German Course Descriptions for Spring 2018

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

GERMAN 101/401 – First Semester German

Section 001, MTWRF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 005, MTWRF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 006, 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 001, MTWRF   1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWRF   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWRF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 005, MTWRF   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 007, 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 112/312 – Second Semester Dutch

Section 001, MTWR 9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: Dutch 111 or consent of instructor. Open to first-year students. (This course is also offered for graduate students as German 312.)
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 11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWR 1:20-2:10, instructor: TBD
Section 004, 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 001, MTWR   9:55 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 002, MTWR   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MTWR   12:05 – 12:55, instructor: TBD
Section 004, 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 214/314 – Fourth 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 – Topics Courses

Section 001, Migration in Literature, Film and Translation, TR 9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Mani, B. Venkat
Section 002, Extreme Stories: Tales of Criminality and Disease, TR 9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Eldridge, Hannah

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

Migration in Literature, Film and Translation (Section 001):

Please contact bvmani@wisc.edu with any questions.

Course Description: Migration is a highly contested topic in the world today, especially in Europe and North America, where immigration has defined the demographic make up of specific nations for centuries, but especially since the end of the Second World War. 2016 set a new record in terms of global migration, with the number of international migrants expected to climb above 250 million people. Of these, around 14 million will be registered refugees. According to the US Census Bureau’s 2009 American Community Survey, the U.S. immigrant population was 12.5 percent of the total U.S. population. As per statistics of the European Union, a total of 3.8 million people immigrated to one of the EU-28 Member States during 2014, while at least 2.8 million emigrants were reported to have left an EU Member State. Germany reported the largest total number of immigrants (884.9 thousand) in 2014, followed by the United Kingdom (632.0 thousand), France (339.9 thousand), Spain (305.5 thousand) and Italy (277.6 thousand).

Still interested? Then this is a course for you.

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 recent migration into Germany, but we will compare and contrast it with migration into the US, UK, and the Scandinavian countries. What is so special about the German migration history in the 20th century? How has migration changed 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? 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 21st century. We will analyze how migration as an experience is manifested in literature, cinema, music and other art forms, and how issues of identities and difference, tolerance and acceptance, nationalism and cosmopolitanism form and inform the core of German society. 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 Germany. To this end, we will read and discuss writers such as Aras Ören, Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Sathnam Sanghera, Peter Manseau, Jonas Hassan Khemiri. We will watch and discuss films by directors such as Fatih Akin, Xavier Coller, Yasemin Semderli, Kutlug Ataman, and music by Pop Tadka, Isam B., Kool Savas and Eco Fresh. Readings and Discussions will be in English.

Course Requirements:

Attendance and Class Participation: [includes two weekly “tweets” on twitter.com]: 25%
One oral presentation: 10%
5 short blogs (400 words each): 15%
Mid-term Project (8 page paper OR multimedia project such as Youtube Film or Prezi): 25%
Final Project: Revised and expanded version of the mid-term project: (12 page paper OR multimedia project such as Youtube Film or Prezi): 25%

Texts: Shorter Texts available on learn@uw [course website]; films screened thorough password protected streaming; novels ordered through the University Book Store and available in College Reserves.

Required Texts:

Manseau, Peter. Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter. New York: Free Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781416538707
Nguyen, Viet Thanh. The Refugees. New York: Grove Press, 2017. ISBN: 9780802126399
Özdamar, Emine Sevgi. The Bridge of the Golden Horn. Translated by Martin Chalmers. London: Serpent’s Tail, 2007. ISBN 9781852429324
Sanghera, Sathnam. Marriage Material. New York: Europa Editions, 2016. ISBN: 9781609453077

Extreme Stories: Tales of Criminality and Disease (Section 002):

The extremes of human experience fascinate us: faced with stories of illnesses that seem to move between mind and body, devastating plagues, or gruesome crimes, we look for explanations that make sense of how and why such events take place. But often enough, attempts to rationalize frightening or confusing events reveal how hard it is to draw the boundaries between “extreme” and “normal,” showing just how slippery our categories of sickness and health, guilt and innocence are. This course looks at fictional texts (including films and plays) and legal, psychological, and medical cases to examine critically the different ways we try to make sense of these experiences. In paying special attention to the way writers, scientists, lawyers, psychologists, and filmmakers are challenged, inspired, or confounded by these extreme stories, we will: look at early case studies published in pedagogical journals and magazines in the eighteenth century, watch as practitioners try to explain mental illness at the birth of psychoanalysis (including Freud’s famous case study “The Wolf Man”), debate the use of cases in establishing mental categories (for example in the discovery and history of Dissociative Identity Disorder), and consider criminal cases (e.g. Leopold and Loeb). We will look further at fictionalized ‘cases,’ such as Nunally Johnson’s film The Three Faces of Eve, Friedrich Schiller’s adaptation of a legal case, “The Criminal of Lost Honour,” and Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” to see what these stories about the extremes of the human condition can tell us about what it means to be human and healthy.

