Liebe Studis – Dear students,
 
The weekly conversation opportunities (Convo on the Go, Max Kade Deutschtisch & Kaffeestunde) end this week (or ended already last week: Schokoladenstunde, Kreativwerkstatt), and will resume in January. The German Lab will be open through Monday, December 11, and then will re-open in January.
 
Today (December 5) is the early application deadline for the Academic Year in Freiburg 2024-2025. If you have any questions, you can ask Mary or Kalli – their contact info is in the Advising section of the full email. If you still consider this study abroad option but need more time to reflect, you can also apply by Thursday, February 1.
 
Sua Lee, a School of Music (piano) major and German minor (class of 2022), is now pursuing fully funded graduate work in Weimar. She is returning to Ann Arbor to give a recital on Thursday, December 21.
 
If you are interested in becoming a German middle school or high school teacher, we encourage you to attend an information session on Thursday, January 18, 3:30 p.m., MLB 4314, RLL Commons.
 
The course guide for Winter 2024 is online and there are still spaces in German courses. Here is the list of German dept. classes offered in Winter 2024. 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.
 
Reminders from earlier emails:

If you are graduating in December 2023 or May/August 2024, you can apply for a US Teaching Assistantship in Austria. It is not necessary to have taken education courses here. The application deadline will be Monday, January 15, 2024.

A number of informal weekly German conversation opportunities are taking place on campus, such as meetings of the German Club, in the Max Kade German Residence, and three weekly activities offered through the German Department, Convo on the Go, Schokoladenstunde, and Kreativwerkstatt. Everyone is invited to attend. You can earn 2 “A&P Tally” make-up points by attending any of these events! (German Club, Max Kade Kaffeestunde or Deutschtisch, or the German dept events). Here are more details about the events offered through the German department:

  • Schokoladenstunde” will convene on Mondays at 5 p.m. in the Language Resource Center in North Quad (in the comfortable seating area between the two computer classrooms.) There will be some German chocolate to snack on. Silvia Grzeskowiak (sgrzesko@umich.edu) will bring games, and the hour will be spent chatting and playing games in German (e.g. Tabu.)
  • German Convo on the Go” will meet on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. at Burton Tower for a 1-hour walk and talk with Mary Gell (magell@umich.edu). This event happens ‘rain (or snow) or shine’.
  • Kreativwerkstatt (click here for a flyer!):” Chat in German and express yourself creatively. Crafting, coloring, painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, crochet, embroidery, origami? At the weekly German “Kreativwerkstatt,” which takes place on Thursdays at 3 p.m. in 3308 MLB, you will combine speaking German (any level welcome, beginners included!!) and creatively expressing yourself. You are encouraged to bring your own materials or (ongoing) projects, but we will also provide some materials and prompts each week. If you have questions about “Kreativwerkstatt” please contact Laura Okkema (lokkema@umich.edu) or Iris Zapf-Garcia (iriszaga@umich.edu.)

The “German Lab” is a partly virtual, partly in person 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. You will see a Zoom link for instructors who will be available virtually, and room numbers for instructors who are available in person.

Advisor office hours and contact info: You can reach the German advisors through a general email: germanadvising@umich.edu. We have two advisors. They are available for advising hours throughout the semester:

A link to their current office hours will always be included in the full text of these weekly emails, which you can find online:  scroll down to the section “German Courses & Majoring/Minoring in German.” You can schedule appointments with Mary and Kalli here.
 
