Spring 2027

Not open for credit to students who have had two or more years of high-school German. Such students should contact the German undergraduate director for more information.

 Taught by Christopher Power in person (470:102:01) and Alexander Pichugin online (470:102:90)

This course will continue introducing students to the language and culture of German-speaking countries, using both prepared and authentic materials with theme-related vocabulary and grammatical structures. Students will have the opportunity to practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking in German through in-class activities and homework assignments. The program of the course corresponds to the Level A2 (Elementary) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a widely accepted European standard for language proficiency. By the end of the semester students will be able to:

• understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
• communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
• describe in simple terms aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.More specifically, students will be able to:
• understand non-fiction texts on some topics, including classified ads
• talk about migration, backgrounds, and languages, compare cities and countries
• talk about families and everyday life, about city and country life
• describe people
• talk about travel
• talk about leisure, hobbies and interests, as well as holidays and traditions
• talk about media
• talk about inventions, products and goods
• organize a trip to a theater, etc.
• talk about professional life
• leave a message on the phone
• express emotions and react to them using language

The course is taught in German with some explanation of grammar points in English. 

This course will introduce students to the language and culture of German-speaking countries focusing on the language competencies particularly relevant in travel situations.

By the end of the semester students will be able to speak about themselves in general and as travelers, ask basic questions about travel, discuss their travel interests and express likes and dislikes, speak about German-speaking countries and their inhabitants, orient themselves in means of transportation and accommodations used in Europe, purchase tickets and book hotel rooms on German-language websites.

The course is taught in German with some explanation of grammar points and cultural references in English. Not open to students who have completed 01:470:102 or the equivalent.

Prerequisite: 01:470:131 or placement.

 Taught by Nadja von Bossel

In this course students will further develop their competencies in German language and culture of the German-speaking countries on the intermediate level, using both prepared and authentic materials with theme-related vocabulary and grammatical structures. Students will have the opportunity to practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking in German through various in-class activities and homework assignments. Using a variety of media, such as written texts, video, and audio clips, students will explore the course’s five major themes: Climate and Environment; Social Behaviors; Generations; Migration; Europe.

The program of the course corresponds to the Level B1.2, which is the first half of Level B1 (Intermediate) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a widely accepted European standard for language proficiency. By the end of the course sequence, students will be able to understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.; deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken; produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest; describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

The course is taught in German with some explanation of grammar points in English.

Fulfills SAS core goal AHq

Professor Martha Helfer

In English. No prerequisites.

01:470:225:01 1st-year section
01:470:225:02 2nd-year section
01:470:225:03 3rd-year section
01:470:225:04 4th-year section

This course analyzes the structure, meaning, and function of fairy tales and their enduring influence on literature and popular culture. While we will concentrate on the German context, and in particular the works of the Brothers Grimm, we also will consider fairy tales drawn from a number of different national traditions and historical periods, including the American present. Various strategies for interpreting fairy tales will be examined, including methodologies derived from structuralism, folklore studies, gender studies, and psychoanalysis. We will explore pedagogical and political uses and abuses of fairy tales. We will investigate the evolution of specific tale types and trace their transformations in various media from oral storytelling through print to film, television, and the stage. Finally, we will consider potential strategies for the reinterpretation and rewriting of fairy tales.

All sections meet together. No prerequisites. Taught in English.Satisfies SAS Core Curriculum Requirements AHp, WCd.

Taught in German

Taught by Nino Maly-Motta

In this course students will further develop their competencies in the German language and culture of the German-speaking countries towards the upper intermediate level, using both prepared and authentic materials with theme-related vocabulary and grammatical structures. Students will have the opportunity to practice listening, reading, writing, and speaking in German through various in-class activities and homework assignments.

Using a variety of media, such as written texts, video, and audio clips, students will explore the course’s eight major themes: Extreme Things; Nature and Technology, Lifestyles; Sites and Events; Volunteering; Architecture; Germans; Streets and Stories.

The program of the course corresponds to Level B2 (Upper Intermediate) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a widely accepted European standard for language proficiency.

The course is taught in German with some explanation of grammar points in English. 

Taught by Prof. Nicola Behrmann

This course is about the practice and pleasures of very close reading: We will analyze short literary and philosophical texts, diary entries, songs, and letters in German, beginning with half a page and, over the course of the semester, increasing to no more than five pages. Always accompanied by a dictionary, sometimes by a translation, we will pay close attention to words, dashes, exclamation marks, and to what happens in between the lines. On the menu for the Fall are extraordinary and extremely short texts by Theodor W. Adorno, Ilse Aichinger, Ingeborg Bachmann, Walter Benjamin, Peter Bichsel, Ernst Bloch, Bertolt Brecht, Danger Dan, Johann Peter Hebel, Emmy Hennings, Franz Kafka, Heinrich von Kleist, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Robert Walser. Music and artworks will accompany each of these texts and be studied very closely as well.

Prerequisites: Simultaneous enrollment in/prior completion of German 231 or equivalent.
Core Credits: AHp & WCd.
*hours by arrangement/meets once a week*

Taught by Artun Ak

Cross-listed with Cinema Studies 01:175:349:01 

Taught in English. No prerequisites.

Contemporary German and European Cinema

Students will be introduced to a variety of contemporary German and European films from 2007 to the present which reflect upon the current cultural and socio-political climate of the European Union. In light of the 2008 economic crisis, the refugee and humanitarian crisis, the Corona pandemic as well as the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the EU has seen a troubling resurgence of inequality, racism, and political hatred. We will tackle these issues through close critical analysis and ask ourselves what it means to build and maintain a European Union after 1945. Pairing the formal and stylistic specificities of contemporary German & European filmmaking with essays, poems, and short fiction by young, post-migrant, and queer voices, we will investigate the formation of history, memory, and cultural identity in Europe today, shed light on the role of film festivals, consider the impact of streaming platforms, and reframe the concept of national cinema. The course includes several workshops to train and hone your writing skills, including instructions on how to write a film review. Additionally, you will get to know and personally interact with filmmakers via virtual guest visits.

Satisfies SAS Core requirements AHp and WCD.