Course Descriptions

Introduction to German language and culture, developing basic communication skills for learners with no prior knowledge of German (not including GER courses offered in English for General Education).

Introduction to German language and culture, extending basic communication skills (second semester).

Accelerated introduction to German language and culture, developing basic communication skills (equivalent to GER 101 and GER 102).

The goal of the course is to provide students with important tools to help them become successful foreign language learners. Students will become familiar with basic elements of language such as parts of speech and the pronunciation of new sounds as a means of enabling them to anticipate and effectively deal with problems in pronunciation, vocabulary building, and sentence formation that often come up in foreign language study. They will also learn about the intertwining of culture and language, such as how expressions of politeness and body language differ across cultures. They will also be exposed to different language teaching and learning styles, typical mistakes language learners make, and strategies for making language learning more effective. This information will be presented in the context of the wide variety of languages taught at the University of Arizona

This course explores the human ability to acquire and maintain two, three, or more languages over a lifetime (i.e., the ability to become multilingual). It examines the factors that contribute to successful language learning and maintenance and that counteract language forgetting and loss. It discusses ways (methods, approaches, and strategies) through which languages can be taught in child-and adulthood, in family and school settings, and demonstrates the importance of multilingual and multicultural skills in a variety of professions. At the end of the course, participants will have gained insights that will help them make informed decisions with respect to their own language learning and use while in college, in their professional careers, and in their (future) families.

This course helps students prepare for challenges of intercultural communication during study, work, and travel abroad and in their home country. Using perspectives and methods from various disciplines, we analyze differences in verbal and nonverbal behavior, communication style preferences, intercultural relationships, conflict resolution styles, and adaption to life in culturally different environments(including in education, tourism, business, and healthcare contexts).

What is life? This course invites you to probe the definitions of one of the most central terms of human existence from A like animation (or animals, AI, aliens) to Z like zombies. In order to understand and critically examine what constitutes life in diverse cultural contexts and at different historical moments, and how these definitions have been shaping the way various life forms have been treated, we will engage with interdisciplinary perspectives from the sciences, arts, and humanities that will help us explore the ethical, (bio)political, and aesthetic consequences of defining life and its limits.

This course will introduce the history and culture of the German-speaking world from the Middle Ages to the present. There will be reading about the historical events and developments that have shaped this part of Europe, and some literary and other cultural texts that reflect those developments. No knowledge of German is required, and all readings, lectures, and discussions will be in English.

Courtly love was a discovery of the High Middle Ages and became the dominant theme in literature, the arts, philosophy, and even in religion. This course will examine the concept of love as discussed by medieval poets from the 11th through the 15th centuries and cover the wide spectrum of European history culture seen through the lenses of the theme of "love."

In this course, students critically examine representations of health and well-being (e.g., bodies, (dis-)ability and care) in literature, film, drawings, photography, and other popular media with a particular focus on German language choices, history, and culture. Whether drawing on examples of bodies as sites of pain in the Middle Ages or the logic of homeopathy as "like can cure like", students will analyze performances of "healthy" bodies in the German-speaking world and interrogate how language is used in these contexts from the past to the present. Taught in English.

Introduction to German language and culture, refining communication skills (third semester).

Topic-based practice of communication skills in German (listening, reading, speaking, writing), systematic review of German grammar (fourth semester).

Intensive practice of communication skills in German (listening, reading, speaking, writing), systematic review of German grammar (equivalent to GER 201 and GER 202).

In this course, students will critically examine the language of fascist propaganda in literature, film, speeches, and pamphlets, with a particular focus on German history and culture. Drawing on examples of active resistance to the logic of fascist ideology, students will analyze performances of propaganda and interrogate the power of language from the past to the present. Taught in English.

Grand global challenges require broad thinking. For centuries, philosophers, theologians, playwrights, and poets writing in German have been grappling with the deeper questions of the human condition. From theologian Martin Luther to the political theorist Hannah Arendt, from the philologist Friedrich Nietzsche to the dancer Pina Bausch, German thinkers and dreamers have been exploring the possibilities and limitations of the human intellect in action. This course takes a wide-angle look at what German-speaking intellectual history can tell us about the world in 2013, and about the complex cultural and social history leading up to today.

