German Course Listings

106. German for Professionals II. 4 semester hours.

Continuation of German 105. Instruction in German 106 is more highly individualized. Students work both independently and in groups to complete portfolio projects designed by individuals in consultation with the instructor. The portfolio reflects the individual student’s personal and professional goals and serves to meet the competency requirement. Enrollment limited to students in the School of Community Education.

105. German for Professionals I. 4 semester hours.

The foundation course of the two-course series designed to meet the needs of professional learners by allowing them to demonstrate competency in German while incorporating their professional interests into their language learning. The course and classroom experience are designed to accommodate the lifestyle of students in the Community Education program. Enrollment is limited to students in the School of Community Education.

106. German for Professionals II. 4 semester hours.

107. Elementary German I in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. 4 semester hours.

Guided in large measure by the same set of learning outcomes that define German 111, German 107 is offered “on site” and employs specially targeted communicative strategies to provide students with the skills necessary for basic day-to-day linguistic survival in Germany. There are no prerequisites for this course.

108. Elementary German II in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. 2 semester hours.

Offered as a tutorial, German 108 employs similar communicative strategies to those defining German 107, but makes use of materials designed exclusively to prepare students for the Council of Europe A2 (or novice-high) competency exam. Prerequisite: Successful completion of German 107 or permission of the instructor.

111. Beginning German I. 5 semester hours.

Fundamentals of grammar, pronunciation, oral practice and laboratory work. Also a basic introduction to German culture. Open to only the beginner, except by permission of instructor. Every year.

112F. Beginning German II. 5 semester hours.

Explication of grammar, continued oral practice, reading of literary and/or cultural texts and related explication of grammar and laboratory work. Prerequisite: German 111 or equivalent. Every year.

140A. Traditions in German Literature. 4 semester hours.

The course introduces students to the literary traditions of German speaking Europe. Representative works are studied and discussed. Lectures, readings and discussions are in English. The course serves to acquaint students with the aesthetic and cultural dimensions of the literary work of art.

230. German Topics. 1-6 semester hours.

Topics, chosen by the instructor, designed to be of interest to the entire campus community. Taught in English or in German, as designated by the instructor. Some sections may be writing intensive. Offered as need arises. This course may be repeated for credit.

Students may be awarded 5 or 6 semester hours for study abroad only

241: Foreign Language Learning Center Tutor Training. 2 semester hours. This two-credit, half semester course is designed to train incoming and potential foreign language tutors for employment in Wittenberg’s Foreign Language Learning Center (FLLC). Students who complete the course will receive a certificate from the College Reading and Learning Association stating that they are certified level 2 tutors. This course is mandatory for employment in the FLLC. Every year. There are no course prerequisites for this course, but students must be recommended by a language faculty member.

260: Aktuelle Fragen der Kultur und Politik (Contemporary Cultural and Political Issues): 2 semester hours

This is a content-based reading and composition course that explores a number of social issues central to the lives of contemporary Germans; it aims to focus on those issues that are distinctively German as well as those more universal concerns that are approached in a distinctively German manner. Prerequisite: successful completion of German 112 or placement. Alternate years.

261: Umwelt: Natur und Kultur (Environment: Nature and Culture): 2 semester hours

This is a content-based reading and conversation course that focuses on the role of the natural environment in the lives of contemporary Germans; it explores some of the distinctive ways in which those Germans express their regard and concern for the natural world. Prerequisite: successful completion of German 112 or placement. Alternate years.

262: Einführung in die Kunst des Übersetzens (Introduction to the Art of Translation) 2 semester hours

An introduction to the theory and practice of good translation, including aconsideration of the demands of translating different types of texts and a consideration of the broader cultural issues inherent in the practice of translation. Review of advanced grammar topics as well. Alternate years. Prerequisite : German 112 or placement at the 200-level.

263: Film und Kultur (Film and Culture): 2 semester hours

This is a content-based composition and conversation course thatuses the medium of film to explore German culture at various points in its evolution overthe past one hundred years. In so far as the setting for each of the movies highlighted below is Berlin, the current manifestation of the course provides historical and contemporary portraits of the German capital in particular. Prerequisite: successful completion of German 112 or placement. Alternate years.

