Below you find a list of courses I have taught in recent years.
Graduate Courses
GER 588: Culture in Communication
In this course, we will investigate how culture manifests itself in the speech events of everyday conversation. After a brief introduction to the methodology of conversation analysis, we will compare the pragmatics of speech events such as telephone openings, compliments, offers, requests, apologies, etc. across different languages (specifically, we will compare English data with data from German, Persian, Spanish, French, and Japanese). This comparison will go hand-in-hand with a discussion of methodological aspects of interculturality, the relationship of language and culture, cross-cultural communication, and the implications for language acquisition and teaching.
GER 588: Repair in Native Speaker and Learner Interaction
This course introduces you to conversation analysis (CA) as a (qualitative) methodology for investigating native and non-native speaker interaction inside and outside of the language classroom. Specifically, we read conversation analytic literature on negotiation of meaning, repair, native/nonnative speaker interaction and classroom discourse. Throughout the course, we compare CA accounts of negotiation of meaning to those from within the framework of interactionist accounts of second language acquisition, and we discuss what (if anything) CA can contribute to second language acquisition research. Thus questions of adequate research methodologies with respect to research questions and research design are discussed throughout the semester.
GER 588: Pragmatics in Second Language Learning and Teaching
This graduate level seminar explores the acquisition and teaching of pragmatics in second and foreign language classrooms. It familiarizes students with several theories of second language pragmatic development and provides a critical analysis of various methodological approaches within the field. In addition, the course will focus on a) the acquisition of pragmatics in immersion settings and in classroom contexts, b) the effects of teaching pragmatics, and c) issues in the assessment of students’ pragmatic abilities. In the course of the semester, we will also discuss the role of study abroad, the connection between pragmatic and grammatical development, and individual learner perspectives. In addition, students will learn how to read and critically evaluate research by others and to generate their own sound research proposals. An effort will be made to incorporate data from and articles about the major language families represented in the SLATE program.
GER 588 Educational Entrepreneurship: Teaching Language Across the Curriculum
Approximately 10% of all job advertisements in modern languages in this year’s Modern Language Association Joblist mention Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) courses (e.g., business and entrepreneurship language courses, language for engineering or the medical profession, community based learning, service learning) either as a requirement or as preferred selection criterion. Moreover, the majority of job advertisements specifically mention program building, outreach, and interdisciplinary connections to other departments as desirable interests of potential candidates.
This graduate seminar will prepare graduate students to develop and teach undergraduate courses in LAC that incorporate entrepreneurial principles. It will not only teach graduate students about principles and methods of LAC and about various forms of entrepreneurship, but will do so by using entrepreneurial methods. This course thus complements traditional teaching methods courses in that it prepare students in the teaching methodologies specific to LAC courses (content based instruction, community based learning, service learning, simulations, case studies etc.), and in curriculum design and development, and in identifying and “exploiting” opportunities to connect language courses with other subject areas or to the community (measures which typically attract new student populations and foster connections between disciplines). The course provides students with the tools and resources, both theoretical and practical, to engage in educational entrepreneurship and to develop their own LAC course.
Undergraduate Courses
GER 320: German for Business
This course covers different aspects of the German business world and the German economy within its European context. It will familiarize you with verbal and written communication as it is typical in a business environment. In addition to studying general business culture and business etiquette in Germany, you will learn about various companies, their organization, and their business transactions. In the final part of the course, we will also discuss how to apply for jobs and internships in the German-speaking countries.
GER 321: German for Economics
GER 321 covers different aspects of the German business world and the German economy within its European context. The goal of the course is to familiarize you with topics, vocabulary and structures used in economic matters in the German-speaking countries. Topics to be covered are economic geography, Germany’s economic system, the role of unions, globalization, the European Union, advertisement, and the environment. We will work with authentic, up-to-date texts, graphs, and video clips. Hence, the course offers oral and written practice to hone your language skills and to acquaint you with business/economic aspects of the German-speaking countries. Thus, the course is not only of interest to students majoring in commercial German or international business, but also to those intending to live or work abroad.