Elementary & Intermediate German Language Courses

Advanced German Language, Literature and Culture Courses: Level I

(What is the difference between Level I and Level II courses?)

Course in German Literature & Civilization (Conducted in English)

What is the difference between Level I and Level II advanced courses?

The advanced German literature courses are divided into two levels. We expect students to take at least two literature courses at Level One (I) before proceeding to Level Two (II). If you are in any doubt which course you should take, please consult the Chairperson of the Department. All courses are conducted in German.

Level I courses are intended for students who have recently completed GERMN 202 or 203 and who only have limited experience in discussing German literature in German, orally and in writing. They are not intended for native speakers.

Level II courses are intended for advanced students who have taken a number of 300 level German language and literature courses and who may be interested in going on to use the German language professionally. They are thus meant to help students move to the highest level of the undergraduate program and beyond. Students enrolled in Level II courses have the opportunity to take the Goethe exams B2 and C1, the professional certificates of advanced language competence administered by the Goethe Institute. The exams are given each spring, and a fee set by the outside agency will be charged.

Course Descriptions

GERMN 101: Elementary German I

This course is for students without prior knowledge of German. It focuses on the basic linguistic and cultural abilities needed to function in German-speaking countries. The instructor will emphasize active student participation (speaking, listening, reading, writing). Regular attendance and daily homework are necessary to succeed in this course.
Exam Format: written quizzes, midterm and final exams.
Textbook: Access to German: Jägerbuch I; ISBN 0-07-285376-x; currently $28.85.

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement .

GERMN 102: Elementary German II

This course continues the work of GERMN 101. It broadens linguistic and cultural abilities for basic communication in a German-speaking environment. The instructor will emphasize active student participation (speaking, listening, reading, writing). Regular attendance and daily homework are necessary to succeed in this course.
Exam Format: written quizzes, midterm and final exams.
Textbook: Access to German: Jägerbuch II; ISBN 0-07-3019364; currently $34.40.

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.

GERMN 103: Intensive Elementary German I & II

This course is intended for students with no prior knowledge of German.  It covers in ONE semester the material normally covered in two semesters, in GERMN 101 - 102. It focuses on the basic linguistic and cultural abilities needed to function in German-speaking countries. The instructor will emphasize active student participation (speaking, listening, reading, writing). Regular attendance and daily homework are necessary to succeed in this course.
Exam Format: written quizzes, midterm and final exams.
Textbook: Access to German: Jägerbuch I and II; ISBN 0-07-285376-x; and ISBN 0-07-3019364; currently $28.85 and $34.40.

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.

GERMN 201: Intermediate German I

This course is the third in a four-semester sequence and continues the linguistic and cultural introduction to German. Review and practice of elementary grammar; introduction of advanced forms. Reading and discussion of selected German writings. The instructor will emphasize active student participation (speaking, listening, reading, writing). Regular attendance and daily homework are necessary to succeed in this course.
Exam Format: written quizzes, midterm and final exams
Textbook: Access to German: Jägerbuch III; ISBN 0-07-24397-8; currently $41.55.

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.

GERMN 202: Intermediate German II

Continued broadening of abilities in speaking, listening, reading, writing. Reading and discussion of selected German writings. Strong emphasis on active student participation. Regular attendance and daily homework are important elements in this course. Completion of this course fulfills the Hunter College foreign language requirement.  Students at this level will normally be tested by both written and oral examination.
Exam Format: written quizzes, midterm and final exams.
Textbook: Access to German: Jägerbuch III; ISBN 0-07-24397-8; currently $41.55.

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.

GERMN 301: Advanced German Comprehension & Conversation

The course is designed to develop the conversational and compositional skills. There will be intensive practice of contemporary spoken and written German with emphasis on vocabulary and idiom, and on active mastery of grammatical forms. Audio material will be used to strengthen comprehension skills. Regular preparation in writing is required for group work and class dialogues. The course prepares the students to take the examination for the Zertifikat Deutsch, the professional certificate of basic language competence administered by the Goethe Institute. Fees charged by the Goethe Institute will be announced to students at the beginning of the term.
Exam Format: written quizzes, midterm and final examinations
Textbook: Themen neu Zertifikatsband, ISBN 3-19-301523-7; currently $29.75; price subject to change.

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.

GERMN 320.28: Post Feminism Since the 1990's                                                             

In this course, we will read women's literature that was published since the mid-eighties after the heyday of feminism in Germany. We will examine to what extent the female aesthetic has changed since its beginnings in the early seventies in the aftermath of the student revolution. We will look at the topics and narrative style of German female writers who write bestseller literature today. We will also look at some film adaptations of women's novels.
Required texts: Verena Stefan: Häutungen 1975 (appr. $15); Eva Heller: Beim nächsten Mann wird alles anders 1987 (appr. $9.50); Grete Weil: Der Brautpreis 1988 (appr. $15); Claudia Schreiber: Emmas Glück 2003 (appr. $15); Charlotte Roche: Feuchtgebiete 2008 (appr. $14).

