Yiddish for German Speakers
Jiddisch or Jüdisch? This 1-credit course exposes students to the variety of Germanic languages. Students with three semesters of German (German 201 equivalency) will attempt to answer why Swiss German is a dialect, but Dutch and Yiddish are languages. Why was Yiddish called “corrupted German” and “jargon” before WWI, but is now today its own language? What is the border between dialect and another language? For an hour a week, students will discuss linguistic evolution and politics alongside learning to speak the German dialect / Germanic language known as Yiddish.
Syllabus
Course Flyer
Guest Speaker Flyer
Guest Speaker: Prof. Mary Zeigler, Georgia
State University
“Is Ebonics the New Yiddish? Language Politics in Historical Perspective”
We are delighted to have had Prof. Zeigler, an expert on African American English (AAE), speak with our class in a discussion of language politics. Professors Block and Zeigler engaged in a conversation on the historical parallels between Yiddish and Ebonics. Professor Zeigler was accompanied by her research assistant Benjamin R. Moore III. This was made possible through a teaching grant from the Emory Center for Faculty Development and Excellence. Read more.
Assignments for GER 380 Yiddish for German Speakers
| Date | Assignment |
|---|---|
| Do as much as you can in exactly 1.5 hours. Then for another half hour, check your answers with the answer key and change your answers WITH ANOTHER COLOR PEN. Due the following class to turn in. Audio files for lessons 1-6 are on the Blackboard site. | |
| 13.1 | College Yiddish, p. 25-29 The Alphabet Printable Flash Cards Online Flash Cards |
| 20.1 | College Yiddish, Lesson 1 (Audio file of the text available on Blackboard site.) |
| 27.1 | Guest lecture by Prof. Mary Zeigler, Georgia State University. "Is Ebonics the New Yiddish? Language Politics in Historical Perspective." Modern Languages Bldg 407 (with the Yiddish 102 class) College Yiddish, Lesson 2 Test 1: Study Alef-beyz (in-class test) |
| 3.2 | College Yiddish, Lesson 3 |
| 10.2 | College Yiddish, Lesson 4 |
| 17.2 | NO CLASS – Professor Block at Conference College Yiddish, Lesson 5 |
| 24.2 | College Yiddish, Lesson 7 (not 6) |
| 3.3 | דער קלאַס איז הײַנט מיט פּראָפֿ. אודל אין 407, צוזאַמען מיט די תּלמידים פֿון ייִדיש 102. No Homework |
| 17.3 | Test 2: Take-home |
| 24.3 | College Yiddish, Lesson 8 |
| 31.3 | College Yiddish, Lesson 9 |
| 7.4 | College Yiddish, Lesson 10 |
| 14.4 | Test 3: Take-home |
| 21.4 | Last day of class No final exam, but any make-up work will be due by Wednesday, May 6th at 10:30am. |
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