German Course Descriptions Fall 2018

Please see our advising sheet for information about course selection in German.

GERMAN 101/401 – FIRST SEMESTER GERMAN

Section 001, MTWRF   8:50 – 9:40, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWRF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 006, MTWRF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 008, MWR   3:30 – 4:50, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: None
Language of Instruction: German

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 6. 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 (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) and a good German/English English/German dictionary.

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 102/402 – SECOND SEMESTER GERMAN

Section 002, MTWRF 11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 006, MWR 3:30 – 4:50, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: GERMAN 101 or appropriate score on placement exam
Language of Instruction: German

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 7 to Kapitel 12. Students read and discuss “real” text (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 anAmerican 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

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 111/311 – FIRST SEMESTER DUTCH

Section 002, MTWRF 11:00-11:50, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: None
Language of Instruction: Dutch

One of the advantages of studying at the UW is being able to take courses in Dutch. Although the study of Dutch linguistics and literature has steadily expanded at major American universities in recent years, many universities do not offer this language. Since Dutch is a Germanic language – linguistically related to both German and English – and since Dutch culture and literature have always had close ties to a number of international cultures, Dutch is a logical choice as an additional language for American students of German language, literature and culture, and for those from a range of other majors or areas of interest.

Required Texts will be provided:
Code Plus Cursistenpakket deel 1, 0-A1, ThiemeMeulenhoff. ISBN 9789006815153

Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 203/403 – THIRD SEMESTER GERMAN

Section 001, MTWR   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWR   11:00-11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 004, MTWR  12:05-12:55, instructor: TBD (This section is not currently available for enrollment.)
Section 006, MW 3:30 – 5:10, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: GERMAN 102 or appropriate score on placement exam
Language of Instruction: German

German 203, like German 204, 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). Mid-semester, students will have the opportunity to sign up for a mini seminar of their choice. These three-class-period events substitute for regular class meetings and permit students to explore specific interests, ranging from cultural products such as food and drink or literary periods to cultural practices, such as the “rules of appropriate interactions” and how they are different from American practices, to cultural perspectives, such as the history of the language or regional differences in dialects. 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 204/404 – FOURTH SEMESTER GERMAN

Section 003, MTWR 11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 005, MW 3:30 – 5:10, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: GERMAN 203 or appropriate score on placement exam
Language of Instruction: German

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, orSwitzerland 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). Mid-semester, students will have the opportunity to sign up for a mini seminar of their choice. These three-class-period events substitute for regular class meetings and permit students to explore specific interests, ranging from cultural products such as food and drink or literary periods to cultural practices, such as the “rules of appropriate interactions” and how they are different from American practices, to cultural perspectives, such as the history of the language or regional differences in dialects. This course cannot be audited.

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 213/313 – THIRD SEMESTER DUTCH

Section 001, MTWRF 2:25 – 3:15, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: Dutch 112 or 312 or consent of instructor
Language of Instruction: Dutch

Required Texts will be provided:
Code Plus Cursistenpakket deel 3, A2-B1, ThiemeMeulenhoff. ISBN 9789006815177

Please contact jvtaylor@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN/LITTRANS 236 – FROM GUTENBERG TO THE IPAD: BOOKS, WORLD, LITERATURE

Section 001, TR 9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Mani, B. Venkat

Students seeking to enroll in this course should enroll via the LITTRANS 236 (course number 65252).

Prerequisites: Successful completion of or exemption from Com A requirement. Open to Freshmen. Fulfills Com B Requirement

Language of instruction: English

If you love (and/or hate) books and libraries, this is a course for you! This is a course about the social lives of books, libraries, and readers like you. How do we read literature in an age of electronic reading devices and social media? What is a book? Is it merely a medium of access to the printed matter it carries within its covers, or something bigger? What is a library? Is it merely a collection of books, or something larger? What is a reader? Someone who turns the pages of a hefty volume or scrolls on a smartphone? How do we understand books, libraries, and readers in our current times, whereby advancement in digital technologies have led to a new kind of “Bibliomigrancy”—the migration of books and libraries into a virtual space? How does the transformation of books and libraries impact our access to literature? What is the relationship between the book, the library, the reader, and literature?

These and other questions will fuel our discussions in the course “From Gutenberg to the iPad.” In this course we shall discuss books and libraries as material and cultural artifacts, as political and historical institutions, which have played an influential role in the circulation, distribution, and reception of literature.

