Course Descriptions

Rapid acquisition of reading proficiency in German. No prior knowledge of German is necessary. Proficiency certification obtained from this course fulfills graduate foreign language requirement is some departments (consult department for information).

Examines the creative reception of cultural artifacts found in oral traditions, religion, politics, historical events and the arts in German-speaking cultures.

Examination of individual texts in relation to theories of genre, with attention to shifting definitions of genre and resistance to generic categories.

Investigates theories of education and their reflection in literary works. The Bildungsroman, for instance, discloses central elements of German culture and society.

This seminar explores critically the nature of language and literature in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in the light of artistic, intellectual-historical, social-political, literary-cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical developments.

The evolution of English sounds, inflections, and vocabulary from earliest times to the present, with attention to historical conditions. Graduate-level requirements include an in-depth research paper.

Explores narratives that construct the Other, the foreigner, and the outsider; discusses the politics of racism, sexism and exclusion using texts from various fields.

Examines the relationship between theories of literature and literary practice, and the question of the nature of writing in general.

Provides a critical overview of literary and intellectual currents of the "modern" period; explores the changing status and social function of literature.

Explores the way German writers have dealt with basic issues of human communications.

Examines the nature and function of minority discourses in German culture and literature.

The course focuses on the interrelationship between images and texts and on images as texts in various medium. Images here are understood as symbolic representations of culture that arise out of social contexts that produce and distribute them both locally and globally.

Intended for MA and PhD students in the second semester of their first year of coursework, this seminar prepares students as generalists in transcultural German Studies in order to acquire extensive historical and generically diverse reading experience and set a clear agenda for their MA examination reading list or PhD comprehensive reading list. To achieve this goal, the course draws the German Studies Department Graduate Handbook and students' research interests, while aiming for parity in representing the fields of literature/culture and applied linguistics, guiding students in assembling their reading lists and committees, and requiring the reading of at least 25 texts that are discussed with a specifically transcultural approach in both English and German.

This introduction to the field of linguistics is designed for German language professionals. It focuses on the lexical and grammatical structures of German and the ways in which language is studied in its socio-cultural, psychological, biological, anthropological, political, and educational contexts.

Intended for advanced MA and PhD students in their last year of coursework (third-semester for MA students, fifth-semester for PhD students), this student- and project-centered seminar helps students bring their previous research projects to a new level of excellence. Students arrive to the seminar with a recently completed German Studies project (whether literary/cultural, applied linguistic, or both), which they wish to turn into a 'publishable' piece of research. This can be a pedagogical lesson-study, a research article, a multi-modal work, or a mixed-methods project. By mid-way in the semester, students will have brought this project to fruition in writing and by way of an oral presentation, so that the remainder of the semester can focus on cultivating advanced competence in interdisciplinary research methods in German Studies, with equal attention afforded to literary/cultural and applied linguistic/pedagogical approaches.

Intercultural Communication (ICC) and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is a graduate course on theory, research and practice of communication between people from different cultures and how it relates to language learning. The course is designed for future language professionals (e.g., teachers, translators, and researchers). It will (a) help them prepare themselves for intercultural encounters and develop the skills needed to communicate effectively and appropriately when interacting and collaborating with people that are culturally different from themselves and (2) it will help them prepare to teach, and/or conduct research about ICC and SLA.

Examination of the semantic, socio-historical and structural development of German from the age of migrations to the present.

Exploration of the concept of literacy in the field of second language acquisition and the role that literature can play in the acquisition and teaching of literacy in a foreign or second language. Includes a critical review of theoretical readings from the fields of applied linguistics, second language acquisition theory, education, pedagogy and stylistics and the development of teaching practices, reflecting these theories.

The interrelationship between music and German literature from the 18th through the 20th century. Concentrates on major works of German drama, poetry and prose, and their musical settings. Lectures in English. Readings primarily in English, some German. Students taking GER 455 for German Studies credit must have advanced proficiency in German. Graduate-level requirements include two oral reports or lectures-recitals on a specific topic. Students taking GER 555 for German Studies credit must have advanced proficiency in German.

This course will combine insights from Translation Studies, applied linguistics, and German cultural / literary studies to help students develop skills, knowledge, and experience in translating a number of literary and non-literary genres, including song texts, short essays, advertising texts, everyday speech, and historical artifacts. We will learn about how to negotiate literal and connotative meaning across codes, idioms, cultures, communities, and symbolic systems. We will explore the idea of "being a translator" as an everyday social and cultural practice. Graduate-level requirements include a final paper.

Taught in German.

This class is intended to prepare students to teach a second/foreign language. It will provide students with the essential foundations in language teaching methodology and theory, pedagogical grammar, curriculum and materials development, classroom management, and formal and informal assessment techniques. In addition, students will gain practical knowledge through video practicum components, which allow them to watch and reflect on actual classroom teaching. Students will complete this program with the pedagogical knowledge and practical understanding necessary to be confident and effective language teachers.

Issues in and methods of applied linguistics with emphasis on Germanic languages. Student taking GER 480 for German Studies credit must have advanced proficiency in German. Graduate-level requirements include an in-depth research paper on an aspect of applied linguistic research. Students taking GER 580 for German Studies credit must have advanced proficiency in German.

The primary objective of this course is the development of language teachers' assessment literacy, which includes knowledge of key assessment principles and skill in creating or adopting assessment tools and procedures for the language classroom. Participants in this course will develop their knowledge and skills related to assessing all skill areas in the language classroom, including productive skills (writing, speaking), receptive skills (reading, listening), and assessing grammar and vocabulary. Grading and student evaluation will also be important topics of consideration and exploration in this course. Designed specifically for in-service (and pre-service) language teachers, the course combines theory with practice by covering essential principles of effective classroom assessment and the development of effective assessment tools for classroom use. Participants completing this course will become more assessment literate and better able to evaluate student performance in their classrooms fairly and effectively.

The development of European literary-political cabaret from its origins in France to its most recent developments in Western and Eastern Europe.

The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.

The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.

The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.

The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.

The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.

The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

The purpose of the Proseminar is to provide incoming SLAT major and minor students with a forum in which they can acquire knowledge about current major issues in the field of Applied Linguistics and methods applied to investigate them, critically engage with research and scholarship, and develop a stance in relation to these major issues. Please register through the SLAT Program Coordinator.

This workshop provides a practical introduction classroom-based action research methods for foreign language teachers and opportunity for instructors to conduct their own research project over the course of the semester. As a teacher-researcher, you will be asked to consider various perspectives on classroom-based action, as well as the processes and issues involved in conducting a teacher inquiry project. As you develop your action research plan, you will learn how to develop research questions, read and assimilate existing research, use different types of data to answer questions, and document ongoing problems/processes with your own teaching.

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.

Survey of major perspectives on second language acquisition processes, including interlanguage theory, the Monitor Model, acculturation/pidginization theory, cognitive/connectionist theory, and linguistic universals. Analysis of research from the different perspectives includes consideration of grammatical, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic dimensions of language learning.

The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.

Research for the master's thesis (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or thesis writing). Maximum total credit permitted varies with the major department.

Research for the doctoral dissertation (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or dissertation writing).