German 101 is an introductory course for students who have not previously studied German. The course focuses systematically on the development of all four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), while emphasizing content and meaning at all levels and in all spheres of the language acquisition process. The unique combination of a weekly group lecture and individual hourly recitation sections is intended to ensure that the coursework corresponds to the cognitive and intellectual level of adult language learners. The weekly lecture will be devoted to chapter quizzes and presentation of basic points of grammar, as well as linguistic and analytic strategies. Students will learn not only the German language itself, but also about language and the language learning process more generally. During the weeks in which there are no chapter quizzes, a portion of the lecture period will include presentations on culture, history, economics, philosophy, music, and literature. Thus, students will be presented with the immediate intellectual applications of their foreign language study and will be prepared to take advantage of the developing language opportunities at the U of M, such as the specialty 232 courses, LAC courses and the expanding German Studies program. In the three hours in small classroom setting (meeting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) students practice conversational skills, drill grammar, discuss reading selections in German, and participate in a variety of activities that stretch linguistic ability, as well as intellectual curiosity. By the end of the term students will have a firm foundation in some of the fundamental elements of German grammar and will be able to understand and respond appropriately to a variety of texts and basic conversational situations. Students will develop analytic skills and strategies crucial to language learning and success in other academic fields.
The night section (M Th 7-9) will be coordinated with, but taught separately from the day sections, which will allow non-traditional night students to be able to attend both evening lecture and recitation sections. Cost:2 WL:1
103. Review of Elementary German. Assignment by placement test
or permission of department. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 100 or 102. (4). (LR).
German 103 provides a review of the fundamental components of the German
language for University of Michigan students who have had prior German language
instruction before entering the University of Michigan. Although this class
focuses intensively on grammar review, coursework systematically addresses
all four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing)
so that students are sufficiently prepared for more advanced university
courses both within and outside of the German Department. By the end of
the term students will have a firm foundation in the fundamental elements
of German grammar and will be able to understand and respond appropriately
to a variety of German texts and conversational situations. Students will
also develop analytic skills and strategies crucial to language learning
and success in other academic fields. Most importantly students will find
that studying German in a university setting will not only be intellectually
stimulating and fun, but will become useful in a number of ways throughout
their academic careers. Cost:2 WL:1
221. Accelerated Third Semester German. Placement test. No credit
granted to those who have completed 230 or 231. 4 credits granted to those
who have completed German 102. (5). (Excl).
This course combines an intensive review of basic grammar with more
advanced practice in the four basic language skills (reading, writing, listening,
and speaking). Substantial emphasis will be placed on providing a firm grammatical
base, and on reading, discussing, and writing about authentic German texts
from a variety of fields ranging from natural and social science to history,
literature and the arts. By the end of the course, students will be able
to read and write about short texts from periodicals and textbooks, and
from classic texts by Nietzsche, Kafka, etc., independently, so that they
will be able to pursue their own specific interests in German 232 and beyond.
Requirements include daily homework assignments (reading, writing, learning
vocabulary, etc.), regular attendance, video assignments, three in-class
tests, and a final examination. Cost:2 WL:1
231. Second-Year Course. German 102 or 103, or the equivalent
(placement test). No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 230 or 221. (4). (LR).
In this course, grammar and vocabulary from the first year will be reviewed
and extended. Greater emphasis will be placed on reading German texts and
talking and writing about them in German. Reading texts include both short
literary works and non-fictional texts from a variety of fields ranging
from history to science and the arts. Course requirements include daily
homework assignments (reading, writing, learning vocabulary, etc.), regular
attendance, video assignments, three in-class tests, and a final examination.
Instruction is in German and English. Cost:2 WL:1
232. Second-Year Course. German 231 or the equivalent (placement
test). No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in
230 or 236. (4). (LR). Some sections of German 232 address special topics,
e.g., music, philosophy, science, current political issues, etc.
Second course of a two-year sequence in contemporary intermediate German.