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 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.

GERMAN 245/445/645 – Topics in Dutch Life and Culture: Dutch Tolerance and Multiculturalism

Section 001, TR 1:00 – 2:15, instructor: Taylor, Jolanda
Discussion 301 (Required for students enrolling in 445 and 645), W 1:20-2:10

Common representations of the Netherlands seem contradictory. Some people picture row upon-straight-row of tulips in fields, windmills, nearly perfectly parallel ditches, thoughtful zoning practices in cities—a well-planned society. Conversely, facts and misconceptions about such curiosities as Dutch drug policy, a regulated sex industry, the practice of euthanasia, gay rights and “multiculturalism”—often lumped together under the rubric of “tolerance”—oddly counterbalance the aforementioned tamer images. Do these different views represent two different strains, or two extremes, within Dutch culture? Are they related? Do these cultural practices find their source in a consistent approach? In the most recent decade, the international press has reported on the influx of “newer” Dutch citizens, the notorious murders of two public figures—Pim Fortuyn, and Theo van Gogh—and ongoing arguments about the demands that the Dutch might place on immigrants, including by such internationally known persons as Geert Widlers and Ayaan Hirsi Ali—and asks whether these phenomena herald a major change in Dutch society. This course looks at the history and context of these events to attempt a nuanced understanding.

We will investigate the role and meaning of “tolerance” and the recent attempts at “multiculturalism” in Dutch culture by studying approaches to tolerance and community that have shaped current debates and practices. We will note the history of the area, influences of geography and climate, the importance of trade and international contacts, Dutch relations with the country’s minority groups (including Jewish citizens and those from the Indies – who were once immigrants), the Dutch Revolt and founding of the Dutch nation, the Reformation, philosophers such as Erasmus, debates about the roles of the state and voluntary affiliations in the 19th century, social control and attitudes toward social and economic safety nets, the effect of immigration throughout history, and the rise and decline of that typically Dutch (but supposedly now defunct) form of societal organization, “pillarization,” a strategy for dealing with political, religious, and sub-cultural differences that was in place long before the recent waves of immigration. We will ask: how well do recent immigrant groups fare in Dutch society, and has Dutch society changed in response to their presence?

In our attempt to understand the role of the notion of “tolerance” (whether the models be “verdraagzaamheid,” “gedoogpolitiek,” “integratie”or “inburgering”), we will consider contributions to the ongoing debate selected from a range of cultural expressions, including literary works, the fine arts, film, music, and public policy.

While focusing on an important contemporary topic, this course will help you develop a basic understanding of Dutch culture. It will help prepare you for study abroad in the Netherlands, and for further study in Dutch literature and culture. It will also provide a strong background for other humanities and social science coursework on topics related to the Netherlands and contemporary approaches to immigration and multiculturalism in Europe.

Most importantly, this is a course in the tradition of liberal education: it aims to help you develop your skills in analysis; critical, logical and creative thinking; writing clearly, and speaking coherently and effectively. By considering the development of the theory and practice of “tolerance” and “multiculturalism” in the Netherlands, you will be able to think about your own values and practices as you learn about and evaluate those of others –within their cultural contexts. These skills are valuable (for the purposes of your life at work as well as for citizenship) far beyond the benefit of knowing the facts that you will acquire in this course.

GERMAN 249 – Intermediate German-Speaking & Listening

Section 002, MWF   11:00 – 11:50, instructor: TBD
Section 003, MWF   12:05 – 12:55, 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

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

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 Fr.
Language of instruction: German
Please contact jmschuel@wisc.edu with any questions.

Course Description and Goals: Do you ever feel overwhelmed reading in German? Does reading longer texts that are not in a textbook seem daunting? Do you feel like your knowledge of vocabulary makes reading more difficult? You are not alone! This course is designed to address these concerns and help you read a variety of authentic texts and genres and feel less overwhelmed by the task of reading. We do this by teaching you about different reading strategies and how you can apply them while reading. You will also develop critical reading skills for reading and comprehending different text types, expand your vocabulary knowledge, and learn about German history and culture from approximately 1871 to the present.

Required Work and Grading: Much of the required work for this course involves activities that you will do before, during, and after reading. You will have one graded assignment a week and on the other days of class a non-graded assignment to prepare for in-class discussion. The homework assignments will guide you through the readings. Pre-reading tasks focus on expanding your general background and vocabulary knowledge pertaining to the topics and grammatical structures prevalent in the texts. During- and post-reading exercises encourage you to summarize as you read, ask and answer questions about your comprehension, test hypotheses, and create a visual representation (such as a word map, drawing, chart, or timeline) of the text.