The course begins with a discussion of stone tablets and ends in our current age of electronic reading devices. Considering the mass-print circulation in Europe with Gutenberg’s printing press in the 15^th century as a turning point, we will try to understand ways in which books and libraries facilitate our access to literature. To this end, we will be reading literary works (and watching films) where books, libraries, and readers play a central role in the narrative. The authors chosen for this course include Tsitsi Dangarembga (English), Umberto Eco (Italian), Thomas Mann (German), Ulrich Plenzdorf (German), Peter Manseau (English), Haruki Murakami (Japanese), Bernhard Schlink (German), Orhan Pamuk (Turkish), Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spanish), as well as theorists such as Roger Chartier, Robert Darnton, Alberto Manguel, and Andrew Piper. We will also discuss digital public libraries such as Europeana, the Digital Public Library of America, institutions such as Nobel Prize and Booker Prize, controversies in the book industry, book fairs and literary festivals, as well as new electronic reading media.

Course Requirements:
The final grade will be based on the following factors:
Attendance and Class Participation [includes a bi-weekly Blog: 400 words; two weekly “tweets” on twitter.com] (30%)
One presentation (10%)
Mid-term Project (paper or multimedia) (30%)
Final Project (paper or multimedia) (30%)

Specific COMM B Objectives (see http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/CoursesNew.htm for detailed information):

critical reading, logical thinking, and the use of evidence
the use of appropriate style and disciplinary conventions in writing and speaking
the productive use of core library resources specific to the discipline

Required Texts:
Texts in bold can be accessed at the Memorial, or College Library (as Reserves) or purchased as print or e-books from a bookstore or an online vendor of your choice. For Kindle and other electronic editions please check relevant websites. All other texts listed below will be made available through learn@uw [See the notation “learn@uw” on the course calendar]. Films will be made available through password protected streaming.

Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004. ISBN: 9780954702335
Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. William Weaver (trans.). New York: Harvest Books, 1994. ISBN: 978-0156001311
Mani, B. Venkat. Recoding World Literature. New York: Fordham University Press, 2017. ISBN: 9780823273409
Manseau, Peter. Song for the Butcher’s Daughter. New York: Free Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781416538714
Plenzdorf, Ulrich. The New Sufferings of Young W. Prospect Heights, Ill. : Waveland Press. 9780881338911
Schlinck, Bernhard. The Reader. Carol Brown Janeway (trans.) New York: Vintage International, 1995. ISBN: 0375707972
Zafón, Carlos Ruiz. The Shadow of the Wind. Lucia Graves (trans.). New York: Penguin Books, 2005. ISBN: 978-0143034902

GERMAN 249 – INTERMEDIATE GERMAN-SPEAKING & LISTENING

Section 001, MWF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MWF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 004, MWF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: German 204, appropriate score on the UW System German placement test, or consent of instructor. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with German 262, German 258, and German 274/284. Open to first-year students.

Language of Instruction: German

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:
On Fridays 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 various 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 Learn@UW Web 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% = 40% 12 homework exercises @ 2.5% = 30% 10 personal dictionary installments 10% final pronunciation assignment 5% preparation before and participation during class 5% five-minute oral presentation (Referat) 10%.

There is no required textbook for this course; all materials will be accessible over Learn@UW.

Please contact mllouden@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 258 Intermediate German-Reading, 3 credits

Section 002 MWF 11-11:50 AM Instructor TBD

Section 004 MWF 12:05-12:55 PM Instructor TBD

Prerequisites: German 204 or cons of inst. This course can be taken subsequent to, prior to, or concurrent with German 249 and German 262. Open to Fr.

Language of Instruction: German

Course Description and Goals: This course is designed to acquaint students with German literary and non-literary texts and to situate these texts against the backdrop of major historical and cultural developments in German-speaking countries. An important goal of this course is to provide explicit instruction on reading strategies to help students improve their comprehension of a variety of authentic texts and text types (genres). The main objectives of this course are to enhance students’ awareness of reading styles and strategies and how to apply them while reading; improve use of reading strategies to help students become more autonomous readers; to develop critical reading skills for reading and comprehending different text types; and to expose students to a range of historical and contemporary German-language texts.

Required Work and Grading: Much of the required work for this course will involve tasks to promote the development of effective pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies for the diverse texts and genres with which we will work. Graded and non-graded assignments consist of in-depth activities that guide students through the readings. Pre-reading tasks focus on expanding students’ general background and vocabulary knowledge pertaining to the topics and grammatical structures prevalent in the texts. During- and post-reading exercises encourage students to summarize as they read, ask and answer questions about their comprehension, test hypotheses, and create a visual representation (such as a word map, drawing, chart, or timeline) of the text.

Students are expected to prepare readings and accompanying exercises in advance of 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 graded assignments, short vocabulary quizzes, 2 tests (no final exam), and preparation of all non-graded assignments & class participation.

Required texts:

A photocopied course reader

Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Die Physiker (The Physicists, drama)

Thomas Brussig, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee (novel)

All assignments will be available to download via the UW course management system.