The second-year program is designed to increase students' proficiency in
understanding, speaking, writing, and reading German. Students are expected
to increase the level of accuracy at which they can express themselves and
the range of situations in which they can function in German-speaking cultures.
They will be able to read, comprehend, and discuss a large variety of texts.
The language of instruction is German.
Section 001 - The German Conception of History. This special theme section explores the problem of History in modern German culture. Modern historical science emerged in German-language Europe in the nineteenth century, and its development was linked to the process of nation-building particular to Germany. Today, too, discussions of German politics, national identity, and culture are saturated with the "problem" of recent German history, in particular the shadow of the Nazi past. In this course we will explore the language of German history as it moved through various stages: Romantic notions of the Volk community; the link between emergent German 'historicism' and the conservative ideal of the authoritarian State; Nietzsche's dramatic repudiation of historicism - right up through the fiery public "Historians' Debate" of the 1980s about the significance of the Holocaust and the right of the Germans to a "normal" history. We will work through a number of short texts to produce this broad picture of the language of German history from the birth of nationalism to German reunification. Students will work through the texts with the assistance of a computer module which will help hake connections between the texts and also provide glossary definitions, maps, and timelines, visual and audio-visual sources, and workbook exercises. This innovative project has been supported by the University Instructional Technologies Division. Cost:1 WL:1 (Spector)
Section 002 - Contemporary German Society. This section will explore contemporary geographic, economic, social, political and cultural aspects of Germany. We will start at the end of World War II with the two German states putting special emphasis on the period since the Reunification of 1990. These aspects of Germany will be highlighted by special consideration of the situation of the foreigners who have come to Germany since shortly after the end of WW II, first as guest workers (Gastarbeiter) and later as refugees and asylum seekers ("Flüchtlinge und Asylanten"). We will examine various genres and media presentations such as prose, film, poetry, newspaper and magazine articles, radio plays, and television. Students will watch and report on a number of television news reports from Deutsche Welle. Students will also write a number of essays and three exams. Grammar will be reviews according to the needs of the class. The language of instruction is German. Cost:1 WL:1 (VanValkenburg)
Section 005 - Introduction to German Literature. This section is intended for students interested in going on to study German literature at more advanced levels. It will provide an introduction to the language of some representative German literary classics and to some basic concepts of literary interpretation. Works to be read include short stories by Thomas Mann and Kafka, Kafka's "Das Urteil," the "Gretchen Tragedy" from Goethe's Faust, Dürrenmatt's Die Physiker, and a selection of poems.
Section 006 - German Crime Stories: Literature and Popular Culture. In this class, we will examine the representation of crime in various texts and genres, with a view to establish some characteristic features of these genres. In particular, we will try to establish what sets "serious" crime "literature" apart from "popular" crime fiction and crime journalism, so that this course will constitute a serious and entertaining introduction to the question "What is literature?" Friedrich Dürrenmatt's novel Der Richter und sein Henker will constitute the main part of this course. We will read stories by other "serious" writers (Max von der Gruen, Guenter Kunert, Wolfdietrich Schnurre) and by "popular" writers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We will read newspaper articles and compare their approaches to crimes that caught people's attention. Towards the end, we will discuss Doris Doerrie's movie Happy Birthday, Tuerkel!! Be prepared to read, write and talk a lot. One brief presentation, three short essays, one midterm, one final, some grammar, some fun. Cost:1 WL:1 (Kallmann)
Section 007 - Topics in Music: Mozart and the Magic Flute. Reading of the libretto in German, singing and - contingent on proficiency of the course participants - playing of musical highlights from The Magic Flute. In addition to readings in German on highlights in the biographies of Mozart and Magic Flute librettist Immanuel Schickaneder, and on the cultural and historical background of the work's origin, there will be guest lectures and performers (musicologists, stage technicians, musicians, specialists in Viennese culture) demonstrating, some of them in a "hands-on" fashion, their expertise in the work - in German of course. Student evaluation based on performance in class participation, regular grammar exercises, essays, oral presentations, and final exam. There are no musical prerequisites for the course. Cost:1 WL:1 (Bailey)
305. Practical German. German 232 or the equivalent. (1). (Excl).
Offered mandatory credit/no credit. This course does not satisfy the language
requirement. May be elected for credit twice.