Class discussions will be conducted in German. 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.

The final grade for the course will be determined by weekly graded assignments, short vocabulary quizzes, 2 tests (no final exam), preparation of non-graded assignments, and 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.

GERMAN 262 – Intermediate German Writing

Section 001, TR 9:30 – 10:45, instructor: TBD
Section 003, TR 11:00 – 12:15, instructor: Chavez, Monica
Section 004, TR 2:30 – 3:45, 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 272 – Nazi Culture

Section 001 (Lecture) TR 4:45 – 5:25, instructor: Potter, Pamela
Section 301 (Discussion), W 3:30-4:20, instructor: TBD
Section 302 (Discussion), W 4:35-5:25, instructor: TBD

Section 303 (Discussion), R 2:25-3:15, instructor: TBD
Section 304 (Discussion)4, R 2:25-3:15, instructor: Potter, Pamela

Was Nazi Germany the incarnation of evil in the modern world? Did its culture consist only of propaganda? Why did the Nazi leadership consider art and culture so central to its political goals? Such perceptions arose after World War II, colored by a Cold War tendency to see similarities between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, as well as by the hasty, controversial program of denazification conducted under Allied occupation. In the past 25 years scholars have taken a serious look at Nazi culture and revealed a much more complex set of factors at work in all areas of cultural life.

This course introduces students to the contradictory conditions that led to cultural shifts when the Nazis came to power in 1933 and then examines how Nazi policies influenced cultural life. We will consider both the small ‘c’ culture of everyday life and the more traditional domains of high and low culture: religion and youth education, the “camp system” and fascist environmentalism, propaganda and entertainment films, music and theater, art and architecture, literature and consumer culture. The course aims to identify common misconceptions about culture in Nazi Germany, to gain a deeper understanding of the workings of its cultural policy, and to assess whether political ideology was able to form something we can identify as a distinct “Nazi culture.”

All readings are in English or English translation. Writing assignments, exams, and other requirements will vary depending on the discussion sections in which students are enrolled.

There are no required textbooks. The following are recommended only:

Anson Rabinbach and Sander Gilman, eds., The Third Reich Sourcebook (University of California Press, 2013) $65.00 pb 9780520276833

Mary Fulbrook, A History of Germany 1918-2008: A Divided Nation, any edition (Wiley- Blackwell)

GERMAN 275 – Kafka and the Kafkaesque

Section 001, TR 11:00 – 12:25, instructor: Adler, Hans

Franz Kafka (1883 – 1924) is an author whose impact on world literature cannot be overestimated. Born an Austrian Jew and living in the German-speaking Diaspora of Prague, he spent his days making a living as a successful employee of an insurance company and his nights desperately trying to create fiction that met his own exacting expectations. Constantly at odds with the demands of his family, friends, and fiancées/female acquaintances and plagued by poor health, Franz Kafka struggled his entire life long to reconcile the irreconcilable: life and writing. He published only very few texts during his lifetime and on his death bed he asked his friend Max Brod to burn all remaining manuscripts—a last will which Brod did not execute.

Kafka is an “international” author of a new type of “world literature,” the quality of which is irrefutable yet challenges traditional approaches and standard modes of reading. It is perplexing: We understand the words and sentences of Kafka’s texts, but when it comes to envisioning the universe therein and the texts’ internal logic, we encounter almost insurmountable barriers. Similar to Kafka’s characters, who are losers from the outset, the readers of Kafka’s texts seem doomed to fail in their attempts to understand this uncanny world, created out of common language. And here lies the uncomfortable paradox: We may understand his texts but we struggle to follow their logic and the mysterious world created by them. Even when our imagination and comprehension fall short of grasping the textual world we remain mesmerized by it. Thus, Kafka’s texts demand a transdisciplinary and comparative approach.

Kafka’s texts forged a new level and quality of literature that has triggered innumerable responses in many languages, media, and discourses, and the term Kafkaesque makes clear that the type and dimension of Kafka’s texts have been perceived as strange, uncanny, and resistant to any classification. In the attempt to adopt or imitate the Kafkaesque, other authors situate themselves in the literary tradition of the uncanny, which in part relies on the mystified city of Prague with its long Jewish tradition, as well as on the tradition of Romantic and ‘Gothic’ texts.