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 262 – INTERMEDIATE GERMAN WRITING

Section 001, TR   9:30 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, TR   11:00 – 12:15, instructor: TBD
Section 004, TR   1:00 – 2:15, instructor: TBD

Languages of instruction: German and English.

This course will strike a balance between individual and collaborative writing and between teacher- and student-guided writing activities. Students’ writings will rely on authentic text models, many with German-specific cultural connotations. Longer-term writing projects will alternate with short-term writing assignments.

Please contact mmchavez@wisc.edu with any questions

GERMAN 267 – YIDDISH SONG AND JEWISH EXPERIENCE

Section 001, M   1:20-2:10, instructor: Potter, Pamela
Section 002, M   1:20-2:10, instructor: Potter, Pamela
Section 301, W   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 302, F   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD

The course is BLENDED, requiring you to come to class on Mondays (with additional work to be completed online). If you are in a Comm-B section, you are required to attend an additional class on Wednesday or Friday and will receive 4 credits instead of 3.

Prerequisites: Open to all students; students enrolling in Com-B sections must have completed Com-A requirement. Fulfills Ethnic Studies requirement. Does not fulfill foreign language requirement and cannot be applied towards German major but may be counted toward the major as cognate course.
Language of Instruction: English

The format of this course is blended: students will work through on-line modules and discussion forums on their own and meet once a week for in-class activities in the multifunctional WisCEL classroom. Those who opt for Comm-B will attend an additional section once a week and receive 4 credits. Using the medium of Yiddish song to explore the culture and history of Jews in the diaspora, we will focus on their experience as a minority first in Europe and then in the United States. Facing discrimination, oppression, and marginalization on both sides of the Atlantic, Jews used Yiddish song as a vehicle to express their pain as well as their pride. The goals of this course are to increase students’ capacity to value the unique qualities of Yiddish song as a reflection of the Jewish experience by appreciating the depth of expression conveyed in its sounds and its lyrics, as well as to gain insight into the process of immigration and acculturation in the United States from the perspective of a persecuted group, the challenges it faced in confrontation with new forms of discrimination and marginalization, and the outlet this group found in the performing arts for documenting their struggles and for finding a creative niche in their new surroundings.

Required Texts:
There is no text required for purchase for this course.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
Course requirements differ depending on whether students take the Comm-B option or not.

German 269 Yiddish Literature and Culture in Europe, 3 credits

Philip Hollander, TR 1-2:15 PM

Prerequisites: Knowledge of Yiddish useful, but not required. Open to undergraduates and auditors.

Language of Instruction: English

This course investigates how Yiddish culture gave European Jewish life its distinctive stamp.

After a brief introduction to Yiddish language and Pre-Modern Yiddish culture, it concentrates on the modern period (1864-1945). In this period, advocates of Yiddish turned it into an independent vehicle describing and detailing every aspect of Jewish life and experience. Focus on this period enables student appreciation of the aesthetic merits of modern literary and filmic texts. Introduction to the work of Yiddish literary pioneers Sholem Yankev Abramovitsh, Yitzhok Leibush Peretz and Sholem Aleichem precedes exploration of Interwar Polish and Soviet Yiddish cultural expression and how divergent cultural contexts produced divergent Yiddish cultural forms. The course concludes with Yiddish literary responses to the Holocaust. Following the persecution and brutal murder of millions of Yiddish speakers, European Yiddish culture withered.

Student evaluation is based on five activities: Students take proficiency quizzes and write short response papers testing their knowledge of assigned readings and their ability to analyze them; they draft and revise two 2-4 page papers intended to develop their ability to analyze texts; they review their peers’ work to improve their ability to judge writing and improve it through revision; they write a final exam testing their analytical and synthetic skills; they attend class and participate.

All texts will be available on Learn@UW.

Please contact phollander@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 285 Intermediate Intensive (Honors) German: Language, Culture, Texts, 6 credits

Weijia Li, MWF 1:20-3:15 PM

Prerequisites: German 204

Language of Instruction: German

Description:

Conducted in German, this intensive, 6-credit survey course on German literature and culture is aimed at expanding students’ knowledge of German literary tradition and German intellectual history over the past centuries. Further, it will deepen students’ understanding of German culture and society from historical and global perspectives. Specifically, we will examine how German linguistic, cultural, and national identities have been shaped and negotiated as reflected in literary works. We will also engage in inquiries such as: How is German literature related to the European, Judeo-Christian tradition? How has German literary tradition revealed its problematic treatment of the non-German “other”? How do music and art intertwine with literature in German cultural tradition? Last but not least, how does contemporary German literature react to today’s globalized society and the worldwide rise of nationalism?

