Dear all,
 
As we look ahead to the beginning of Ramadan, please let your instructors know how they may be able to help by adjusting availability of exams, adjusting assignment due dates and times, etc. If you are in a multi-section course and it would be helpful for you to attend a section at a different time of day, please discuss options with your instructor!
 
Tomorrow (Wednesday 4/7) at 4 p.m. is this semester’s last opportunity to participate virtually in Yoga auf Deutschwith the Max Kade students.
 
This week’s German Club Trivia Night (Thursday, April 8, 7-8 p.m) will take place in collaboration with 4 other language clubs on campus: Le Comité Francophone, Spanish Club, the Italian Student Association, and Scandinavian Club. 
 
A current senior at the University of Maryland Baltimore County is writing an honors thesis entitled “Reading Aloud in German“. He is requesting your assistance to pursue his work, and he would be thankful if you complete the survey by Friday, April 9.
 
On Friday, April 9, you can attend the “Globally Engaged Career Panel” where students who completed the Masters in International and Regional Studies (MIRS) will talk about their career experience. One of the panelists is a student who graduated with a German major from UM.
 
All current juniors who are planning to graduate in 2022, may want to consider applying for an English Teaching Assistantship in Germany/Europe through Fulbright. The application deadline is not until late in August, but the preparation of a successful application is difficult, and the selection is competitive.
 
German Convo Home Edition continues to meet on Wednesdays from 6-7, and/or you can take a stroll outside with Mary Gell for German Convo on the Go on Thursdays, 4-5 p.m; meet at the  Bell Tower at 4. Both are a great opportunity to speak German in a smaller group!
 
The Course Guide for Fall 2021 courses is online.  Here is the list of German dept. classes offered in Spring/Summer/Fall 2021. Please note that even if you already know your plans for German language classes, the list also includes a wide variety of interesting courses in English. If you have questions please contact our advisors, Mary and Kalli. We also strongly encourage you to contact one of the German Peer Mentors, who are undergraduates and who have taken/are taking our German courses.. See the “German Courses & Majoring/Minoring in German” section below for contact info.
 
Other highlights from this week’s email, and what section to check for more details:
  • Conversation Opportunities – Conversation Hours, German Lab
  • Study Abroad, Internships, Scholarship Deadlines – Study Abroad/Internships/Scholarship Info
  • Advising Info – German Courses & Majoring/Minoring in German
  • Conversation Partner Options – Miscellaneous
  • International Center Global Engagement and Education Abroad email list – Miscellaneous
  • Reserving Study Spaces & Adjusting Your Study Habits During COVID – Miscellaneous
  • Finding German Films and Series Online – Miscellaneous
  • Arts & Culture “Attend at Home” event listings – Local Events and Opportunities
 
Max-Kade Event: “Yoga auf Deutsch (Wednesday, April 7, 4 p.m.; Virtual)
 
“German Convo: Home Edition (Wednesday, April 7, 6-7 p.m.; Virtual) and “German Convo on the Go” (Thursday, April 8, 4-5 p.m.; Bell Tower)
 
 
German Club: “Trivia Night” (Thursday, April 8, 7-8 p.m.; Virtual)
 
Max-Kade Event: “Kaffeestunde” (Thursday, April 8, 8-9 p.m.; Virtual)
 
 
 
Max-Kade Event: “Deutschtisch (Sunday, April 11, 7-8 p.m.; Virtual)
 
Considerations for International Travel (Friday, April 16, 2-3 p.m.; Virtual)
 
LSA Internship Scholarship (Monday, April 26; Application Deadline)

The German Lab is a virtual office hour taking place Monday-Thursday 1-4 pm. You can ask shorter and longer questions, come for conversation practice, help with homework etc. Here is more info about the German Lab – please take advantage of this great resource! Please sign up in advance on the German Lab Signup: instructors will check the signup at the beginning of their German Lab hour, and will leave the lab for that hour if no one has signed up.

German Convo Home Edition” (Wednesdays 6-6:50) and “German Convo on the Go” (Thursdays 4-5, weather permitting) will take place weekly. More details:

  • German Convo Home Edition”: This is on hiatus this week for the Feb 24 Wellness Break. Fun with German conversation and games. This event will take place remotely each week, regardless of the weather conditions on the internet (haha). Here is the Zoom link.
  • German Convo on the Go” will take place in person, outdoors, Thursdays from 4-5, weather permitting. Meet at the Bell Tower facing the League between 4-4:10; we’ll head out from there for a chat and stroll. Email Mary Gell to confirm whether the weather will permit the event, or if you are late and need to find the group. Look for Mary in a white hat with  the German flag colors, black, yellow and red.
  • All students at all levels are welcome to come and chat in German at both meetings!