In this course, we will read a wide selection of texts by Franz Kafka in order to approach an understanding of his universe and prepare ourselves to view this universe in comparison with other contemporary authors as well as authors from other cultures and eras (N. Gogol, W.G. Sebald, T. Pynchon, H. Mulisch, P. Roth). Lectures will also highlight literature, film, and art works in the tradition of the Kafkaesque. There will be a midterm and a final exam. A small number of short writing and drawing assignments may be required. This course is open to freshmen. Please note that this specific “German 275” course does not count for the German Certificate since it is taught in English. German majors may count it as a cognate course for the major.

GERMAN 276 – Special Topics in German and World Literature/s: Tales of the Brothers Grimm: From the Nation to the World

Section 001, TR 1:00-2:15, instructor: TBD

Prerequisites: Open to Freshmen; Counts toward Literature Breadth requirement/Liberal Arts & Science credit in L&S Intermediate. Can be applied to German major as a cognate course.
Language of instruction: English (No German Required)

If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of literature through an engagement with fairy tales, this is a course for you. The purpose of this course is to examine fairy tales, as they
travel around the world and transform through historical periods and cultural contexts. At the center of the course are the famous fairytales of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The course begins with the collection and publication of fairy tales in German by the Grimms in the early 19th century, a period marked by political nationalism and literary romanticism on the one hand, and Goethe’s concept of Weltliteratur (world literature) on the other. The tales selected for the course will be framed in the context of German national literature as well as world literature. We will follow multiple retellings of fairy tales through various literary traditions and media adaptations.

Our readings and discussions will focus on social, cultural, political, and gendered aspects of Grimms’ tales, as well as those by other German authors such as Bettina von Arnim, Clemens
Brentano, J.W. Goethe, E.T.A Hoffman, Herman Hesse, and Ricarda Huch, among others. By comparing German fairy tales with their counterparts in other European and non-European
literatures, we will follow how power, desire, and violence are treated in different cultural and historical contexts. Through an inclusion of translations into English, and Hollywood
adaptations, we will explore how Grimms’ fairy tales were cleansed of “taboo” themes for the English speaking readers and viewers. We will also consider select feminist retellings by 20th
and 21st century authors as examples of the genre’s contemporary form.

The final grade will be based on the following factors:
• Attendance and Class Participation [includes two tweets per week on twitter.com]: 25%
• Four short exams (25%)
• Mid-Term Exam (25%)
• Final Exam (25%)

Texts: Shorter Texts available on learn@uw [course website]; films screened thorough
password protected streaming; novels ordered through the University Book Store and available
in College Reserves.
Required Texts:
• Garner, James Finn. Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. New York : Macmillan Pub. Co., 1994. ISBN 9780025427303
• Rushdie, Salman. Haroun and the Sea of Stories. ISBN 9780140157376
• Tatar, Maria. The Classic Fairy Tales. ISBN 9780393972771
• Tully, Carol. Romantic Fairy Tales. ISBN 9780140447323
• Yen Mah, Adeline. Chinese Cinderella. ISBN 9780385740074

GERMAN 279 – Yiddish Literature and Culture in America

Section 001, TR 1:00-2:15, instructor: Hollander, Philip

Prerequisites: None

At the turn of the 20^th century millions of Yiddish-speaking East European Jews arrived in America. Through study of the Yiddish literature and culture they produced, this course will give students insight into these immigrants’ experience and their efforts to find a comfortable perch in the American landscape. The course will be subdivided into four sections covering different aspects of these Yiddish-speaking immigrants experience and efforts: The immigration process and arrival in America; immigrant entry into the workplace; encounter with urban modernity and America’s racial and ethnic diversity; the tension between assimilatory pressures and the desire for a transnational identity. Although turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants produced an unprecedented Yiddish cultural blossoming worthy of concentrated study, this course, which fulfills the Undergraduate Studies Ethnic Studies General Education Requirement, strives to employ this rich culture as a jumping-off point for achievement of greater understanding and appreciation of the experience of contemporary ethnic/racial minorities with origins abroad who have become a growing element of American society since the expansion of immigration to the United States in the 1960s.

GERMAN 325/625 – Topics in Dutch Literature: Bezetting, Holocaust, Herinnering

(Listed in LitTrans 326 as Holocaust, Occupation, Memory)

Section 001, TR 11:00-12:15, instructor: Taylor, Jolanda
Discussion 301 (Required for students enrolling in GERMAN 325 and 625), W 11:00-11:50

Prerequisites: 4 semesters of Dutch, or Instructor Consent

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 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 21^st-century skills, including inquiry and analysis; critical and creative thinking; written and oral communication; ethical reasoning.