In addition to fostering students’ intellectual engagement with German literary works, this course will further develop students’ German language proficiency.

Learning Outcomes:
By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

comprehend and discuss in depth texts concerned with German literary and cultural traditions and perspectives;
act with a heightened awareness of long-standing and critical cultural issues in German-speaking countries.
discuss complex topics involving literary, cultural, and historical aspects; and
present and support ideas in academic writing and presentations in German

Assessment:

Class Participation 25%; Homework 25%; Group Presentation 10%; Midterm 15%; Independent Final Project 25%

Required texts: TBD

Please contact Prof. Weijia Li at wli255@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 305 Literatur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts, 3 credits

Hans Adler, TR 9:30-10:45 AM

Prerequisites: 9 credits completed from 2xx courses. Open to undergrads

Language of Instruction: German

This course is a journey through a bit more than a century of literature and culture in German, and it provides an overview over new and most-recent literature in German within its historical and cultural contexts. We will read selected texts—fiction, drama, and poetry—by important authors from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey. Moreover, we will watch and listen to documents of pop music and its texts in German, singers such as Lale Andersen, Zarah Leander, Catarina Valente, Georg Kreisler, Udo Lindenberg, Wolf Biermann, Ina Müller, Herbert Grönemeyer, Peter Fox. Simultaneously to our discussion of texts, we will learn how to access and interpret literary texts and music and what is specific for literature as opposed to other language-using discourses. Among others, we will focus on texts by Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, Wolfgang Borchert, Ingeborg Bachmann, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Emine Özdamar, Bernhard Schlink, and Thomas Brussig, and we will watch and discuss two films that are based on novels. Each participant will give a short presentation on their reading of and research on a specific text in class, and all participants will write a short scholarly paper at the end of the semester. Lectures providing in-depth information about historical and theoretical background knowledge will alternate with discussions.

Required Texts (print, no electronic versions; additional texts will be provided via Canvas or as hard copies):

—Borchert, Wolfgang, Draussen vor der Tür. Reinbek: Rowohlt. ISBN 3-499-10170-X

—Schlink, Bernhard, Der Vorleser. Zürich: Diogenes. ISBN 3-257-22953-4

—Dürrenmatt, Friedrich, Der Richter und sein Henker. Reinbek: Rowohlt. ISBN 978-3499101502

—Brussig, Thomas, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch. ISBN 3-596-14847-2

Please contact hadler@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 337 – ADVANCED COMPOSITION & CONVERSATION

Section 001, TR 4:00 – 5:15, instructor TBD

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or German 249 and 274 or 284; or cons inst; may be repeated once only for credit
Language of Instruction: German

This class requires advanced German skills, and it aims at practicing and further improving your speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills within a range of situations and contexts. To this end, we will discuss current topics in German society, practice essay writing, train vocabulary, and repeat select advanced grammar topics. We will cover a variety of texts, among others stories, reports, newspaper articles, advertisements, various literary texts, everyday as well as formal conversations, and interviews. In addition to the required books, we will work with a variety of texts that will be made available on learn@uw. You will be graded based on regular attendance and participation, several written tests, homework, essays, and an oral presentation.

Required Texts:
1. Reimann, Monika. Essential Grammar of German mit integriertem Lösungsschlüssel und CD-Rom. HUEBER. ISBN: 9783192015755
2. A good German-English Dictionary.
3. Texts made available on learn@uw

Please contact sklocke@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 351 – INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN LINGUISTICS

Section 001, MWF 1:20-2:10, instructor: Louden, Mark

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274/284; open to undergraduates
Language of Instruction: German

In this course students learn to analyze how sounds, words, and sentences are formed in German and how these structures vary regionally. The focus in the first half of the course is mainly on the sounds of German: how they are produced and how we transcribe them. We then consider how these sounds have changed over the history of German as reflected in both the standard language and modern dialects. This half of the course wraps up with a week devoted to learning about where German personal, family, and place names come from. In the second half of the course we look at a number of productive processes involved with the formation of German words. Many of the examples we consider are words that have entered the language in the last twenty years. We then look at how words are combined to form phrases and sentences in German. The course concludes by examining topics dealing with distinctive use of vocabulary, including youth speech and what is popularly known as “Denglisch,” English-influenced German.

Required Texts:
There is no text required for purchase for this course.

Course Requirements and Assignments:
The final grade is determined as follows: 10 Übungen (practice assignments) 20%; 10 Hausaufgaben (50%); 3 in-class tests (30%).

Please contact mllouden@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 372 Deutscher Film und deutsche Kultur, 3 credits

Jeanne Schueller, MWF 11-11:50 AM

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274 or 284; or cons of inst.

Language of Instruction: German

The primary goal of this course is to broaden students’ knowledge of German culture through the analysis and interpretation of film. Contemporary films serve as a springboard for our discussions on a range of cultural topics. We will consider the historical and cultural contexts of each film and read thematically related fiction and non-fiction texts. Film-specific terminology will be introduced to facilitate our discussion and analysis of the films. The films also provide ample authentic language to help students improve their comprehension of spoken German in various contexts and registers.

Course evaluation will include in-class discussion, participation, and preparation; a film analysis assignment (“Filmtagebuch”) for each film; three quizzes; a film review; a short in-class presentation, and one paper. Partner, small-group, and whole-class discussions will be in German. Class materials (assignments and readings) will be available for download via the Learn@UW course website. Films will be viewed outside of class. All films will be available to stream on any device via the UW course management system.

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 372 Österreich: Natur als Kultur, 3 credits

Monika Chavez, TR 11:00 AM-12:15 PM

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262

Language of Instruction: German

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. As part of this course we will deconstruct the movie and examine concepts, such as cultural borrowing or cultural appropriation.

Most importantly, there is much more to the state of Salzburg as well as the other eight states of Austria. We will journey through all of them 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, and earlier 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. Later settlers, predominantly but not exclusively Bavarians and Slavs, followed their predecessors in working with 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, and films. 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-day cultural and linguistic contacts.

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 the course website.

Please contact mmchavez@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 372 Flucht, Exil, Heimat, 3 credits

Sabine Moedersheim, TR 1:00-2:15 PM

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262

Language of Instruction: German

“Die Fahrt ins Exil ist ‚the journey of no return‘. Wer sie antritt und von der Heimkehr träumt, ist verloren. Er mag wiederkehren – aber der Ort, den er dann findet, ist nicht mehr der gleiche, den er verlassen hat, und er selbst ist nicht mehr der gleiche, der fortgegangen ist.” (Carl Zuckmayer)

In diesem Seminar lesen wir ausgewählte Beispiele deutschsprachiger Texte zum Thema Flucht, Exil, Heimat. Seit 2015 sind knapp eine Million Geflüchtete in Deutschland angekommen. Sie treffen auf Helfer, die oft selbst Fluchterfahrung der Kriegs-und Nachkriegszeit haben. Wir werden auf diesem Hintergrund untersuchen, wie die Gegenwartsliteratur sich zurückbezieht auf das literarische Exil deutschsprachiger AutorInnen zwischen 1933 und 1950 und welche Auseinandersetzungen mit Fragen nach Heimat, Zugehörigkeit und Sprache sich darin spiegeln.

Studierende werden Texte lesen und analysieren, Hintergründe recherchieren und insgesamt einen Überblick über das Seminarthema erhalten. Sie halten ein mündliches Referat zu einem vereinbarten Thema und verfassen auf der Basis dieser Recherche sowie der Diskussion im Kurs eine Seminararbeit. Es wird erwartet, dass Ergebnisse und Einsichten aus den Diskussionen, der Gruppenarbeit und aus den Referaten in die Ausarbeitung der Seminararbeit einfließen. Anwesenheit und Mitarbeit in jeder Stunde, gründliche Vorbereitung sowie aktive Teilnahme an den Diskussionen und in Gruppenarbeit bilden die Bewertungsgrundlage für die mündliche Note.

Textbuch: Literary Heimat. German and Austrian Jewish Writings after the Shoah. An Anthology. Ed. Sonat Hart, Barbara Jurasek. Focus. 2005. ISBN-10: 1585101249

Weitere Texte werden auf Canvas bereitgestellt.

Please contact smoedersheim@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 385 Literatur des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts, 3 credits

Hans Adler, TR 9:30-10:45 AM

Prerequisites: 9 credits completed from 2xx courses. Open to undergrads

Language of Instruction: German

Honors seminar in German. Please see German 305 for course description.

German 391 German for Graduate Reading Knowledge, 3 credits

Salvatore Calomino, TR 9:30-10:45 AM

Prerequisites: No previous knowledge of German required. Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates

Language of Instruction: English

This course is intended for those who wish to develop primarily reading skills in German. A thorough presentation of German grammar will be coupled, from the start, with regular practice in reading and translation. Various levels of academic prose will be covered with a twofold goal: participants will develop skills at comprehension in reading expository German in general; individuals will have the opportunity to begin reading German in their own research areas as well.