Look for links to Max Kade events (Kaffeestunde, Deutschtisch, Yoga auf Deutsch) in the “Upcoming Deadlines and Events” section!

LRC Conversation Partner Site

Go to this page to sign up or find a conversation partner. Please notify the LRC if you notice problems (e.g. outdated records etc.). Don’t be shy: the more people sign up, the better the site will work!

Ann Arbor Stammtisch

  • We assume Stammtisch is on hiatus for now. Please let us know if you have information about virtual meetings of the Stammtisch, so we can include it here!
  • A German Stammtisch meets once a week, usually on Thursdays at 8:00 pm at Grizzly Peak or another bar near Main Street. Join the email list to stay up-to-date on where and when the group will meet.
  • There’s also a facebook page: look for “German Table / Stammtisch”
  • Alternatively, contact Mechthild Heerde-Olind at heerdeolind@yahoo.com for the current location and for more information.
  • This is NOT something you can do to make up an absence, but you can still go for fun and/or write about it for an AMD.
See the “Upcoming Deadlines and Events” section for this week’s German Club activities!
 
The German Club works to connect students of all levels with a passion for German language and culture to opportunities for language practice, cultural events, and networking! This semester, its events have been adjusted to allow for fully remote participation, and you are encouraged to come to as many or few as you would like! In addition to virtual Stammtisch (German conversation table), the German Club will offer events such as online game nights, virtual German cook-alongs, tutoring, and more.

Email germaneboard@umich.edu to get put on the email list, or “like” the club on Facebook at facebook.com/germanclubumich for updates!

Faculty Advisors Mary Rodena-Krasan & Kalli Federhofer

Contact our two faculty advisors, Mary or Kalli, for advice on study abroad, internships abroad, a German major/minor, upper-level German courses, career opportunities in German, study-abroad and work-abroad opportunities, etc.

German Peer Advisors/Mentors

If you would like to get in touch with a peer mentor in our Department, please write to: germanmentors@umich.edu. Their expertise includes:

  • Current classes and potential courses
  • Study abroad, internship, and traveling in Germany
  • Academic requirements (major/minor, LSA language requirement) and combination (engineering, pre-health, etc.)
  • Max Kade House
  • Departmental scholarships/fellowships
  • On- and off-campus German opportunities (German Club, German Day, etc.)
  • Career/job search
  • Getting involved – enhancing your undergraduate experience with the German Department

This page will only include entries in this category when there is a job/internship etc. aimed at German students at all levels. To see more internship and job opportunities, scroll through Kalli’s blog, addressed to all upper-level German students

Check out the arts.umich.edu “Attend at Home” event listing for this week. Each week’s listing includes a wide range of exciting events, including
  • that week’s Penny Stamps Lecture (A high-profile artist or public figure speaks about their work each week. These lectures are a highlight of UM’s intellectual life. If you aren’t aware of this series, please read more about the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series here, where you can also see a list of upcoming speakers)
  • virtual exhibits, lectures, discussions etc.

There are two German Department facebook groups:

  • “German Advising at University of Michigan” [Read news here!]
    • Join this group to see much of the information you see in this email, as well as other relevant info, in the form of individual announcement posts.
  • “German Program at University of Michigan – Vorwärts Blau!” [Post things here!]
    • You are encouraged to join this group to in order to read and post interesting/fun items related to German language and culture. If you have trouble joining the group or posting something, please email Hartmut!

AND there is a German Department facebook page. Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/umichGerman/

You can find weekly updates similar to this email but with lots more content on this blog.

We also encourage you to join us on our LinkedIn site: ‘University of Michigan German Department’

You can also follow us on Twitter: @umichGerman

Conversation Partner Options: Various options for finding conversation partners are listed on this page.

Sign up here for the International Center’s Global Engagement and Education Abroad email list. Weekly emails include info on workshops regarding travel and work abroad, conversation groups, cultural info sessions etc. SEHR interessant!

Study Advice: “Adjusting Your Study Habits During COVID”

  • If you are looking for ways to structure studying under these new circumstances, here is some great advice for adjusting your study habits. VIELEN Dank to the German Club’s Paul Chamberlain for finding this. It is full of excellent advice. I am a big fan of the “Pomodoro method” for focussed “mono-tasking.”
  • If you are on campus, the Study Spaces at U-M website helps you find and reserve study spaces.

Student Resources for Learning Remotely; Virtual BlueCorps office hours for students

Finding German Films and Series