GERMAN 337 – Advanced Composition & Conversation

Section 001, TR 4:00 – 5:15, instructor: Moedersheim, Sabine

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
Course may be taken with honors option (%).
Please contact smoedersheim@wisc.edu with any questions

Description: Dieser Kurs setzt fortgeschrittene Kenntnisse voraus. Ziel ist es, das Lesen, Hören, Sprechen und Schreiben in unterschiedlichen Situationen und Kontexten zu üben. Dazu dienen Diskussionen über aktuelle Themen sowie gezielte Stil- und Wortschatzübungen und Wiederholung ausgewählter Grammatikkapitel.

Bewertungsgrundlage für die Note sind aktive Mitarbeit, ein mündliches Referat mit Thesenpapier sowie schriftliche Übungen und Schreibprojekte.

Learning goals: Studierende werden

auf die Kenntnisse aus German 248, 258 und 262 aufbauen
eigene Stärken und Schwächen erkennen lernen
typische Fehler erkennen und vermeiden lernen
lernen, eigenständig Texte und Sprachproduktion zu korrigieren
authentische Materialien verstehen und einordnen lernen
die Kenntnis deutscher Kultur und aktueller Politik vertiefen

Required Texts:
Pennylyn Dykstra-Pruim / Jennifer Redmann: Schreiben lernen: A Writing Guide for Learners of German. Yale UP 2011. ISBN: 9780300166033

Recommended Texts:
Handbuch zur deutschen Grammatik. Ed. J. Rankin, L. Wells. Houghton Mifflin. (any edition)
Canvas: Other materials will be made available on Canvas

GERMAN 362 – Topics in German Literature

Section 001, Mord und Totschlag: Deutsche Krimis als Texte und Filme, TR 5:30 – 6:45, instructor: Gross, Sabine – For Honors credit, please enroll in GERMAN 385
Section 002, Musik in der deutschen Literatur, TR 11:00-12:15, instructor: Eldridge, Hannah

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

Mord und Totschlag: Deutsche Krimis als Filme und Texte:

Detective fiction is the most popular kind of entertainment fiction worldwide. In this course, you will read German-language texts and view films from two centuries of the detective/mystery genre. You will meet famous classical detectives (including Sherlock Holmes); German, Austrian, and Swiss detectives; female and Turkish-German detectives. You will watch the most famous German TV detective series, read at least one “detective story without a detective”, and you will observe and analyze different types of detectives (reason or intuition, police or outlaw), perpetrators, and crimes. We will debate big questions – human motivations (love, greed, hate…..), social marginalization and privilege, violence and justice. But we’ll also read like detectives – closely and attentively – as we follow the traces that criminals leave and sleuths pursue. You will learn about the rules of the detective genre and why some authors break them. You will learn about different forms of detective stories and analyze their clever construction, and we will discuss important aspects of mysteries such as gender and place/space, the role of suspense vs. surprise, and the role of humor.

The course language is German. Active oral participation is essential for this seminar-style class: come prepared for whole-group (and sometimes small-group) discussion and lively exchange. There will be a midterm, a 5-to-7-page paper in German and several Lesereaktionen. Expect to be entertained, and to improve your German reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills. Texts will be supplied in a free course reader and through Canvas. Participants will need to purchase two or three inexpensive paperbacks (I will email enrolled students in December).

Musik in der deutschen Literatur:

German culture is perhaps most famous for its music: Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven, and others fill concert halls around the world centuries after their deaths. So it is no surprise that authors in the German-speaking world have been inspired by these musical greats. This class will focus on the music IN literature across several historical eras. How do writers use music or musical ideas to express their passions, problems, and ideas? Does it shape their texts? Does music make more sense as a plot element in a short story than in a poem? Can a poem be more easily structured like a piece of music than an novel? We will reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of such interdisciplinary projects so that students can extend these considerations into their own work and across other media. Students are not required to have a music theory background or be able to read a score; this class will develop vocabulary for discussing musical works. You should be ready to do lots of listening, and you will also be asked to search for music that you think represents imaginary music in the texts. We will read texts in all genres from the 18th to the 20th century by authors including Kafka, Thomas Mann, Brecht, Hoffmann, Kleist, and Celan; our musical references include Beethoven, Mozart, Hindemith, Shostakovich, Bach, Paganini, and Wagner—and the composers and authors brought in by students! You will have the opportunity to work out your ideas about the relationship between language and music and its impact on German culture in several (longer and shorter essays) and will be able to try out you adaptation skills in a creative project (one of: composing the imaginary music in a story, creating a “third translation” of a musical or literary text into a visual medium, or writing your own work inspired by a piece of music). Class participation is an essential part of your grade: you should be in class prepared and ready to challenge the way you think of language, music, and what it means to SAY something!

GERMAN 372 – Topics in German Culture

Section 001, Oesterreich: Natur als Kultur TR 9:30 – 10:45, instructor: Chavez, Monika
Course may be taken with honors option (%).