264: Deutsche Geschichte und historische Quellen (German History and Historical Sources) 2 semester hours

Through the study of German, students will read and discuss texts and films that narrate German history and become conversant with major historical events in German-speaking Europe. The course will also help students work on language skills necessary for narrating past events. Alternate years. Prerequisite: German 112 or Placement at the 200-Level

265: Nationale Identität und kulturelle Vielfalt (National Identity and Cultural Diversity) 2 semester hours

Through readings, film, and discussion, students study the histories that have shaped German identity in the twentieth and twenty-first century and which shape contemporary discussions of pluralism in German-speaking Europe. The course also focuses on developing the language skills necessary to engage in basic research and discussion of these issues. Alternate years. Prerequisite : German 112 or placement at the 200-level.

275A/L. Germans and Jews: Culture, Identity and Difference. 4 semester hours.

Study of the issues that have characterized the history of German Jewry in its relationship to German Christendom, focusing on the period from the Enlightenment to the aftermath of the Holocaust. Consideration of the problems of cultural difference, assimilation, European identity and discrimination as reflected in the cultural imagination. German and religion sections meet together on a regular basis. Writing intensive. Alternate years.

330. German Topics. 4 semester hours (1-8 semester hours for study abroad).

Study of special subjects, chosen by the instructor and described in the course schedule each term. May be writing intensive. Offered as need arises. This course may be repeated for credit.

360. “Vom Stasiland zur Ostalgie” [From Stasiland to Ostalgia]. 4 semester hours.

With a focus on the new German states (i.e., those of the former German Democratic Republic), this course examines some of the major cultural responses to the social and political realities of life in Germany since the fall of the Berlin Wall. It explores issues of “cultural memory” as well as some of the consequences of so-called “reunification” for contemporary Germany. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: At least eight semester hours in German at the 200-level or permission of instructor.

362. Naturwissenschaften und Mythos: die Nachtseite der Naturwissenschaften (Natural Sciences and Mythos – Science and Imagination). 4 semester hours.

The course explores the connections between natural sciences and culture, emphasizing ways in which scientific advances both influence and reflect cultural developments. Students will explore connections between the arts and the sciences and between inspiration, creativity and theories of nature as they examine ways in which the scientific and cultural imagination intersect to frame our understanding of our place in the world. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: At least eight semester hours in German at the 200-level or permission of instructor.

364. Nationalbewusstsein und kulturelles Gedächtnis (National Identity and Cultural Memory). 4 semester hours.

The course highlights major historical developments that shape the contemporary sense of German identity and examines how these events contribute to the cultural narrative of what it means to be German. Students will also examine how these narratives change over time to reflect the ways in which different eras look to the past to construct a contemporary sense of community and cultural authenticity. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: At least eight semester hours in German at the 200-level or permission of instructor.

365. “Bunte Republik Deutschland” [Motley Republic of Germany]. 4 semester hours.

This course examines a number of literary, socio-historical and film texts to trace the evolution of Germany as a land of immigration, from the mid-1950s into the new century. It also provides a measure of the contributions by ethnic and linguistic minorities to the contemporary German cultural scene. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: At least eight semester hours in German at the 200-level or permission of instructor.

380. Methods for Teaching Foreign Language (K-12). 4 semester hours.

Course to acquire an understanding of the history and rationale for foreign language instruction and of the relationship between theories of language learning and classroom practice. The student learns to plan, implement, and evaluate language instruction for students at the elementary and secondary school levels, and to enrich curriculum content to promote appreciation of the customs, values and history of other cultures. Field experience is included. Prerequisite: Completion of two 200-level courses in the target language or by permission of the instructor. Alternate years.

410. Period Seminar. 4 semester hours.

In-depth study of a literary movement or period; topic chosen by the instructor. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: One course at 300 level or permission of instructor. Every third year. This course may be repeated for credit.

490. Independent Study. Variable credit.

This course may be repeated for credit.

491. Internship. Variable credit.

This course may be repeated for credit.

499. Honors Thesis/Project. Variable credit.

Prerequisite: 3.50 GPA and permission of the Department Chair.