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
  • Finding German Films and Series Online – Miscellaneous
  • Chrome Extension for Dual-Language Subtitles – Miscellaneous
1. German Conversation Opportunities – German Convo on the Go (Tuesday, December 5; 5-6 p.m., Burton Tower) 
 
2. Academic Year in Freiburg 2024-2025 (Tuesday, December 5; Early Application Deadline)
 
3. Internship Posting: DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering in Germany – Summer 2024 (Wednesday, December 6; 5 p.m., Extended Application Deadline)
 
4. Max Kade Events – “Deutschtisch” (Wednesday, December 6, 6-7 p.m., North Quad Dining Hall) and “Kaffeestunde” (Friday, December 8, 5-6 p.m., North Quad 2450, Edward Said Lounge)
 
 
7. Institute for the Humanities Events – Study Days at Thayer (Sunday, December 10, 12-8 p.m., Thayer Academic Building, 202 S Thayer)
 
8. Sua Lee (Piano) – Recital (Thursday, December 21; 7:30 p.m., Earle V. Moore Building – Britton Recital Hall)
A number of informal weekly German conversation opportunities are taking place on campus, such as meetings of the German Club, in the Max Kade German Residence, and three weekly activities offered through the German Department, Convo on the Go, Schokoladenstunde, and Kreativwerkstatt. Everyone is invited to attend. You can earn 2 “A&P Tally” make-up points by attending any of these events! (German Club, Max Kade Kaffeestunde or Deutschtisch, or the German dept events). Here are more details about these events:
  • Schokoladenstunde” will convene on Mondays at 5 p.m. in the Language Resource Center in North Quad (in the comfortable seating area between the two computer classrooms.) There will be some German chocolate to snack on. Silvia Grzeskowiak (sgrzesko@umich.edu) will bring games, and the hour will be spent chatting and playing games in German (e.g. Tabu.)
  • German Convo on the Go” will meet on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. at Burton Tower for a 1-hour walk and talk with Mary Gell (magell@umich.edu). This event happens ‘rain (or snow) or shine’.
  • Kreativwerkstatt (click here for a flyer!)“: Chat in German and express yourself creatively. Crafting, coloring, painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, crochet, embroidery, origami? At the weekly German “Kreativwerkstatt,” which takes place on Thursdays at 3 p.m. in 3308 MLB, you will combine speaking German (any level welcome, beginners included!!) and creatively expressing yourself. You are encouraged to bring your own materials or (ongoing) projects, but we will also provide some materials and prompts each week. If you have questions about “Kreativwerkstatt” please contact Laura Okkema (lokkema@umich.edu) or Iris Zapf-Garcia (iriszaga@umich.edu.)

German Club Stammtisch takes place weekly on Wednesdays 7-8 p.m., in the Michigan League Underground. Look for weekly updates in these emails.

Max Kade “Deutschtisch” takes place Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m., in the Dining Hall of North Quad. Visitors should look for a table with German/Swiss/Austrian flags and a bunch of students speaking German. Max Kade “Kaffeestunde” takes place Fridays, 5-6 p.m., in the Edward Said Lounge of North Quad (Room 2450). German students at all levels (101 and up) are welcome at all Max Kade events. If you have any questions, please ask Vera (veremeev@umich.edu).

The “German Lab” is a partly virtual, partly in person 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. You will see a Zoom link for instructors who will be available virtually, and room numbers for instructors who are available in person.

LRC Conversation Partner Site Check out this site to find a conversation partner, and/or register so others can find you on the site. 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!

A2 Stammtisch

  • Meets every other Thursday at 8:00 pm at Grizzly Peak, 120 West Washington St. Pre-registration is requested: Contact Mechthild Heerde-Olind at heerdeolind “at” yahoo.com to be added to the email list. You can also check the event listings in the Ann Arbor Observer for info on meeting times and locations. [last verified: 1/23/2023]
  • 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.

 

Check the “Upcoming Deadlines and Events” section to see upcoming German Club events. You can earn 2 “A&P” make-up/bonus points by attending any of these events!
 
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. You are encouraged to come to as many or few events as you would like!

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]

There is a German Department facebook group, and a German Department facebook page:

  • “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 Department facebook page: Check it out!

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!

Finding German Films and Series

Chrome Extension for Dual-Language Subtitles

A German 101 student has found a Google Chrome extension that allows for subtitles in two languages, and has found this very helpful for watching e.g. “Dark” in German for his AMDs. I have not had time to try this, but if you find the dual language subtitles in the “Easy German” videos helpful, then this may be worth checking out. The extension is called Language Reactor.