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.

GERMN 327 Modern Swiss Literature       

 Recent Swiss literature in German is characterized by intellectually challenging topics presented in a language that is very accessible to intermediate learners of German. The course will concentrate on literature written in the second half of the twentieth century, most notably the work of the well-known authors Max Frisch and Friedrich Dürrenmatt and shorter pieces by some less famous writers. Emphasis will be on close reading of the texts, but cultural and historical background will also be discussed. Regular writing assignments in German will be tailored to individual needs and abilities (between 14 and 20 typed pages in the semester, depending on level). Regular class preparation, completion of oral assignments for each class period, written midterm and final examinations will be required.We will read three books; shorter texts will be presented as handouts or through e-reserve:Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Der Besuch der alten Dame, ISBN 978-3-257-23045-1 [about 9 EUR plus shipping]Friedrich Dürrenmatt,  Das Versprechen, ISBN 3-257-22812-0 [about 8 EUR plus shipping] Max Frisch, Homo Faber, ISBN 978-3-518-18803-3 [about 9 EUR plus shipping]

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.

GERMN 341 German Drama from the Age of Goethe to Naturalism 

German drama flourished after the age of Goethe, with a number of major writers producing seminal works. We will read 4 plays and deal with some of their historical, cultural, and biographical background. Tieck was one of the most important founders of the romantic school, Büchner is the most important and experimental author of the immediate post-romantic period whose work became seminal for 20th-century drama, and Hebbel's play is generally considered one of the best examples of realist tragedy in the 19th century. The fourth work will be announced by the beginning of the semester.Works are chosen for their intrinsic interest and their accessibility to advanced learners of German. Regular writing assignments in German will be tailored to individual needs and abilities (between 14 and 25 typed pages in the semester, depending on level). Regular class preparation, completion, of oral assignments for each class period, written midterm and final examinations will be required.
Works will include:
Ludwig Tieck, Der gestiefelte Kater. Reclam edition [2.60 EUR plus shipping]Georg Büchner, Woyzeck. Reclam edition [2 EUR plus shipping] Friedrich Hebbel, Maria Magdalena. Reclam edition [2 EUR plus shipping]One additional play, title to be announced [price will be similar to the others]

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement before registering for classes.

GERMN 444.61 Advanced German Through Translation

Students will build their upper-level language proficiency by translating from German into English.  We will discuss what it means to translate, as well as some theoretical issues of translation. On the whole, however, the course will be structured as a workshop, and we will work with a variety of literary and non-literary texts. Course requirements: Attendance and participation, regular written translations, final project. Textbooks: none.

GERMN 240 German Thought and Culture

 This course is an introduction to patterns of thought and culture which have developed in the German-speaking countries from the eighteenth to the late twentieth century. We shall read (in English translation) representative writings by major authors in literary, philosophical, political and other fields. These texts will be discussed in their historical context and in the context of developments in the fine arts. Some slides and taped materials will be used. Regular writing assignments will be required.
Exam format: written midterm and final exams.
Required textbook: Hagen Schulze, Germany: A New History. Harvard, 1998.
ISBN  0-67400545-7.  Price currently $21.00.
Excerpts from the following texts, which are in the public domain and can be accessed free of charge from the Internet:
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Faust. Trans. W. Kaufman. Anchor Books, 1961. $10.95.
ISBN 0-385-03114-9.
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. Penguin Books, 2002. $7.00.
ISBN 0-14-044757-1.
Kafka, Franz. The Basic Kafka. Pocket Books, 1979. $5.99. ISBN 0-671-53145-X.
Arendt, Hannah. Eichmann and the Holocaust. Penguin Books, 1963. $8.95.
ISBN 0-14303760-9.

GERMN 241 German Fairy Tales "W"

Fairy tales are known all over the world. The most famous European book of fairy tales is the one collected by the Brothers Grimm. These stories have entered our collective unconscious but are not easily explained. We shall look at various attempts at explaining what fairy tales are all about, look at older stories that served as models for the Brothers Grimm and study modern versions of the tales including a Walt Disney movie and "politically correct fairy tales." Students will read fairy tales, tell one that they know, and write three short papers, a midterm and final examination.
Textbooks: Jack Zipes, The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, ISBN 05-533-8216 Price: $18.60; Joanna Cole, The best Loved Fairy Tales of the World, ISBN 0-385-8949-0 Price: $16.75.
Exam Format: written midterm and final exams.

Note: If you have previous knowledge of German, please contact the department for advice and placement.