Required:

Jannach, Hubert and Richard A. Korb, German for Reading Knowledge. Cengage. Most recent ed

Cassell’s German-English / English-German Dictionary. Cassell & Co./ MacMillan. (or other equivalent dictionary)

Please contact calomino@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 676 Advanced Seminar in German Studies, “Grenzen überschreiten. Reiseliteratur seit der Frühen Neuzeit,” 3 credits

Sabine Moedersheim, T 3:30-5:25 PM

Prerequisites: German 337 & 2 additional adv German courses or cons inst

Language of Instruction: German

Research opportunity for advanced students

In diesem Seminar lesen wir ausgewählte Beispiele deutschsprachiger Reiseliteratur von der Frühen Neuzeit bis zur Gegenwart. Die Formen der literarischen Reisebeschreibung reichen von Darstellungen realer Reisen mit Referenzen auf den wirklichen Raum bis zu fiktionalen Reiseberichten wie Robinsonaden oder utopischen Entwürfen. Spätestens ab dem 18. Jahrhundert richtet die literarische Reisebeschreibung ihren Blick nicht nur nach außen, sondern auch nach innen. Die Wahrnehmung und Repräsentation des “Fremden” und “Anderen” und die Auseinandersetzung mit kultureller Differenz spiegelt eine Kritik und Auseinandersetzung mit der eigenen Welt.

Themen:

Amerikabilder (Giordano, Buch, Schwarzenbach)

Von wilden grimmigen Menschenfressern (Stade,de Bry)

Mit Käptn Cook um die Welt (Forster)

Wissenschaftliche Entdeckungen: Der reisende Enzyclopäd (Humboldt)

Die fremde Natur (Haller; Großglocknerexpedition)

Klassiker der deutschen Reiseliteratur (Herder, Goethe, Seume, Thümmel, Chamisso)

Idyllische Sehnsucht (Kosegarten, Pfeiffer)

Frauen Reisen (Bremer, Hahn-Hahn, La Roche, Lewald, Varnhagen)

Nationalismus und koloniale Ideen (Rohlfs, Joest)

Moderne: Beginn des Massentourismus (Hofmannsthal, Bierbaum)

Gegenwart: Sozialkritik und Introspektion (Grass, Ransmayr, )

(Texte werden auf Canvas bereitgestellt bzw. sind online verfügbar.)

Please contact smoedersheim@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 683 Senior Honors Seminar in German Literature, 3 credits

Sabine Moedersheim, T 3:30-5:25 PM

Prerequisites:

Language of Instruction: German

Please see German 676 for course description.

German 720 Theory of Teaching German, 1 credit

Jeanne Schueller, F 12:05-12:55 PM

Prerequisites: Graduate student in the Dept. Of GNS

Language of Instruction: English

This course works in tandem with German 722 by providing a forum for discussing German-language specific instruction. Praxis-oriented tasks build on assignments and projects assigned in German 722. Emphasis is on teaching German and developing your identity as a language instructor.

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 722 Theory of Teaching German, 2 credits

Jeanne Schueller, MW 12:05-12:55 PM

Prerequisites: Grad student in the Dept. Of GNS

Language of Instruction: English

This course offers an introduction to principles and theories of second language acquisition as well as foreign language pedagogy. It is intended for instructors of beginning – and intermediate-level collegiate German, Nordic, and Slavic courses. The goal is to help you understand key concepts of communicative, literacy-oriented language teaching and related techniques for classroom instruction. This course will provide the foundation for success in teaching lower-level language courses. Course participants will demonstrate understanding of key concepts of communicative, literacy-oriented language teaching and classroom techniques for communicative, literacy-oriented language teaching, how to design instructional materials, lessons, and assessment tools related to communicative, literacy-oriented language teaching, and the ability to engage in pedagogical discourse on collegiate foreign language teaching and learning. The course will be assignment- and project- rather than exam-based. The overall theoretical nature of the course is complemented by practice-oriented work.

Required text to be determined. Journal articles and accompanying reading guides to be downloaded from the course website.

Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 727 The L2 as Social and Self Expression, 3 credits

Monika Chavez, TR 9:30-10:45 AM

Prerequisites: Graduate student status

Language of Instruction: English

The so-called Social Turn in second-language-acquisition research and theory has expanded views of language learning from a near-exclusive focus on cognitive processes to greater attention to social aspects of language learning and language use. However, much of the subsequent theoretical and empirical work has focused on second-language use outside of classroom settings and, moreover, on second-language (immersion) environments over the learning of foreign languages (languages whose native communities are remote). In a similar vein, recent research has shown foreign-language learners to define ‘community’ (the social space that they orient to) very narrowly, i.e., as speakers, especially native speakers, who are encountered only outside of the classroom.

In this course, we will examine research that can help us understand the L2 as social and self-expression primarily in the classroom but also at the nexus of classroom and the ‘real-world’, even if only in the form that learners imagine or aspire to. What is more, we will conduct field projects and plan larger projects that will drive forward our understanding of this important area of foreign-language learning and teaching.

