Course Information
101 Second Semester German
This course is designed for beginning students of German. It offers a communicative introduction to the German language and culture and provides beginning German students with the necessary skills for successful communication in today’s rapidly changing world by exposing you to a wealth of spoken and written authentic textual materials. In order to foster accuracy in the language and give you ample opportunities to practice realistic German in authentic contexts, this course is focusing on spoken and written texts with interactive in-class activities to help you learn how to communicate in German in a meaningful way. The ultimate goal is to be able to express your own thoughts and not just repeat memorized dialogues or isolated vocabulary words. Learning German opens doors for you whether your interest in it is cultural or professional, for a short trip or even a long-term stay exploring your family tree. This course offers you to immerse yourself into the German language and the diversity of Germany and its culture.
102 Second Semester German
This course is designed to help you learn how to communicate in German in a meaningful way. The ultimate goal is to be able to express your own thoughts and not just repeat memorized dialogues or isolated vocabulary words. In this course you will develop realistic abilities in: Listening – Speaking – Writing – Communicating. You will learn to use German in context, so that your German will be useful when you (hopefully) travel to a German-speaking country, study or even work there some day! The possibilities with German are endless, not only will your learn the original language of poets and thinkers, but you will find out how beautiful and multilayered this language is and at the same time learn a lot about Germans, their history and culture. Welcome and step into German with us!
203 Third Semester German
The primary goal of German 203 is to help you develop your ability to use German to communicate and to do so with good grammatical and cultural accuracy. The course is the third in a four-course program. By the end of the semester you should be able to understand and contribute to conversations on concrete and predictable topics. You will also be able to read full length texts at the intermediate-low level and will begin to express your opinions in detailed writing. This course includes carefully chosen texts, films and audios that provide you with grammatical, lexical and cultural information and serve as a springboard for your speaking and writing.
204 German in Your Field and Beyond
This course is an attempt to pull together the German grammar skills that you have acquired in the first three semesters through reading, writing and speaking about subjects which interest you. Knowing German will help you in almost any field in which you are interested: architecture, business, engineering, psychology, sociology, computer science, art, music, literature, history, etc. It is now time, with the German you have, to connect to your own field and hear what the Germans are doing and saying! We will be reading the weekly magazine “Focus” online and “Deutsche Welle” online. Both magazines cover the topic areas of politics, finance, business, science and technology, environment and development, health, culture and sports. To extend and solidify your basic vocabulary, to help you master the grammar structures and to better understand the inter- and cross-disciplinary thinking of the respective fields, your learning is facilitated with a wonderful blend of authentic short films, cultural presentations, other engaging short readings that will help you deepen your knowledge about the various topics and fields you are interested in.
331 Intermediate German Grammar and Usage (offered in two formatsf: ace-to-face and online (starting in the Fall of 2012)
This course is an intensive review of the grammar to which you have already been exposed in German 101-204 or the equivalent. Using various approaches, the course will provide meaningful, relevant and communicative practice of those topics. You will begin with a short review and the explanation of important grammatical terms and usage, both in German and English. The body of the course is divided in two parts: 1. a thorough explanation and exercise of the grammar, 2. the application of these grammar skills. There is abundant oral group and pair work and you will be pleased to find many references to classic films, short stories and German TV which give you ample opportunity to get familiar with authentic , current language practice, including idiomatic expressions.
NEW now online Fall 2012
Attend class anytime, day or night. You don’t have to live near to learn.
We now offer an online section of the German 331-Grammar course which is an intensive review of the German grammar. This class is perfect for those students who want to continue to pursue the German language but whose work or class schedule conflict with language classes.
The flexibility, accessibility and convenience of this intermediate level grammar course offers interactive coverage of grammar topics and tries to keep the social interaction through audio, visuals and other cues alive. Assignments, writing projects, quizzes, assessments and tests will be identical to the face-to-face section. The course is tailored to be as interactive as possible to enhance the online experience and keep the social interaction through audio, visuals and other cues alive.
The course will provide online tutorials, interactive audio lessons where appropriate, assignments, quizzes, test, peer reviews of written work and the necessary cultural background in form of brief video clips, music links, news reports or film.
To encourage a sense of being together with other students, albeit in a virtual classroom, a pen-pal forum and a chat room via the social networking site Ning, will be provided to make communication with others easy and desirable.
Prerequisites:
This German class is a prerequisite for our minor and majors. Students must have passed German 101-204 at UWM or scored a 5 on the German language placement test to be eligible for the course.
332 Intermediate Conversation and Composition
With this course we will try to immerse you a little more into the depths of the German mindset, culture and diversity. Some topics will surprise you, others may seem familiar but this course surely offers an exciting mix of topics that will strengthen your German language skills and cater to your cultural or professional interests. The main objective of this class is to create opportunities for you to communicate with others in speaking and in writing. Video clips, pod casts and online texts will serve as a springboard for topics of conversation and composition. German 332 draws on your previous knowledge of German, particularly grammar, and attempts to help you bring that knowledge together in both conversation and composition. Concentrating on a variety of topics throughout the semester, we will work on building your vocabulary, improving your speaking skills and refining your writing abilities.
112 German Life and Civilization II
The ultimate goal in democratic countries as far as identity is concerned, is the nurturing of competence and independent and critical historical thinking. As the focus of this course is on German life and civilization since the beginning of
WW II, a thorough look into Germany’s historical, political, cultural and social make-up is offered. The students will become acquainted with the historical and cultural heritage of the German speaking lands and recognize how this background affects the way in which the German people view the world today.
415 German History through Movies
German films have often been closely connected to the cultural and social background from which they materialized. For this reason many German movies can be looked at as stimulating commentaries on society, politics and culture. Thus, a wide variety of mostly German films will be viewed and be treated as cultural artifacts that will enlighten you about important facts and topics in German history and culture. The course is designed for students with no background in either film or German history but who are either interested or are curious about one or the other. The class sessions are divided in an introductory lecture, related readings, discussions and the screening of
films with follow-up discussions.
111 German Life and Civilization I
The historical and cultural heritage of Germany from earliest times to 1806: major figures and developments in German art, literature, music, philosophy, and language. In English.
115 Seminar on Scandinavian Cultures
In-depth study of a specific topic in Scandinavian culture, e.g., theatre, film, literature, women’s issues, etc.
215 Reading for Research
Basic grammatical principles and linguistic structures, augmented by individually-supervised readings in the student’s field of specialization. Designed for students preparing for reading examinations.
333 Analysis of German Texts
Introduction to a variety of texts in German; overview of basic textual analysis skills.
334 Introduction to German Literature and Culture
Survey of German literature and culture from 1750 to the present.
525 Seminar on Advanced German Translation
Refinement of translation skills; concentration on specific types of texts.
625 Advanced German Grammar and Usage
Analysis and discussion of a variety of text topics and genres. Practice in speaking and writing German; attention to written accuracy and sophistication of form.
647 Seminar on Themes and Motifs in German Literature
Recurring patterns and figures in the major genres.
672 German for Professional Purposes
Language and structures of Germany’s professional world. Historical, political, legal, economic, social and cultural forces shaping Germany today.
681 Seminar on Themes and Motifs in German Literature
Historical development of the German language from its beginnings to the present.
For Online Options the following Link could help:
