Carol Jenkins

Lecturer in German
PhD, Washington University
research interests:
  • The History of Reception
  • the Biedermeier
  • Weimar, Germany
  • Literature and Society
  • Foreign Language Pedagogy
    View All People

    contact info:

    office hours:

    • Mondays, 3:00 to 4:00 pm
    • Wednesdays, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
    • by appointment
    Get Directions

    mailing address:

    • Washington University
    • CB 1104
    • One Brookings Drive
    • St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
    image of book cover

    Carol Jenkins’ research focuses on literary expressions of sociopolitical developments, particularly in the first half of the nineteenth and early years of the twentieth centuries.

    Jenkins earned her bachelor’s degree from Carleton College, and her master’s and doctorate from Washington University. Her doctoral research on Adalbert Stifter’s politics, their expression in his work, and how the political sensibilities of his critics influence(d) the understanding  of them informs her work in all areas to this day. Having been employed previously as a teaching professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, this work consisted largely of course development on topics as diverse as crime stories, sports and leisure, German social democracy, children’s literature, and the culture of the Weimar Republic, as well as the creation of a five-course language sequence using only open educational resources. In her teaching, Dr. Jenkins strives to awaken in her students the spirit of possibility inherent in discovering new worlds through language, texts, and other cultural documents, and to make the field of German language and literatures appealing to a more diverse body of students.         

    Fall 2021 Courses

    Basic German: Core Course I (German 101D)

    Introductory program; no previous German required. Students will develop their competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing German by means of interpersonal, interpretive and presentational communicative practice. This first course serves as an introduction to German grammar and culture; goals range from developing the communicative skills necessary to find an apartment to being able to read modern German poetry. Students will learn how to apply their knowledge of basic cases and tenses in order to hold a conversation or write a letter describing their interests, family, goals, routines, etc. and to discover personal information about others. Students who complete this course successfully should enter German 102D.

      Advanced German: Core Course IV (German 301D)

      Discussion of literary and non-literary texts combined with an intensive grammar review. Systematic introduction to the expressive functions of German, with an emphasis on spoken and written communication. In addition to regular class meetings, students should sign up for a twice-weekly subsection. Prerequisite: Ger 210D, the equivalent, or placement by examination. Students who complete this course successfully should enroll in German 302D.