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Courses Fall 2010

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Elementary & Intermediate Language Courses

GERMN 101 Elementary German I 3hrs, 3crs. Code Instructor Room
01 Mon & Thurs 9:45 - 11:00 1436 Kasprzyk 509B West
02 Tues & Fri 11:10 - 12:25 1437 You
611 West




04 Mon & Th 2:45 - 4:00 1439 Anderson 509B West
51 Tues & Thurs 5:35 - 6:50 1440
Zimmerman
611 West




GERMN 102 Elementary German II 3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 101 or equivalent



01 Mon, Wed &Thurs 11:10 - 12:25 1441 Kasprzyk 509B West
02 Mon & Thurs 2:45 - 4:00 1442 You 611 West




GERMN 103 Intensive Elementary German I & II 6hrs, 6crs.


01 Mon, Wed &Thur - 11:10-1.00 1443 Beckett
611 West




GERMN 201 Intermediate German I 3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 102 or 103 or equivalent



01 Mon & Thurs 9:45 - 11:00 1444 Anderson
611 West
51 Tues & Thurs 7:00 - 8:15 1445 Beckett 611 West




GERMN 202 Intermediate German II 3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 201 or equivalent



01 Mon & Thurs 1:10 - 2:25 1446 Kuhn-Osius 509B West

 

Advanced German Language, Literature and Culture Courses, Level I

 

Advanced German Language, Literature and Culture Courses, Level II


Courses in German Literature & Civilization

Conducted in English


Code Instructor Room
GERMN 240 German Thought & Culture 3 hrs, 3 crs.
GER 2/C, PD/D, "W" Course
01 Mon & Thurs 2:45 -4:00 1447 Libby 410 West




GERMN 241 German Fairy Tales 3 hrs, 3 crs.
GER 2/C, PD/D, "W" Course
01 Sat 8:10-11:00 1449 Titze 611 West
02 Mon & Thurs 8:10 - 11:00
4308
Zimmerman
409 West




GERMN 379.55 German-Jewish Love Stories in Literature & Film 3 hrs, 3 crs.
GER 3/A, PD/D, "W" Course
01 Mon & Thurs 2:45-4:00
4961
Zimmerman
1441 West

 

 

Elementary & Intermediate Language Course Descriptions

GERMN 101 Elementary German I 3hrs, 3crs.

NOT CREDITED WITHOUT GERMN 102. 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

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

 

GERMN 102 Elementary German II 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: GERMN 101 or equivalent.

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

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

 

GERMN 103 Intensive Elementary German I & II 6hrs, 6crs.

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; ISBN 0-07-3019364; currently $28.85 and $34.40

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

 

GERMN 201 Intermediate German I 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: GERMN 102 or 103 or equivalent.

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

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

 

GERMN 202 Intermediate German II 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: GERMN 201 or equivalent.

Continued broadening of abilities in speaking, listening, reading, writing. Reading and discussion of selected texts. 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: Textbook: Access to German: Jägerbuch III; ISBN 0-07-24397-8; price: currently $41.55; plus course package distributed in class (currently $20.00).

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

 

Advanced German Language, Literature and Culture Course Descriptions

All 300 Level courses in German count as Focused Exposure (Stage 3, Group A)

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

The following 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.

 

GERMN 301 Advanced German Comprehension & Conversation 3hours, 3credits

Prereq:  GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent.  GER 3/A

This course is intended for students who have recently completed GERMN 202 or 203 and/or GERMN 302. It is not intended for native speakers of German.

The course is designed to develop listening, reading, speaking and writing abilities in German.  There will be intensive practice of spoken and written German with an emphasis on communication and accuracy.  Grammar review and exercises will be provided as necessary. Recorded materials will be used to strengthen comprehension and speaking skills.  Regular preparation in reading, listening, and writing is required for group work and class dialogues. Students will give a narrative in-class presentation appropriate to their level and based on a recorded text they are assigned individually. There will be weekly short essays, mostly of a narrative nature. All students in 301 are expected to take an oral proficiency interview at the end of the course. This course prepares students to take the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 ,** the professional certificate of intermediate language competence administered by the Goethe Institute.

Exam format: written midterm and final examinations

Textbook: Themen neu Zertifikatsband, ISBN 3-19-301523-7. $ 29.75; price subject to change.

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

** The exams are given each spring. A fee set by the outside agency will be charged for these exams.

 

GERMN 323  German Children's & Adolescent Literature 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq:  GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent. GER 3/A, PD/D

This course is not intended for native speakers.

Children's literature and juvenile literature are among the genres that every native speaker knows but that are mysteries for most foreigners. Reading them provides unusually clear insights into values and belief-systems that members of a culture acquire in their youth and often maintain throughout their adult lives. These texts also have the advantage that they are quite accessible to students who are still building up their language ability. In the course of the semester we will read some famous Fairy Tales from the collection of the Brothers Grimm and selections from such classics of German young people's literature as Max and Moritz and Struwwelpeter. We will also look at more contemporary children's books such as Neben mir ist noch Platz and Oh, wie schoen ist Panama. Longer works will be Amelie Fried and Dieter Probst's detective story Taco und Kaninchen, the humorous book Das Austauschkind by Christine Noestlinger and the serious novel Die Wolke by Gudrun Pausewang.

Exam format: written midterm and final exams

Course Requirements: Class attendance and oral participation; two five-page papers or weekly short essays, depending on students' proficiency in German; each student will give an in-class presentation retelling a children's book of his/her own choosing.