In this course, students study conversational talk and its relationship to broader topics like identity, sexism, racism, and linguistic discrimination in the humanities, literary studies, cultural studies, and applied linguistics. This course emphasizes the conversational experiences of those who experience privilege and marginalization, drawing on intercultural texts and perspectives originating in German-language contexts. Using the tools and methods of conversation analysis, students collect and analyze their own conversations and learn how to write for a variety of discipline-specific contexts and genres. Taught in English.

This course explores shifting attitudes towards science, technology, nature, and the environment in the German-speaking world, through a range of cultural works (e.g., media documents, literary texts, films). In addition to examining the ways in which technological and ecological ethics have changed over history, the course will also consider what roles cultural works have played in public debates around scientific discoveries and technological advances.

How did the world become the way we know it today? Who or what challenged existing ideas and ways of thinking? Which watershed moments forever altered the future? This course features ideas that changed the world, experiences that left nobody the same, and stories that made a difference through the lens of the German-speaking world. It explores key moments in German culture, history, literature, and art and their relevance for today's world. Taught in English.

The 19th century introduces us to the strange figures with which we have become fascinated: We only need to turn on the TV to find these same fairy tales and magical events, mythical creatures and hybrid monsters, ghosts and other undead. These motifs, their contexts, and their development in the past and present will guide us in our exploration of 19th-century literature, art, and music of the German-speaking countries from romanticism to the cusp of modernism. Taught in English.

To view a closely related culture from the standpoint of our own lives; to get a critical perspective on the spontaneous assumptions we make about gendered individuals and their societies. Taught in English.

What innovations can a moment of extreme crisis bring to a society? From the radicals and reactionaries of Weimar Berlin to the student movements of the 1960s and the fall of the Berlin Wall, German society has born witness to unprecedented traumatic and regenerative moments of social crisis and creative rebellion. Focusing on the economic, aesthetic, moral, and political transformations of one particular moment of crisis, this course explores how deep collective uncertainty can lead to booms of creativity across boundaries in music, literature, fine arts, pop culture, architecture, and film. Taught in English

Discussion of essential texts from the Middle Ages which offer fundamental answers, 1) such as gender, class conflicts, death, happiness, and God. 2) gender is treated as an analytical topic. Taught in English.

German 301 is an intermediate/advanced course for students to expand their knowledge of the cultural history of the German-speaking countries. The course advances students' ability to discuss and write critically about literature, film, and other cultural artifacts related to key moments in German history. Taught in German.

Development of conversational competence including speaking and listening skills and pragmatic awareness, with a focus on topics related to contemporary German-speaking societies.

German 303 is an intermediate/advanced course designed to foster students' language abilities through contemporary cultural works, e.g. short stories, podcasts, music, and digital texts. The course emphasizes the development of literacy and intercultural awareness. This course is not open to native or near-native speakers of German. Taught in German.

Overview of current topics in the analysis of German, including phonetics/phonology, morphology, syntax, the lexicon, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics. Taught in German.

German 311 is an intermediate/advanced course, in which students explore the range of German expression through performative works, e.g. theater, television, and film. The focus is on spoken language use, social interaction, and the performance of speech. Taught in German.

Introduce students to at least three of the most important European/German heroic epics and to challenge them in their thinking about war and death, and the role of the hero.

German 315 is an intermediate/advanced course for students who want to develop linguistic and cultural proficiency in skills related to professional life in German-speaking countries. The emphasis is on practical, career-oriented competencies, e.g., interviews, job search and application materials, workplace communication and presentation, etc. Taught in German.

Today, more than ever, we need to discuss and explore the topic of tolerance, and examine the roots of this philosophical and ethical approach to human life. We will trace the discourse on toleration and then tolerance from biblical times through the Middle Ages until the late eighteenth century, giving equal weight to ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment texts, such as romances, poetry, treatises, plays, and prose novellas. The course intends to educate students about the history of tolerance and make them to experts in the relevant discourse.

