Professor of German emeritus, Department of World Languages and Literatures, Portland State University, Portland OR
academic website (now archived): web.pdx.edu/~fischerw
I am recently retired from the Department of World Languages & Literatures at Portland State University, where I taught for more than thirty-five years. I began my professional life as a scholar of literature, but a few years after obtaining my PhD I shifted to language pedagogy. That was my area of professional specialization for many years, and I had the inclination, ability, resources, and freedom to define it broadly. I worked in assessment, teacher education, curriculum development, textbook writing and production, and application of technology in language learning. My journal publications are listed ••below and are available through JSTOR and in major academic libraries. My book about German SF and my introductory German and Spanish textbooks are also listed on my Amazon author page. They can be obtained through Amazon and through other outlets.
Chief Professional Interests, Research, Teaching
language teaching and learning; textbook production; technology in language instruction; teacher education; interaction of science, technology and humanities
Education
1979 Ph.D., Yale University, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. Subject of dissertation: German science fiction; advisor: Peter Demetz
1969-70 Carnegie Teaching Fellow, Yale University
1965-69 B.A., Yale College. Double intensive major with Highest Honors in German and English. Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, National Merit Scholar
1954-65 Public schools, Grants Pass, Oregon
Academic Employment
1978-2015 Department of Foreign Languages, Portland State University. Promotions to Assistant Professor, 1980; Associate Professor, 1983; Professor, 1987
1974-77 Instructor, Department of German, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
1969-72 Carnegie Teaching Fellow and graduate assistant, Yale University
Publications, presentations, awards (summary list)
“Literatur für Leser and Listeners: Herbert W. Franke’s ‘Papa Joe & Co.’” literatur für leser (Peter Lang), 29.4 (4/2006).
“Goethe, Schiller and Me: Reflections on Figuring out Literature While Teaching Others about It and Life Too in a Language They Don’t Talk Very Good Yet.” Teaching German in America: Past Progress and Future Promise. Cherry Hill, NJ: American Association of Teachers of German, 2002.
¿Cómo? Introductory Spanish for Proficiency (co-author), Simon and Schuster, 1995.
Wie, bitte? Introductory German for Proficiency (co-author). New York: John Wiley, 1989.
The Empire Strikes Out: Kurd Laßwitz, Hans Dominik, and the Development of German Science Fiction 1871-1945. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1984.Education
articles in Die Unterrichtspraxis, CALICO (1986), and Science Fiction Studies, Oregon English Studies; reviews and article translations in Technology and Culture, Science Fiction Studies, Die Unterrichtspraxis, German Quarterly, Science/Technology and the Humanities, Visions (journal of the Oregon Graduate Center)
Chair of Educational Testing Service national committee producing new version of German CLEP test, 1993
Invited keynote address, 20th annual convention of the Japanese Computer Users Association, Tokyo, 11/97
PSU prizes for Teaching with Technology (2005, 1998)
Pew Foundation Grant for Redesign of Large Enrollment Courses, 2001