Many texts will be provided. Books will be ordered by the instructor directly, not through the bookstore:
Amelie Fried, Dieter Probst, Taco und Kaninchen, ISBN: 978-3-570-21592-0, currently between $11 and $12
Christine Noestlinger, Das Austauschkind, ISBN: 978-3-570-21592-0, currently between $11 and $12
Gudrun Pausewang, Die Wolke, ISBN: 978-3-473-58014-7, currently between $11 and $12

 

GERMN 355 German Radio Plays  3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq:  GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent.  GER 3/A  PD/D

This course is not intended for native speakers.

Often described as "cinema for the ears", German radio plays (Hoerspiele) are generally of high literary quality, and have been popular for decades. Well known authors such as Aichinger, Ingeborg Bachmann, Heinrich Boell, and Friedrich Duerrenmatt have written them. We will study Hoerspiele by a number of authors. The primary aim if the course is to develop students' listening comprehension in German. The secondary stress will be placed on speaking and writing ability. Students will listen to plays both inside and outside of class (in the Chanin Lab Center, on the web, or as podcasts via Blackboard). Copies of play texts will be made available after listening. There will be writing assignments in German.

Exam format: midterm and final examinations

Text: none

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


Level II Language Courses
The following course is 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 Zertifikat C1 (former Zentrale Mittelstufenpruefung),** the professional certificate of advanced language competence administered by the Goethe Institute.

 

GERMN 381 The German Press of Today: Reading and Understanding Newspapers  3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: Two courses numbered from GERMN 300 or above or equivalent. GER 3/A

The aim of the course is two-fold: to give an introduction to the main types of printed news sources available in German today, (newspapers, magazines, weeklies), and to provide experience in reading them.  Conducted in German, with discussions and writing exercises in German, texts read in German, occasional translation into English.  The course is not intended for, or open to, native speakers of German.
We will discuss newspaper articles on politics, culture, education, etc. by paying particular attention to content, style and readership.

Exam format: midterm and final exams as well as three papers approx. four pages each.

The students will be given hand-outs about current articles from German newspapers and magazines.

 

GERMN  346 German Literature of the 30's & 40's 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq:  One course numbered from GERMN 320 to 359  or equivalent.   GER 3/A, PD/D

This course deals with literature written in German in the 1930s and 1940s in the context of society and politics of the times. We shall read the work of writers who emigrated from Nazi Germany, writers who stayed, and some of the immediate reactions to the devastation of World War II. Readings will be two major novels: Lion Feuchtwanger's, Die Die Geschwister Oppermann and Hans Fallada's, Jeder stirbt fuer sich allein and a play: Wolfgang Borchert's, Draussen vor der Tuer. In addition, we will read a number of documents from the times and watch one or two films.

Course requirements: Class attendance and oral participation; three four-page papers or weekly short essays, depending on students' proficiency in German; each student will participate in in-class discussions on pre-assigned individualized topics.

Exam format: written midterm and final exams

Many texts will be provided. Books will be ordered by the instructor directly, not through the bookstore.
Lion Feuchtwanger, Die Die Geschwister Oppermann; ISBN-13: 9783746656076; 8.50 Euro (appr. $14-15)
Hans Fallada, Jeder stirbt fuer sich allein, ISBN 13: -9783746653211, 10 Euro (appr. $15-16)
Wolfgang Borchert, Draussen vor der Tuer und ausgewaehlte Erzaehlungen. ISBN: (978-3-499-10170-0, 5,95 Euro (appr. $10).
Max von der Gruen, Wie war das eigentlich? Kindheit und Jugend im Dritten Reich. ISBN-13: 978-3423613453, 10 Euro (appr. $15-16)

 

German Literature in English Translation

(all reading, writing and discussion in English)

GERMN 240 German Thought and Culture 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq or co-req:  Engl 120, GER 2/C   PD/D "W" course

This survey course examines major tendencies in literary, artistic, philosophical, religious, and political life in German-speaking countries from the late eighteenth century to the present. We will first focus on the Enlightenment project and how its critical ideas played out over time, drawing on readings from German classics. At the same time we will investigate how these efforts created and closed off opportunities for developing robust individual and national identities. Our work together will pay special attention to the possibilities that the dominant culture made available to women, minorities, and the poor to participate more fully in collective life in the newly emerging nation called “Germany” (1871). Finally we will address the catastrophes of the wars in the twentieth century, German experiments in democracy, the productive self-criticism and activism characteristic of the 1960s and 1970s, and the complexities of German reunification (1990) in a broadly European context. The materials we will use include texts, artifacts from visual culture and film, and music. Regular writing of different kinds provides us with a vital tool for focusing our thinking. There will be written midterm and final exams. All readings, discussions and written work will be in English. This course has a “W” designation.

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, andFriedrich 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 0-14-303760-9.

 

GERMN 241 German Fairy Tales  3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq or co-req:  Engl 120, GER 2/C   PD/D "W" course

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 down to 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 mid-term and final examination.  All readings, discussions and written work will be in English.  This course has a “W” designation.

Exam format: written midterm and final exams

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

 

GERMN 379.55  German Jewish Love Stories in Literature and Film 3hrs 3crs.

Prereq or co-req:  Engl 120, GER 2/C   PD/D "W" course

In what ways does the Holocaust still negatively affect relations between Germans and Jews? Can love "conquer", even the Holocaust past, to unite members of forermliy opposed groups? In this class, we will read contemporary German literature and watch German films (in English) that exploded the taboo on German-Jewish love and in doing so, explore and (re)imagine German-Jewish relationships during and after the Holocaust. All readings, discussions and written work will be conducted in English.

Texts: Barbara Honigmann, A Love Made Out of Nothing; ISBN 1567921876

Exams: midterm and final examinations

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