Section 002, Gruenes Deutschland TR 2:30-3:45, instructor: Moedersheim, Sabine

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274 or 284; or consent of instructor.
Language of Instruction: German

Oesterreich: Natur als Kultur:
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.

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

Gruenes Deutschland:
Die deutschsprachige Kultur und Literatur kennt eine lange Tradition der Auseinandersetzung mit den Konzepten von Natur und Umwelt. Gegenwärtig ist Deutschland führend in Umwelttechnologie und Konzepten von Nachhaltigkeit, Energiesparen und alternativen Energiequellen. Die “Energiewende” hat jedoch eine längere Geschichte, in der Reform- und Bürgerbewegungen eine prägende Rolle spielen.

In diesem Seminar werden wir Texte lesen, die sich mit der Haltung der Menschen zur Natur beschäftigen, Naturzerstörung kritisieren und alternative Modelle entfalten. Wir werden Reformbewegungen und Bürgerinitiativen untersuchen, darunter die politischen Gruppen in der Bundesrepublik und der DDR vor dem Fall der Mauer bis heute, z. B. den frühen Widerstand gegen Atomenergie und die Gründung von Umweltparteien. Ein Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf den Entwicklungen in der Stadt und Regrion Freiburg, die zu einem Modell nachhaltiger Stadtplanung und Energieversorgung geworden ist.

Aktuelle Medienberichte zu Umweltschutz, Energiewende, Agrarwende werden in den Unterricht und die Diskussionen einbezogen. Wir werden verfolgen, welche Rolle grüne Themen (z.B. die Energiepolitik, der Atomausstieg, Lebensmittelskandale, Sozial- und Arbeitsmarktpolitik) dabei spielen.

Learning goals:

Inhalt: Sie werden lernen
– welche Rolle Umweltschutz, Klimawandel und Energiewende heute in Deutschland spielen
– welche Ereignisse und Fakten sowie wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse die Grundlagen bilden
– welche Rolle die Medien dabei spielen
– welche Rolle die Partei “Die Grünen” heute spielt und welche Geschichte die Partei hat: wie und warum sie gegründet wurde, wie die anderen Parteien reagiert haben, und welche Rolle sie in der Politik der letzten 35 Jahre gespielt hat
– welche Rolle die Umweltgruppen in der DDR gespielt haben und welchen Anteil sie an der Wende hatten
– wie das Wahlsystem und Demokratie in Deutschland funktionieren – im nächsten Jahr sind Landtagswahlen in Baden-Württemberg, dem einzigen Land, das von einem grünen Ministerpräsidenten regiert wird!

Sprache:Sie werden
– Vokabeln lernen, um über die Inhalte zu sprechen
– lernen, wie man die verschiedenen Wörterbücher und Hilfsmittel benutzt, um idiomatisches Deutsch zu sprechen und zu schreiben
– lernen, wie man deutsche online-Ressourcen optimal nutzt (und bewertet)
– Formulierungen lernen, die in Diskussionen gebraucht werden, um Standpunkte klar darzustellen und die eigene Meinung auszudrücken
– Formulierungen lernen, die man braucht, wenn man die Standpunkte anderer zusammenfasst und bewertet.

Required Texts:Materials will be made available on Canvas

Assignments: Sie werden Texte lesen und analysieren, Hintergründe recherchieren, und sich insgesamt einen Eindruck über die aktuelle Situation in Deutschland sowie die Geschichte der Bürgerinitiativen, des Widerstands und des politischen Prozesses, z.B. der Gründung der “Grünen” verschaffen.

Sie werden ein mündliches Referat zu einem vereinbarten Thema halten und auf der Basis dieser Recherche und der Diskussion im Kurs eine Seminararbeit verfassen.

Anwesenheit in jeder Stunde, gute Vorbereitung auf die Analysen und Diskussionen sowie aktive Teilnahme werden vorausgesetzt und bilden die Bewertungsgrundlage für die mündliche Note. Es wird erwartet, dass Ergebnisse und Einsichten aus den Diskussionen und Referaten in die Ausarbeitung der Seminararbeit einfließen.

