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Courses Spring 2021

 

Elementary & Intermediate German Language Courses


GERMN 101: Elementary German I (3 hours, 3 credits)
Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01 Mon & Thurs 9:45am-11:00am 2636 Kuhn-Osius online
02
Mon & Thurs 4:10pm-5:25pm
6224 Nicolai online
03
Mon & Thurs 1:10pm-2:25pm
4225 Kuhn-Osius online
04 Tues & Fri 9:45am-11:00am 4530 Koch CANCELED
05 Tues & Fri
12:45pm-2:00pm 43525 Koch online

Course description below.

 

GERMN 102: Elementary German II (3 hours, 3 credits)
Prereq: GERMN 101 or equivalent
Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01
Mon & Thurs
8:10am-9:25am
2637 Nicolai online
02
Tues & Fri 9:45am-11:00am
2638 Koch online
03 Mon & Wed 4:10pm-5:25pm 4700 Mekonen online

Course description below.

 

GERMN 201: Intermediate German I (3 hours, 3 credits)
Prereq: GERMN 102 or 103 or equivalent
Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01 Tues & Fri 12:45pm-2:00pm 43532 Merolle online
02
Mon & Thurs
9:45am-11:00am
2640 Wicker online

Course description below.

 

GERMN 202: Intermediate German II (3 hours, 3 credits)
Prereq: GERMN 201 or equivalent
Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01 Tues & Fri 11:10am-12:25pm 2641 Merolle online
02
Mon & Thurs
2:45pm-4:00pm 2642 Strohmeier online

Course description below.

 

GERMN 203: Intensive Intermediate German (6 hours, 6 credits)
Prereq: GERMN 102 or 103  or equivalent
Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01 Mon, Wed, & Thurs 11:10am-1:00pm 2644 Mekonen online

Course description below.

 


Advanced German Language, Literature and Culture Courses: Level I

"Level I Advanced Courses" in German have a prerequisite of GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent.

 

GERMN 302: Advanced German Conversation & Composition (3 hours, 3 credits)

Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01
Mon & Thurs
2:45pm-4:00pm
2645 Zimmerman online

Fulfills GER 3/A.

Course description below.

 

GERMN 32057: Erich Kästner (3 hours, 3 credits)
Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01
Mon & Thurs
1:10pm-2:25pm 43554 Nicolai online

Fulfills GER 3/A and Pluralism & Diversity Group D.

Course description below.

 

GERMN 323: Women in German Literature (3 hours, 3 credits)
Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01
Mon & Thurs
11:10am-12:25pm 43555 Anderson online

Fulfills GER 3/A and Pluralism & Diversity Group C.

Course description below.

 

 


Advanced German Language, Literature and Culture Courses: Level II

 

GERMN 38503: German Grammar for Upper-Level Discourse (3 hours, 3 credits)

prerequisite: three courses above GERMN 30000 or equivalent (excluding courses in English translation)

Section
Days Time Code Instructor Room
01
Mon & Thurs
4:10pm-5:25pm 43556 Kuhn-Osius online

Fulfills GER 3/A.

Course description below.

 


Courses in German Literature & Culture (Conducted in English) 


GERMN 241: German Fairy Tales (3 hours, 3 credits)
Pre- or Coreq: ENGL 120.
Section
Day Time Code Instructor Room
01 Saturday
8:10am-11:00am
4215 Titze online
02 Mon & Thurs 8:10am-9:25am 4750 Titze online
03 asynchronous asynchronous 4970 Mekonen online
04 asynchronous asynchronous 43536 Strohmeier online
05 Mon & Thurs 9:45am-11:00am 50661 Zimmerman online
06 Tues & Fri 9:45am-11:00am 65414 Wicker online

Fulfills "Creative Expression" or GER 2/C. Fulfills Pluralism & Diversity Group D.

Sections 01-04 and 06 are Writing Intensive. Section 05 is NOT Writing Intensive.

Course description below.

 


Course Descriptions


GERMN 101:  Elementary German I  3hrs3crs.

No pre-req 

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, Vol 1. ISBN 9781524996246

Note: 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, Vol 2. ISBN 9781524996253

Note: 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 texts. 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, Vol 3. ISBN 9780201814224

Note: 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 literary texts. Strong emphasis on active student participation. Regular attendance and daily homework are important elements in this course. 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, Vol 3. ISBN 9780201814224

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

 

GERMN 203: Intensive Intermediate German 6hrs, 6crs.

This course covers in ONE semester the material normally covered in TWO semesters, in GERMN 201 and GERMN 202. Instruction in the four basic skills is continued. Advanced grammatical forms are introduced. Selected literary texts are read and discussed. This accelerated class involves a considerable investment of time.
Exam Format: written quizzes, midterm and final exams
Textbook: Access to German, Jägerbuch, Vol 3. ISBN 9780201814224

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

 

Advanced German Language, Literature & Culture Courses 

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

The advanced German courses are divided into two levels.  We expect students to take at least two literature courses at Level I before proceeding to Level II.  If you are in any doubt as to which course you should take, or if you have previous knowledge of German, please consult the chair of the department. 

Level I courses are intended for students who have recently completed GERMN 202 or 203 and who have only limited experience 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 levels of the undergraduate program and beyond.

LEVEL I

GERMN 302: Advanced German Conversation & Composition 3hrs, 3crs.