This course provides a historical overview from the 1920s to the present, with a focus on genres and movements such as expressionism, film noir, propaganda, New German Cinema, the Berlin School, by filmmakers such as Lang, Murnau, Riefenstahl, Ade and Akin. Films will be analyzed and discussed as aesthetic works and historical cultural products, and social issues such as gender, class, race, ethnicity and national identity will be explored. This course may be applied toward the major or minor.

Germany is often hailed as a world leader in environmentalism in the American news. Germany's sustained environmentalist practices rely not only on laws and business incentives, they have also been shaped by and continue to create a culture of environmentalism. This course will unpack environmentalist culture in Germany by examining its current expressions, its sources in the past, and its stake in the future, while comparing these findings to US attitudes toward the environment.

This course introduces students to topics that shape contemporary Germany. We will examine a broad range of topics addressed in films, literature, public debates and consider Germany's role in a global setting. Taught in English.

Introduction to a variety of twentieth-century women writers and film makers in German-speaking countries. Texts will range from literary works to essays, films, and videos of theater performances. Taught in English.

Explores the themes of love, madness, decay and death as they appear in the works of major writers, artists, composers and thinkers associated with Vienna at the turn of the century, 1880-1920. Taught in English.

Focuses on the contributions of Jewish writers to German culture. Taught in English.

Introduction to the culture and literature of the Middle Ages, seen through a large variety of poems, treatises, epics, art works, sculptures, and also music. The course will combine historical with literary and art-historical perspectives.

Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of training and practice in actual service in a technical, business, or governmental establishment.

Examines how German writers, artists, or filmmakers have sought to come to terms with the past. Taught in German.

Focuses on a wide range of narratives from various historical periods dealing with representations of love. Taught in German.

Germany as a multicultural society, critical exploration of "minority" voices and the construction of identity within a dominant culture, through literature, film, and essays. Taught in German.

This course highlights a particular topic in German culture of the present and/or past, featuring works from literature, visual culture, and other cultural artifacts. Taught in German.

The course explores the presence of African-Americans in Berlin and the social, historical contexts in which these transcultural exchanges took place. It looks at the fascinating history of African Americans in Berlin from artists and musicians to writers, scientists and political activists; when African Americans came to Berlin, life for them at home and abroad changed forever. Questions of race, gender and cultural interactions throughout the twentieth century are investigated. Germany will be looked at through the encounter with African-Americans and the discourses of celebration and/or fear that emerged.

Introduction to the language and literature.

Beowulf: Study of the poem in the original language.

Focuses on the topic of cultural boundaries: investigates such themes as travel writing, unification, postmodernism, and cross-cultural dialogue. Taught in German.

Ways in which Jews, Judaism, and Jewishness have been represented in German texts. Students taking this course for German Studies credit must have advanced proficiency in German.

Explores constructions of personal, cultural, religious, social, gender, and national identity in German culture by looking at a variety of texts. Taught in German.

This course will introduce students to Germany's politics and society. Starting with a survey of modern German history from World War II until today, the course continues with a discussion of its political system and selected policies such as immigration and energy policy. Germany's post-war history, politics and policies are deeply interwoven with Europe. The increasingly prominent German role in the European Union and the world will also be analyzed. The class ends with a unit on Berlin, the artistic and multicultural capital of Europe. Students taking this class are expected to engage in class readings and discussions, develop and prepare their own research paper and present them to their peers. Prior knowledge of German is helpful but not a requirement.

Individual or small group research under the guidance of faculty.

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.

A culminating experience for majors involving a substantive project that demonstrates a synthesis of learning accumulated in the major, including broadly comprehensive knowledge of the discipline and its methodologies. Senior standing required.

An honors thesis is required of all the students graduating with honors. Students ordinarily sign up for this course as a two-semester sequence. The first semester the student performs research under the supervision of a faculty member; the second semester the student writes an honors thesis.

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work.