German 385 – Honors Seminar: Mord und Totschlag: Deutsche Krimis als Filme und Texte

Section 001, TR 5:30 – 6:45, instructor: Gross, Sabine – Meets with GERMAN 362

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

Mord und Totschlag: Deutsche Krimis als Filme und Texte:
Detective fiction is the most popular kind of entertainment fiction worldwide. In this course, you will read German-language texts and view films from two centuries of the detective/mystery genre. You will meet famous classical detectives (including Sherlock Holmes); German, Austrian, and Swiss detectives; female and Turkish-German detectives. You will watch the most famous German TV detective series, read at least one “detective story without a detective”, and you will observe and analyze different types of detectives (reason or intuition, police or outlaw), perpetrators, and crimes. We will debate big questions – human motivations (love, greed, hate…..), social marginalization and privilege, violence and justice. But we’ll also read like detectives – closely and attentively – as we follow the traces that criminals leave and sleuths pursue. You will learn about the rules of the detective genre and why some authors break them. You will learn about different forms of detective stories and analyze their clever construction, and we will discuss important aspects of mysteries such as gender and place/space, the role of suspense vs. surprise, and the role of humor.

GERMAN 392 – German for Graduate Reading II

Section 001, TR 11:00-12:15, instructor: Calomino, Salvatore

Prerequisites: Open to seniors or graduate students with GERMAN 391 or instructor consent
Language of Instruction: Taught in 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.

GERMAN 411 – Kultur des 20. Jahrhunderts

Section 001, TR 1:00-2:15, instructor: Klocke, Sonja

Prerequisites: German 249, 258, and 262; or 249 and 274 or 284; or consent of instructor
Language of Instruction: German

Is there something specific about the “German experience” of the 20^th century? And if so, how do cultural productions (literature; film; art; music) reflect these specificities as well as the political and historical realities such as two world wars, the division of Germany, its unification, globalization, and migration? These and other questions will be central to the course German 411, which aims to offer a deeper understanding of the German-speaking world in the 20^th and early 21^st centuries. We will consult a great variety of authors, watch and discuss several films, listen to music, and consider art. Texts we will read include literary and historical texts, central texts from German sociologists, and art history. Since in 20^th and 21^st century German culture, both normative and deviant concepts of gender, sex, and race have played an increasingly significant role in identity politics, all texts will be discussed within the theoretical frameworks of gender politics, nationalism, exile and migration, identity, and notions of the self and other.

Evaluation: Attendance; active participation; midterm; reading reactions on learn@uw; final exam (take home).

Required texts: Texts will be made available through learn@uw.

GERMAN 651 – Introduction to Middle High German

Section 001, TR 1:00 – 2:15, instructor: Calomino, Salvator

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.

Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of German. Open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

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.

GERMAN 676 – Advanced Seminar in German Studies: China in der deutschen Welt: Lit & Interkultur

Section 001, M 4:30 – 7:00, instructor: Li, Weijia

Prerequisites: German 337 and two additional advanced German courses or consent of Instructor
Language of Instruction: Primarily German (with some readings in English).
Meets with GERMAN 683 and 947

Conducted in German at the advanced level, this course is aimed at cultivating a deep knowledge of German literature and German intellectual history by dealing with the German imagination and perception of China and the Chinese culture. We will read and analyze a wide array of German texts that reflect this critical topic and engage in inquiries including but not limited to: How have China and the Chinese been portrayed in German texts (as in literature, art, and mass media) from the Enlightenment era to the 21st century? What is the impact of Chinese philosophy on German writers in the 20th century like Alfred Döblin, Hermann Hesse, Bertolt Brecht, and Anna Segher ? How did the German view of the world perpetuate stereotypes of Chinese culture? How does German Orientalism distinguish itself from its North American counterpart?

Learning outcomes:

By successfully completing German 676/683 as an advanced level undergraduate course, students will be able to:

comprehend and discuss in depth literary texts concerned with interculturality and German view of the world;
participate in conversations on complex topics involving transcultural and transnational aspects pertaining to literary and cultural studies; and
act with a heightened awareness of the long-standing and contemporary German and European cultural discourse in a global context.

Assessment:
German 676: Class Participation 20%; Homework 20%; 2 exams 30%; Independent Research Project 30%
German 683: Class Participation 20%; Homework 20%; 2 exams 20%; Independent Research Project 40%

Required texts: TBD
Please contact Prof. Weijia Li at wli255@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 683 – Sr Honors Seminar in German Literature: China in der deutschen Welt: Lit & Interkultur

Section 001, M 4:30 – 7:00, instructor: Li, Weijia
Prerequisites: German 337 and two additional advanced German courses or consent of Instructor

Language of Instruction: Primarily German (with some readings in English).

Meets with GERMAN 676 and 947

Learning outcomes:

By successfully completing German 676/683 as an advanced level undergraduate course, students will be able to:

comprehend and discuss in depth literary texts concerned with interculturality and German view of the world;
participate in conversations on complex topics involving transcultural and transnational aspects pertaining to literary and cultural studies; and
act with a heightened awareness of the long-standing and contemporary German and European cultural discourse in a global context.

Required texts: TBD
Please contact Prof. Weijia Li at wli255@wisc.edu with any questions.