The objective of this course is to hone your conversational skills by
building a vocabulary which your textbooks do not present. In-class workshops
will recreate and dramatize hypothetical situations in a German-speaking
environment (bank, university, hospital, party). The communicative basis
for a meaningful conversation will continually be enhanced by various word
puzzles and games. Various articles from current newspapers or magazines
will deepen the understanding of cultural, social, and political currents
in German. As these issues are a substantial part of the class discussions,
you are expected to subscribe to a German newsletter via e-mail (gratuitously).
Regular attendance and active class participation are mandatory. You are
required to prepare for classes and give three oral presentations during
the term. Cost:1 WL:1
325. Intermediate German. German 232. (3). (Excl).
The sequence of German 325 and 326 is required for concentration in
German. It is primarily intended to improve fluency and accuracy in written
and spoken German. A portion of each week is devoted to a systematic grammar
review. The remaining class time is devoted to German conversation based
on readings and topics chosen at the discretion of the individual instructor.
A German essay of one or two pages is assigned approximately every week.
One or more five-minute oral presentations may be required. The grade will
be based on the written assignments, performance in class recitations and
a final examination. Cost:2 WL:2 (Paslick, Cowen, VanValkenburg)
Section 003 - Contemporary German Politics and Economics. The goal of this course is to familiarize students with contemporary German politics and economics, and to enable them to read and discuss newspaper articles on these topics on their own. Readings will be taken from German newspapers and magazines, and from German articles on the Internet, supplemented as necessary by excerpts from textbooks on German politics and economics. Strong emphasis will be placed on the development of the vocabulary and grammar required to read such articles. Initially, the instructor will select readings and direct discussion; as the term progresses, students will choose and present some of the readings. Course requirements include regular reading assignments; a journal on these readings; weekly quizzes on vocabulary, grammar, and the content of the previous week's readings; a couple of group presentations; and a final exam. Cost:2 WL:1 (Rastalsky)
326. Intermediate German. German 325. (3). (Excl).
Generally taken after 325. This course is designed to improve proficiency
in written and spoken German. Up to one third of class time will be spent
on grammar review and a weekly composition provides the opportunity to practice
grammatical rules and to develop stylistic flexibility. Class activities
are informal and varied, but German is used throughout the meetings. There
will be ample opportunity for group discussions as well as for brief presentations
by each student. Audio and video tapes will be used repeatedly during the
term. Cost:1 WL:3
350. Business German. German 232 or the equivalent. (3). (Excl).
This course introduces students to the language of business German and
gives them insight into Germany's place in the global economy. The course
is organized around major business and economic topics, such as: the geography
of business in German; the European Union and Germany's roll therein; trade;
traffic and transportation; marketing; industry; money and banking; and
ecology. In addition to the basic text, students will read actual business,
merchandising and advertising material, newspapers and magazines. There
will also be short videos on business and related topics. There will be
three major exams, a number of short reports and papers, and a final exam.
The language of instruction is German. Cost:1 WL:4 (VanValkenburg)
Scandinavian Courses in English Translation
331. Introduction to Scandinavian Civilization. (3). (HU).
The Scandinavian countries are known for their excellent social services
and high degree of social equality. This course is an introduction to as
many aspects of Scandinavian culture as we can cover in a term. Guest lecturers
will visit the class to talk about such topics as history; myth and folklore;
art, architecture, and design; literature and music. The heart of the course
will be a month long segment on the Scandinavian welfare state, including
economic and gender equality, health care, education, housing, the special
problems of minorities, and the challenges facing Scandinavia today. Requirements:
attendance, a modest amount of reading, two papers, a final exam. Cost:3
WL:1 (Herold)