GERMAN 452 A: History of the German Language

Syllabus

German 452/ LING 415                                                                      Prof. Annegret Oehme; oehme@uw.edu

MWF 12:30am-1:20 pm, SMI 305                                        OH: https://oehme.youcanbook.me; Denny 330    

TA: Aaron Carpenter

The History of the German Language

In this course, you will better understand the “biography” of the German language in the geographical areas of its origin and abroad. You will develop a familiarity with the linguistic developments of German as well as the history of research on German, questions of translation (including Martin Luther and the Bible), dialects, language islands, and the language changes under the national-socialist dictatorship 1933-1945. You will understand some of the most important developments in the German language and, thus, explanations of linguistic phenomena encountered in their language acquisition, including verb conjugation and umlaut. Through the initial exploration of the historic linguistic developments in the first half of the class, you will gain an understanding of contemporary German as well as the relationship between language and power in the second part. At the end of the quarter, you will be able to understand better how language reflects historical and social changes and what linguistic phenomena have shaped contemporary German. Further, through constant written engagement with complex linguistic texts, you will better your skills in reading academic texts and formulating your thoughts and questions.

Participation and Classroom Environment

The success of this class depends on you sharing your thoughts and questions. Don’t be shy and share your insights with all – this classroom serves as a space to discuss and learn together. To ensure success and provide a safe environment for everybody, all discussions are expected to be conducted in a respectful manner and in a professional behavior. Diverse experiences and perspectives have an important place in our classroom. I intend to present material in a respectful way regarding gender, sexuality, disability, socioeconomic status, age, culture, ethnicity, race, and disability. Let’s create a welcoming and respectful learning environment together. By participating in this class, you commit to establishing this classroom as a safe environment for everybody. No discriminatory behavior will be tolerated. 

Material

• Ruth Sanders: Biography of a Language (Oxford University Press, 2010), available at the UW bookstore.

Office Hours

Mondays 2-3 pm (in person), Thursdays 3-4 pm (Zoom) https://oehme.youcanbook.me

Assignments

• Quizzes and Collaborative Readings: to be completed on Canvas
• Presentation Dialect: short presentations (including handout) in groups of ca. 4-5 students
• Edu-LARP: preparation of character, participation in discussions, short reflections
• Participation: active participation in class and online, enabled by active preparation

Grade Breakdown

Academic Integrity

In order to foster your own learning and understanding of the material, you have to write your responses independently. Copying or largely paraphrasing another student’s response or other sources for the writing assignments and the final exam will count as cheating and will not be tolerated. In a case of plagiarism or cheating, I will follow UW’s procedures and report the case.

Communication and Office Hours

• I will communicate with you via email and Canvas. Please set your notifications on your account accordingly to get notified about important messages!
• I respond to your messages within 24 hours of receipt during the week. If you email me on Friday afternoon, I may only be able to respond on Monday.
• Sign up for office hours with the reason for your visit here: https://oehme.youcanbook.me.
• Please be respectful and professional in your emails.

Accommodations

UW is committed to providing an equal educational opportunity for all students. If you have documented physical, psychological, or learning disability on file with UW, you may be eligible for reasonable academic accommodations to help you succeed in this course. If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation, please notify me within the first two weeks of the semester so that we may make appropriate arrangements early in the semester. (Additionally, if you have not done so, please register with DRS http://depts.washington.edu/uwdrs)

Religious Accommodation

“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).”