Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures University of Toronto

The Canadian Summer School in Germany (CSSG) is a renowned program that offers students an immersive experience to enhance their German language skills while exploring the rich cultural and historical heritage of Germany. Each year, students learning German with the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at UofT travel to Kassel to take part in intensive language courses, cultural excursions, and unique living experiences with host families. In 2024, five outstanding participants shared their transformative journeys through CSSG. These stories highlight not only the academic and linguistic growth achieved during their time in Germany but also the personal connections and unforgettable memories that shaped their experiences. Join us as we celebrate their journeys through interviews and videos that capture the essence of the CSSG experience. Whether you’re a prospective participant or simply curious about life and learning in Germany, these stories are sure to inspire. Elizabeth Frynta is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto’s Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies Program who also minored in German Studies and Political Science. Elizabeth is a two-time CSSG participant who took some time to share her German language journey with us while preparing for graduate school. This year, Elizabeth was awarded the ... Read More »

Letter from the ChairStefan Soldovieri Dear Friends of the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, It has been another eventful year, and I am just delighted to share with you this 15th edition of our newsletter, highlighting the inspiring work of our students, faculty, and staff. As mandated by the Faculty of Arts and Science, this year we will be collaborating on the development of a strategic plan to guide us through the next five years. The plan follows on the heels of our 2021-22 cyclical review and will build on the initiatives that emerged following a faculty retreat in spring 2023. The plan will also need to respond to a new faculty-wide budget scheme that puts heightened emphasis on expanding enrolments. READ MORE Undergraduate ReportReflections on the 2024-25 Academic YearHang-Sun Kim, Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies From award-winning students to groundbreaking teaching initiatives and collaborative events, 2024–25 was a year of shared success and growth. READ HERE Undergraduate Student ProfileFinding Community Through German StudiesBrian Finn Finn reflects on how the German Department fostered his growth as he built community, explored literature, taught in the Multilingual German Lab, and presented research internationally. READ HERE Graduate Report Intercultural Skills in Strong ... Read More »

We are thrilled to co-organize the 10th Annual DAAD German Language Teaching and Learning Conference with McGill University on December 9th and 10th! Sponsored by DAAD, this year’s workshop will focus on student engagement and motivation. Registered participants can look forward to engaging research presentations, interactive workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Enhance your teaching skills and connect with fellow educators in a collaborative and inspiring environment! Read More »

  The German Federal Parliament (“Bundestag”) has announced a call for applications for the International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) program in Berlin in 2025. The application deadline is August 31, 2024. In collaboration with Berlin’s three major universities, the German Bundestag offers the prestigious IPS program to politically engaged college graduates from around 50 countries, including  Canada, who wish to play an important role in shaping the future of democratic cooperation – in their respective countries, and internationally. Under the patronage of the President of the German Bundestag, the IPS program allows participants to gain first-hand knowledge of Germany’s parliamentary system and political decision-making process during a 3-month work placement with a Member of the German Parliament. Participants also take part in a rich educational program with the German political foundations and have the chance to enroll in university classes, spending a total of five months in the German capital (March 1 through July 31, 2025). IPS is open to college graduates (bachelor’s degree or higher) who are Canadian citizens (or citizens of other participating countries), under 30 years old on March 1, 2025, and have a very good knowledge (B2+) of the German language. Candidates should also be familiar with ... Read More »

The booking sheets for the department library, OH307, OH312, and the lounge are now live online in Outlook. Everyone in the department should have access to view the Outlook calendars for these rooms. To make a booking, please: Check the room’s availability in the Outlook calendar.If the room is available on the desired date and time, please email german.undergradadmin@utoronto.ca to request the booking. In your email, kindly include the following details:   Room booking purposeDesired booking date and timeIf the booking is recurring, please specify the start and end dates, as well as the repeat frequency Any additional notes (if applicable) If you are new to the department and do not have access to the room calendars, please email german.undergradadmin@utoronto.ca to request access. Read More »