GERMAN 727 – Topics in Applied German Linguistics: Film and Visual Culture in the L2 Classroom

Section 001, MWF 11:00 – 11:50, instructor: Schueller, Jeanne
Prerequisites: Grad or Professional students

Course taught in English

From Twitter to Tumblr, films to Facebook, advertising to art, we are surrounded by images that communicate messages about the world we inhabit and the cultures that create, celebrate, and evaluate these visual products. But how do we critically examine these visual texts? What strategies can we use to interpret messages conveyed not only through words but through images? This course focuses on developing the skills needed to read visual texts critically, understand the power and privilege of visual culture, cultivate and foster visual literacy, and gain a better understanding of and appreciation for cultural diversity.

As foreign and second language educators, we recognize the importance of infusing our courses with authentic input in order to foster our students’ “translinguistic and transcultural competence” (MLA Report, 2007) through print and non-print media. Therefore in addition to becoming better educated consumers of media and images, an essential learning outcome of this course is for you to be able to work with visual texts in your own language courses.

Besides scholarly journal articles, we will read Nicholas Mirzoeff’s How to See the World: An Introduction to Images, from Self-Portraits to Selfies, Maps to Movies, and More, and excerpts from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics and Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture by Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright. Personal reflection, readings, class discussions, and conversations with experts will provide necessary knowledge and expertise to support you in becoming more confident teaching with visual texts and artifacts from a range of genres, for example, feature-length films, video clips, advertisements, public spaces, art, photography, graphic novels, and comics, in order to promote your students’ (whether current or future, beginning or advanced) visual cultural literacy.

Assessment measures will include preparation of readings in advance of class and active participation in class discussions; treatment of an article and leading class discussion; an interview (and follow-up report) with an instructor who incorporates visual texts into their teaching or scholar whose research involves visual culture; a composition notebook project, through which you will hone your observation skills, gain greater awareness of your surroundings, and cultivate your curiosity and creativity by completing short assignments on a variety of topics; and finally the application of theory to practice by designing lessons for several visual texts selected from a range of genres including a feature-length film, video clip, advertisement, public space, art, photograph, or other form of media.

German 727 is taught in English! Knowledge of German is not a prerequisite for enrollment in the course. Guests/experts (in person or via Skype) will be determined in part by the languages taught by students enrolled in the course. Students will analyze visual texts in English and in their target language and can develop teaching materials in their target language as long as they provide a detailed instructor’s guide in English. Readings and class discussion will be in English. The required text can be purchased online or at the University Bookstore. Articles from journals and other materials will be available for download via the Learn@UW course website.

Please email Jeanne Schueller (jmschuel@wisc.edu) for more information or with any questions!

GERMAN 755 – Old Germanic Languages: Old Saxon

Section 001, MW 2:30-3:45, instructor: Howell, Rob
Prerequisites: German 651 or consent of instructor

This course will focus on the history and structure of Old Saxon, the earliest attestation of continental Low German. The primary source will be the magnificent poetic Old Saxon gospel harmony commonly referred to as the “Hêliand” — the Savior. This Germanic version of the life of Christ represents the first and finest exemplar of original poetry in Low German. We will place Old Saxon in the broader context of the West Germanic dialect continuum, with constant reference to Ingvæonic dialects such as Old English, Old Frisian and Old Low Franconian as well as to Old High German.

Students will be expected to demonstrate command of the major features of Ingvæonic dialects and to master the structure of Old Saxon. Examinations will consist of translation of Old Saxon texts into German or English, grammatical identifications and short answer questions dealing with the external history of the Saxons and with the development of Old Saxon phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicon.

The final grade will be determined by performance on a six-week, a twelve-week and a final examination and by daily course participation.

Required text:
Cathey, James E. 2002. Hêliand: Text and Commentary. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press.

GERMAN 947 – Seminar in German Literature & Culture: China in der deutschen Welt: Lit & Interkultur

Section 001, M 4:30 – 7:00, instructor: Li, Weijia
Prerequisites: Graduate or professional standing

Language of Instruction: Primarily German (with some readings in English).

Meets with GERMAN 676 and 683

Learning outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course as German 947, a graduate seminar, students will be able to:

describe, interpret, critique cultural discourses concerning transnational and intercultural encounters in German and European context;
independently conduct transnational and intercultural inquiries in the field of German studies;
lead and facilitate discussion sessions and teach class segments designed for undergraduate students; and
design an undergraduate intermediate to advanced level course on German literature and culture focusing on intercultural and transnational aspects.

Assessment:

German 947: Class Participation 10%; Presentation and facilitating class discussion 20%, Individual Teaching Portfolio 30%; Final research paper 40%

Required texts: TBD

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