Example questions that we will tackle are the following: (a) What implicit and explicit social goals do learners bring to a foreign-language classroom and how do they work toward these goals? How are learners thwarted/supported in their efforts to achieve these goals? (b) How do foreign-language learners view themselves as users of the L2 – and how do these views come about? For example, what social messages do they take away from feedback, classroom activities, and interactions with peers? (c) How do foreign-language learners view themselves as a group, i.e., the group of learners of language X, and how/do they attribute specific characteristics to this group that set the group apart from others (such as ‘the group of learners of language Y’)? (d) How do learners connect the social roles in a classroom (such as teacher/learner; good/bad language learner, etc.) with specific language-use practices? (e) How do foreign-language learners construct the ‘second language’ in social terms and what sources of information do they draw on in the process? For example, do they envision a monolithic standardized version of the language (as compared to social, national, dialectal, or regional variants); and how do learners compare the often socially-reduced instructional materials & classroom activities to language-in-use? To what extent are learners privy to pedagogical modifications and the rationale behind them? What conclusions do they draw about their current and future selves based on the pedagogical modifications that they notice? (f) What language-use privileges (e.g., to use inaccurate language, non-standard language; or slang; to be funny/sarcastic; to be untruthful or deceptive; etc.) do learners claim for themselves inside/outside the classroom and which such privileges do they expect to be accorded by the teacher, peers, and native speakers? (g) How does technologically-mediated instruction compare with face-to-face learning in terms of social expectations, practices, and satisfaction? What role do extra-curricular activities play? and (h) How does the L2 work together with other languages (such as the L1 or an L3) to allow learners to express themselves socially, including in interaction with themselves (private speech & self talk)?

Course requirements include the preparation of research articles for discussion & activities in class (using instructor-prepared reading guides); several small field-research projects; the drafting of a set of research questions; the development of (the rudiments of) a research project supported by a basic bibliography and presented to the class toward the end of the semester; and the composition of a conference abstract (in two drafts) that describes the research study.

Please contact mmchavez@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 755 Early New High German, 3 credits

Salvatore Calomino, TR 1-2:15 PM

Prerequisites: Familiarity with an older Germanic language. Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates

Language of Instruction: English

This course will examine predominant linguistic trends based on textual evidence during the Early New High German period. Topics will include phonological, morphological, and syntactic developments from the late thirteenth through the late sixteenth century. Lexical topics and literary or textual types will also be treated. Regional developments will be considered for representative dialect-areas: East and West Central, or Middle, German, Alemannic (including Swabian), Bavarian, and Low German. A variety of texts from each of these areas will provide opportunity to develop fluency in reading and will also provide a basis for topics in linguistic and thematic discussion. These texts will also be examined for the development or continuation of linguistic phenomena and literary or ecclesiastical trends which had already been present during earlier phases of Middle High German. Handbooks will include: Hartweg/Wegera, Frühneuhochdeutsch, Paul/Wiehl/Grosse, Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik, Götze, Frühneuhochdeutsches Glossar, Lexer, various; Texts will include: Selections from Mären, Urkunden, chronicles, Marian poetry, Thüringisches Osterspiel, Passional, Fastnachtsspiele des 15. und 16. Jahrhunderts, various works of Hans Sachs, Dil Ulenspiegel, Bible translations, Melusine or a similar text from the Buch der Liebe. Texts that may be out of print, or will be read in selection, will be made available as photocopies or PDF. Participants will complete a research project on a linguistic or textual topic.

Required:

Hartweg/Wegera, Frühneuhochdeutsch, 2^nd ed., Tübingen: Niemeyer

Paul/Wiehl/Grosse, Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik, latest ed., Tübingen: Niemeyer

Götze, Frühneuhochdeutsches Glossar, Berlin: De Gruyter

H.-G. Richert, ed. Marienlegenden aus dem alten Passional (ATB, 64) Tübingen: Niemeyer

E. Grunewald, ed. Der Ritter von Straufenberg (ATB, 88) Tübingen: Niemeyer

D. Wuttke, ed., Fastnachtsspiele des 15. und 16. Jahrhunderts. Stuttgart: Reclam (9415)

W. Lindow, ed. Ein kurtzweilig Lesen von Dil Ulenspiegel. Stuttgart: Reclam (1687)

H.-G. Roloff, ed. Melusine, in der Fassung des Buchs der Liebe. Stuttgart: Reclam (1484/85)

Innsbrucker Osterspiel/Osterspiel von Muri (Reclam)

Recommended:

M. Lexer, Mittelhochdeutsches Taschenwörterbuch. latest ed. Stuttgart: Hirzel

Das Eckenlied

Gandersheimer Reimchronik

Please contact calomino@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 804 Cultural Impact of Wars and Displacement, Europe 1918-2018, 3 credits

Pamela Potter, M 3:30-6:00 PM

Prerequisites: Graduate/Professional standing

This interdisciplinary seminar will prepare students for the international symposium, “A Century of War and Displacement, Europe 1918-2018,” to take place on the UW Campus Nov. 8-11, 2018. In addition to commemorating the end of World War I, the symposium will bring together a wide range of internationally known experts to explore not only the war but also the demographic, cultural, and economic upheavals unleashed in the century that followed. The seminar will prepare students to participate actively in the event by looking more closely at the cultural impact of these phenomena, reading and discussing relevant research in history, literature, the arts, sociology, and political science. Students will have the opportunity to bring expertise from their own fields of study and to work on individual research projects on any topics related to war and migration. All students will present their work at a special poster session as part of the November symposium, as well as preparing a final research paper.

Please contact pmpotter@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 947 Realismen – Literatur und Realität, 3 credits

Hans Adler, T 1:20-3:15 PM

Language of Instruction: Deutsch

Fragestellung: Die Begriffe „Realismus“, „realistisch“ sind zentral in der Literaturwissenschaft und in der Literaturgeschichte. Mit ihnen wird sowohl das Verhältnis der literarischen Texte zur außerliterarischen Wirklichkeit bezeichnet, als auch eine Schreibweise, die Texte ‚anschaulich’ wirken lässt. Was aber über diese formale Bestimmung genau mit „Realismus“ gemeint ist, war immer umstritten und ist es heute noch. Es gibt also keinen selbstverständlichen Realismus, deshalb hat dieses Seminar als Titel den Plural Realismen. Was „realistisch“ ist und – ebenso wichtig! – was „Realität“ ist, hat sich im Verlauf der Geschichte immer wieder geändert. Das betrifft nicht nur die Literatur, sondern auch alle andere Künste, die Philosophie, die Wissenschaften und viele menschliche Wissens- und Praxisbereiche.

Aspekte: In diesem Seminar werden wir systematische und historische Aspekte der „Realismen“ untersuchen und diskutieren. Was ist/war Mimesis, Widerspiegelung, Darstellung, Repräsentation, Simulation, Aemulation, Imitation, Nachahmung? Ahmen Kunst und Literatur Realität nach oder schaffen sie Realität? Können Kunst und Literatur Realität verändern? Was war „Realismus“ des 19. Jahrhunderts als Epoche?

Texte und Materialien: Um diese Fragen diskutieren zu können, werden wir theoretische und literarische Texte intensiv und im Seminar besprechen, unter anderem von Plato und Aristoteles über Goethe, Fontane, Brecht, Roman Jakobson, Wolfgang Hildesheimer, Rüdiger Bubner, Wolfgang Preisendanz. Neben Prosatexten lesen wir Gedichte und werden uns auch Beispiele aus der Malerei ansehen. Wir können uns auch überlegen (in der ersten Sitzung), ob wir eine Exkursion nach Chicago ins Art Institute unternehmen wollen, um uns Beispiele realistischer Malerei anzusehen und zu diskutieren.

Zielstellung: Ziel des Seminars ist, zu einem differenzierten Realismus-Verständnis zu gelangen, das es ermöglicht, unser Literatur- und Kunstverständnis zu erweitern und zu vertiefen.

Aufgaben: Alle TeilnehmerInnen werden zur Vorbereitung der Diskussionen im Seminar kurze Textzusammenfassungen schreiben, ein mündliches Referat halten und eine Abschlussarbeit schreiben. (Eine Sitzung des Seminars ist reserviert für Methoden zur Vorbereitung und Abfassung wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten reserviert).

Reader: Neben den verbindlichen Texten für dieses Seminar (siehe Textbook list) wird ein Reader erstellt, der schon zu Ende des Spring Semesters zur Verfügung stehen soll, damit die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer sich bereits über den Sommer auf den Kurs vorbereiten können.

Please contact hadler@wisc.edu with any questions.

German 948 Jewish Literatures in Diaspora, 3 credits

Sunny Yudkoff, M 1:20-3:15 PM

Prerequisites: Graduate/professional standing

What does it mean to be at home in a culture? What does it mean to live in exile? Where, in turn, is the diaspora? This course examines these questions by looking at texts from Jewish writers from the United States, Israel, and Germany. We will also examine how Palestinian and African-American writers use these terms in works that explore their experiences of diaspora. Readings will include poetry, prose, and essays by Cynthia Ozick, Edward Said, Maxim Biller, Yankev Glatshteyn, and others.