Course Instructor Contact antonio.vivone@mail.utoronto.ca avivone@mail.uni-paderborn.de Office Hours Thursday 2-6 pm Classes 2025-26 GER100Y Introduction to German, Fall 2025 Departments’ Affiliation Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Program (CTL) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough Academic Background PhD Candidate B. Mus., Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Martucci Salerno, 2017 B. Ed., Universitá degli Studi di Salerno, 2019 M. Mus., Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Martucci Salerno, 2019 M. Ed., Universität Duisburg-Essen and Folkwang Universität der Künste, 2022 Recent Publications Vivone, A., Rumlich, D., & Lehmann-Wermser, A. (2025). Enhancing multi-word units learning through vocal training with authentic pop songs in the context of English as a foreign language. The Language Learning Journal, 14(2), 50-65. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23735082.2025.2501043?src= Vivone, A., & Mantie, R. (2025-submitted). Modality Matters: Effects of Singing, Vocal, and Instrumental Exposure on Involuntary Musical Imagery in Adolescents in the School Context. Psychology of Music. Sage Journal. Vivone, A. (2024). Identifying musical and linguistic features triggering involuntary musical imagery: An eco-empirical study with pupils and teenagers in an educational context. In Innovación docente e investigación en educación: Desafíos de la enseñanza y aprendizaje en la educación superior. Dykinson. https://www.dykinson.com/media/pdf/indice978-84-1070-927-0.pdf Scholarships Die Heinrich Hertz Stiftung 2025 Die Uwe ... Read More »

Executive Committee Stefan Soldovieri (Chair, ex officio) Angelica Fenner (ex officio) Hang-Sun Kim (ex officio) Fall Stefana Gargova (ex officio) Spring Policy Committee Stefan Soldovieri (Chair, ex officio) Angelica Fenner (ex officio) Hang-Sun Kim (ex officio) (Fall) Stefana Gargova (ex officio) (Spring) Erol Boran (elected member) John Zilcosky (elected member) Faculty Representative on the Arts & Science Council John Zilcosky Graduate Program Committee Angelica Fenner (Chair, ex officio) Tobias Hof Willi Goetschel (Fall) John Zilcosky (Spring) Student Representative: tba Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Hang-Sun Kim (Chair, ex officio) (Fall) / Stefana Gargova (Acting Chair, ex officio) (Spring) Erol Boran Student Representative: tba Grants & Fellowship Subcommittee Angelica Fenner (Chair, Ex Officio) Tobias Hof Stefan Soldovieri Placement Subcommittee Hang-Sun Kim (Chair, ex officio) (Fall) Stefana Gargova (Acting Chair, ex officio) (Spring) Erol Boran (elected member) International Liaison Erol Boran (Fall) Departmental Liaison to Goethe-Institut Hang-Sun Kim (Fall) / Stefana Gargova (Spring) PTR Committee Stefan Soldovieri (Chair) Angelica Fenner (ex officio) Stefana Gargova (ex officio) Erol Boran (elected member) CERES/JIGES Representative Stefan Soldovieri Oral Defense Chairs Committee Stefan Soldovieri French Exam Designate Willi Goetschel Yiddish Program Committee Willi Goetschel SGS Graduate Fellowship Reviewer Designate Willi Goetschel Organizer, Graduate Research Colloquium Angelica Fenner GSSU ... Read More »

Course Instructor Contact info tanya.humeniuk@mail.utoronto.ca Office Hours TBD Courses Fall 2025 Multilingual German Lab Winter 2026 GER100Y Introduction to German Background MA (Comparative Literature) University of Toronto, 2023 / BSc Double Major (Mathematics and German Studies) University of Toronto, 2022 / BA (Philosophy) Simon Fraser University, 2017  Research Interests Freudian/Lacanian Psychoanalysis, Formalization, Mathematical Logic, Experimental and Non-Totalizing Literary Forms Read More »

Faculty of Arts and Science Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures Contact info Ina.Karkani@utoronto.ca Office University of Toronto Odette Hall 303 50 St. Joseph Street Toronto, ON M5S 3L5   Office Hours By Appointment Classes 2025-26 Winter 2026: GER251H German and European Cinema: Weimar Cinema History, Theory, Culture Background Ina Karkani (M.A, M.A. Ph.D) is a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer of film studies. She is currently researching sound practices in minor and community cinemas. She is also a film studies lecturer at the Theatre and Film Department at Freie Universität Berlin, where she received her Ph.D. in cinema for her thesis, “Animalizing Film Form: A Creaturely Approach to Film Aesthetics”. Her research focuses on posthuman and decolonial film aesthetics, Native and Indigenous studies, film animal studies, feminist eco-critical studies, and affect studies. From 2021 to 2024, she held a research position as a film scholar in the interdisciplinary GRK 2638 ‘Normativität-Kritik-Wandel’ at Freie Universität Berlin. She was a funded visiting scholar at the Andean Indigenous Institute Apulaya in Calca, Peru, in 2022 and at the cinema department of the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2023. Since 2019, she has been working as a freelance film selection committee member for the ... Read More »