This course started rocky. I tested out of the lower levels of German, and this class began with Professor Wellmon speaking only in German very quickly. He cold-calls students frequently, which was terrifying for me at the start. Although I have pretty strong language skills, this was very intimidating at the beginning. However, Professor Wellmon encouraged me to stay, and it quickly became my favorite class. I enjoyed the small seminar environment, and it made it much less intimidating to use German. Professor Wellmon was very patient and encouraged us even when we made frequent mistakes. The goal of this class seemed more about the expression of ideas rather than pure language skills. In the end, my German reading, writing, and speaking improved immensely. This is a fantastic course, and I would definitely recommend it. The course texts were also fascinating, and he allows you to make up assignments.