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

This course is designed to develop your conversational and writing skills. There will be intensive practice in spoken and written German with emphasis on vocabulary, idiom, and grammar. We will read recent news articles, comics, and other authentic texts. We will watch a telenovela and listen to audio materials to strengthen your comprehension skills. Regular preparation is required for group work and class dialogues. The course prepares students to take the examination Zertifikat Deutsch, the professional certificate of basic language competence administered by the Goethe-Institut. Fees charged by the Goethe-Institut will be announced in advance.

Textbook: E-book provided by instructor. Zero Textbook Cost

Course requirements: essays, oral presentations, group project

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

 

GERMN 32057: Erich Kästner 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: GREMN 202 or 203 or equivalent. Fulfills GER 3/A and P&D Group D.

Erich Kästner is one of Germany's major 20th-century authors.  Born in 1899, he grew up under the Kaiser, served in World War I (1914-1918), and became a literary 'shooting star' of the Weimar Republic. Although he was not allowed to publish under the Nazis (who burned his books in 1933), he stayed in Germany during the Third Reich. When he died in 1974, he had been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. Kästner is known for his classic children's books, his biting satires, his humorously funny adult novels, and his political commentary.  His writings have a light touch and accessible language which work well for students beginning their study of German literature.  

Reading listEmil und die Detektive (the only book of his not burnt by the Nazis in 1933). Das doppelte Lottchen. Drei Männer im Schnee. A collection of Kästner poems. We will also watch some film versions of his books.

Required to buyEmil und die Detektive (ISBN 978-3-85535-603-4), 14  Euro; Das doppelte Lottchen  (ISBN 978-3-85535-605-8) 14 Euro, Drei Männer im Schnee (ISBN 978-3-03882-016-1) 12 Euro.  The possible choice of a fourth book will be made after the instructor has assessed the proficiency levels of the students in class. All Kästner books have been published in the Atrium Verlag

The instructor will organize the book orders to guarantee that we all work with the same edition (and page numbers) to facilitate class discussion. If you want to buy your own copy, make sure you buy a copy with an unabridged text (there are many used copies around). 

Requirements: Class attendance and participation with individualized speaking assignments, weekly or bi-weekly papers of a length of 1 or 2 pages (with language corrections), mid-term and final examinations.

This course is intended for students who have completed GERMN 202 or 203 and have relatively little experience studying literature in German. It is not intended for native speakers of German.

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

 

GERMN 323: Women in German Literature 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent. Fulfills GER 3/A and P&D Group C.

In this course we will read and discuss different genres of literature written by women in the 19th and 20th centuries. We will examine the cultural and societal role of women and what kind of literary channels were open to them at different times. Among the authors to be discussed are Bettina von Arnim, Fanny Lewald, Amelie Godin, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, and Anna Seghers. There will be regular writing assignments in German, and all reading and discussion will be in German.

This course is intended for students who have completed GERMN 202 or 203 and have relatively little experience studying literature in German. It is not intended for native speakers of German.

Readings will be distributed via e-reserve; zero textbook cost.

Course requirements: Regular reading, attendance, and participation; regular writing assignments; essays or exams

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


LEVEL II

GERMN 38503: German Grammar for Upper-Level Discourse 3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: Three courses above GERMN 300 or equivalent. Fulfills GER 3/A.

During the first half of this course, we shall aim at functional control of all items of basic grammar, working intensively with the tasks of narration and describing.  Building on this, we shall proceed in the second half of the semester to work with more complex grammatical structures which one must master in order to state and defend opinions, to hypothesize, to argue abstractly, in short, to speak and write at a high level of literacy.  We shall work throughout the semester not only on the active skills of speaking and writing, but also on the ability to comprehend spoken and written German. Expect regular homework. There will be two or three brief in-class presentations in German per student concentrating on narration, hypothesizing, and supporting an opinion.

Discussion of grammar and syntax will take place in the English language and comparisons with English grammar will be made.  While English will be the language of explanations, all functional practice and assignments will be in German.

Exam format: written midterm and final exams

Textbook: We will work with a variety of materials, which will be shared online.

Recommended books: Basic Review: Elke Gschossmann-Hendershot and Lois Feuerle, Schaum's Outline of German Grammar, 4th ed (Schaum's Outline Series)  (Sep 1, 2010); ISBN-13: 978-0071615679
Advanced and very thorough: Hammer's German Grammar and Usage, fifth edition, Martin Durrell, Routledge. ISBN 13: 978 1 444 12016 5
Interplay of vocabulary and grammar: Brigitte Turneaure, Der treffende Ausdruck: Texte, Themen, Übungen. Paperback, W. W. Norton & Company; 2nd edition (September 1996); ISBN-13: 978-0393968231

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


Courses Conducted in English


GERMN 241:  German Fairy Tales

Pre- or Coreq: ENGL 120. Fulfills "Creative Expression" or GER 2/C. Fulfills Pluralism & Diversity Group D. Writing Intensive (sections 01-04 only).

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 scenes from Walt Disney movies and "politically correct fairy tales." Students will read fairy tales and tell one that they know; there will be regular written assignments, a midterm, and a final examination. All readings, discussions and written work will be in English.

Course requirements: attendance and participation; regular preparation of readings; regular writing assignments. 
Exam Format: written midterm and final exams
Textbooks: 
Jack Zipes, The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, ISBN 978-0553382167
Joanna Cole, Best-Loved Folktales of the World, ISBN 978-0318796482 or ISBN 9780385189491

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