted or “flipped” classroom is not new, language educators are increasingly exploring ways to implement pedagogical practices associated with the inverted classroom model. In flipped learning, direct instruction of theoretical material is delivered to students outside of class through digital technology and other online resources and students use class time to apply what they have learned by working collaboratively with their peers. Flipped learning has been shown to increase learner self-efficacy and transform the role of the instructor. In order for this to occur, students must not only be exposed to new material prior to class, they must also be provided with incentives for preparing for class, their understanding of the material must be assessed, and in-class activities must focus on higher-level cognitive functions. In the context of language teaching and learning, the most common example of flipped classroom learning is the shifting of often “lengthy” grammar explanations to videos watched by students outside of class so they can later apply the concepts in class through collaborative activities. How, then, can the principles of flipped learning be implemented in language courses where the teacher does not teach grammar explicitly in class?
In this course we will learn about the benefits and challenges of flipped learning from empirical studies and through educators’ experiences. Can an inverted classroom result in increased student motivation, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration? Does the classroom environment feel more welcoming to students, and do they feel more comfortable and confident participating in class after self-directed, at-home study? Does a flipped classroom promote differentiated learning and enable students to better work at their own pace? Does it use time more efficiently than more traditional classroom instruction? Do students and teachers report greater satisfaction through this approach?
In addition to discussing articles in class, instructors who teach online or blended courses designed to engage students in active learning will share their experiences with our class. Technology experts will provide in-class workshops to help participants gain valuable skills for flipping their classes, whether for a single class period or longer.
Course requirements include preparing scholarly articles and additional readings for in-class discussion; writing reflections of readings; leading one class discussion; and creating a pedagogical unit implementing aspects of the flipped classroom approach. This course promotes collaborative learning in order to foster a robust sense of community and inclusivity.
Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 804/GERMAN 948 (meets with) – Seminar-German Literature and Culture: Culture in 20th Century Berlin
T 4:00-6:30 pm Room: 399 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Pamela Potter (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Graduate or professional student.
Description: Starting as a drab garrison city in a landscape devoid of natural beauty, Berlin’s growth as a political and industrial center came in fits and starts with little regard for systematic urban planning, but somehow it grew to become one of the most vibrant cultural centers in Europe if not the world. From the time that it became the capital of the Prussian kingdom, a succession of rulers found it difficult to embrace this city as a site worthy of cultural patronage: even as the rulers of Prussia and later the German empire invested in their capital city’s cultural portfolio by commissioning museums and universities, such advances were overshadowed by its rapid commercial and industrial expansion, its working class activism, and the proliferation of sex tourism and popular entertainment in operetta houses, cabarets, and amusement parks amidst the disorientating maelstrom of an urban space. World wars and consequent regime changes posed even more setbacks for Berlin in achieving a high cultural profile. In a highly symbolic move following the First World War, the new democratic republic was named not after its capital but after Weimar, a city with a more respectable cultural pedigree. Even Nazi leaders disdained Berlin for what they regarded as its degenerate “asphalt culture.” With massive destruction by Allied bombs and its eventual dissection into East and West Berlin, the project of rebuilding its cultural renown in the impoverished East and the geographically insulated West seemed impossible to achieve. Despite all these odds, Berlin culture has managed to maintain a world-class reputation as a center for artistic achievement and a mecca for alternative culture.
In the twentieth century, Berlin has functioned as the seat of government and as a showcase for conflicting ideologies during the Cold War, and it now faces the challenge of returning to its function as reunified Germany’s capital without ignoring its past. This course will examine the arts, literature, and entertainment in Berlin from the turn of the century through the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, the Cold War, and the reunification, in an effort to determine how politics, economics, ideology, and demographics have come together to shape a unique culture that has been able to withstand a perpetual cycle of construction, destruction, and renewal.
Course requirements:
– attendance and participation in weekly discussions
– book review (written and oral presentation)
– film review (written and oral presentation)
– oral presentation on individual research project and final paper
Required texts: None
Please contact pmpotter@wisc.edu with any questions.
GERMAN 947 – Seminar-German Literature and Culture: New Approach Transn Cultur Std
M 4:00-6:30 pm Room: 478 Van Hise Hall Instructor: Weijia Li (3 credits)
Prerequisites: Graduate or professional student.
Description: This course is aimed at introducing and examining new approaches in transnational literary and cultural studies by cultivating critical perspectives on the purposes, data, methods, and dissemination of research. Taught in English, this graduate seminar welcomes students from various programs/disciplines to form a learning community throughout the course. Together, we will identify, read, and discuss a wide array of texts that broadly reflect critical perspectives and engage in inquiries including but not limited to:
– How can transnational literary and cultural studies strive for equity and social justice in a global era of algorithm, data mining, and cloud-service?
– Why and how can teaching and research in literary and cultural studies benefit from Critical Race Theory?
– What do digital humanities mean for literary and cultural studies? What and how much should graduate students in these fields know about methods and tools in digital humanities?
– Last but not least, how do graduate students in the field of foreign languages and literatures cultivate their professional identity in preparation for emerging and enduring critical issues in a global context?
Learning outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
– describe, interpret, and critique cultural discourses concerning equity and social justice in a transnational, intercultural context;
– independently conduct critical transnational and intercultural inquiries that challenge Eurocentrism;
– understand and interpret data and methods of research in digital humanities pertaining to literary and cultural studies;
– design an undergraduate intermediate to advanced level course in literary or cultural studies with a focus on intercultural and transnational perspectives.
– understand the outlook of the professional world of literary and cultural studies in American higher education and cultivate a professional development path aligned with their professional identities and interests.
Assessment:
– Class Participation 20%
– Presentation and Class Discussion Facilitation 20%
– Individual Teaching Portfolio 20%
– Individual Research (or Career Development) Portfolio 20%
– Final Project Presentation 20%
Required texts:
- DiAngelo, Robin J. White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism. Boston: Beacon Press, 2018. ISBN-13: 978-0807047415 (online access via UW Library)
- Moretti, Franco. Distant Reading. London: Verso, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-1781680841
Other readings will be made available through Canvas. Films will be made available through password protected streaming. Links will be posted on Canvas. Students will have opportunity for creating their own reading/viewing list.
Please contact wli255@wisc.edu with any questions.
THE FOLLOWING COURSE ARE OFFERED AS INDEPENDENT STUDY OPTIONS.
- GERMAN 298 – Directed Study (1-3 credits)
- GERMAN 299 – Directed Study (1-3 credits)
- GERMAN 698 – Directed Study (1-6 credits)
- GERMAN 699 – Directed Study (1-6 credits)
- GERMAN 723 – Independent Study: Practice-Teaching Undergraduate Literature (1-2 credits)
- GERMAN 724 – Independent Study: Practice-Teaching Undergraduate Language (1-2 credits)
- GERMAN 725 – Independent Study: Practice-Teaching Undergraduate Culture (1-2 credits)
- GERMAN 799 – Independent Study (1-6 credits)
- GERMAN 990 – Independent Study: Individual Research in Literature (1-9 credits)
- GERMAN 991 – Independent Study: Linguistics and German Philology (1-9 credits)
Note: These courses require consent of instructor.
For questions regarding these courses please contact instructor or email us at: info@gns.wisc.edu