GERMN 101:  Elementary German I  3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: None.

This course is for beginners 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. 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, 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.

Prereq: GERMN 102 or 103 or equivalent.

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.

GERMN 241:  German Fairy Tales  3hrs, 3crs.

Pre- or Coreq: ENGL 120.

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, tell one that they know, and there will be regular written assignments, a midterm 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
Required Reading: 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

GERMN 334:  The German Short Story & Novella  3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent.

In this course, we will read and discuss novellas and short stories written by well-known authors from the 19th to 21st centuries, including, but not limitied to, Ludwig Tieck, Paul Heyse, Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht and Marie Luise Kaschnitz. The exact amount of reading will be determined after students' reading and writing proficiency levels have been assessed. The primary goal of this course is to improve reading and listening comprehension, and oral and writing proficiency in German. In addition, the course is designed to increase students' familiarity with literary form, literary history and German culture. This course is conducted in German, and there will be written assignments as well as a midterm and final exam in German
Course Requirements: Attendance, participation and homework. Each student will produce an approximate amount of 2100 words, written in German, in either three longer essays or a number of shorter ones depending on students' proficiency levels
Required Reading: Books will be ordered by the instructor directly, not through the bookstore. There will also be hand-outs, xeroxed by the instructor, and online resources. Ludwig Tieck, Der blonde Eckbert. ISBN: 978-3-15-007732-0 (about $5), Paul Heyse, L'Arrabbiata. ISBN: 3-15-008301-X (about $5)

GERMN 335:  Hörspiele: German Radio Plays  3hrs, 3crs.

Prereq: GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent.

Often described as “cinema for the ears”, German radio plays (Hörspiele) are generally of high literary quality, and have been popular for decades. Well-known authors such as Ilse Aichinger, Ingeborg Bachmann, Heinrich Böll, and Friedrich Dürrenmatt have written them. We will study Hörspiele by a number of authors. The primary aim of 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 in and outside of class. Copies of play texts will be made available after listening. There will be writing assignments in German.
Exam Format: midterm and final exams
Textbook: You will be given extensive handout materials. This is a "zero-cost" course, these materials will be provided to you free of charge

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

GERMN 345:  Literature of the Weimar Republic  3hrs, 3crs.

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

In this course, we will focus on the "Roaring Twenties" as they played out in Germany, and especially Berlin. The 13 years of the first German democracy were a time of immense creativity in literature, music and art, but also a time of political turmoil, particularly towards the end of the Weimar Republic, as left- and right-wing political movements clashed leading to Hitler's rise to power. We will read and discuss literature written in Germany between the end of the First World War (1918) and the beginning of the Nazi era (1933). We will also look at the popular music, film, architecture and painting of the period. Emphasis will be placed on student participation: individualized speaking and writing assignments will take into consideration each students' proficiency level. All reading, writing and discussion will be in German.
Required Reading: Irmgard Keun, Das kunstseidene Mädchen, ISBN: 978-3123511417 - Please be sure you have this edition to facilitate our discussions. Other readings and materials will be provided. If we decide as a group to read a second novel, I will let you know how to acquire it at low or no cost. 

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