GERMAN DEPARTMENT

Course Selection

Guide

Spring '05

German 102: Be gin ning GermanSection I: M,W,Th 8:30-9:40 am

Section II: M,W,Th 9:50-11:00 am Ms. Geiger, Mr. Hansen

Why Ger man? As Eu ro pe an uni fi -ca tion con tin ues apace in the eco nom ic and po lit i cal fi elds, Ger man is be ing spo ken by more and more peo ple than ever be fore in Eu- rope. There are many and dif fer ent per spec tives to look and learn more about Ger man cul ture. One is cer tain ly through its lan guage. This in tro duc to ry course will give you a fi rm foun-

da tion for fur ther study of the lan- guage and cul ture, with an em pha sis on com mu ni ca tive fl u en cy through ex ten sive prac tice of lis ten ing, speak ing, read ing, and writ ing. Vid eos and web-based ac tiv i ties in tro -duce the stu dent to top ics from con tem po rary culture in Ger man-speak ing coun tries.

German 102 earns 1.0 unit of credit; how ev er, both 101 and 102 must be com plet ed sat is fac to ri ly to re ceive credit for ei ther course.

Three meet ings per week.

Prerequisite: German 101Distribution: None

in tro duc to ry course will give you a fi rm foun-

German 202: Intermediate German

M,W,Th 9:50-11:00 am Ms. Geiger

This course will help you to build on the skills learned in German 201, emphasiz-ing comprehension of authentic spoken German, verbal communica-tion, and clear writing in German. In class, we will use poems, stories, and documenta-ry texts to strengthen your communica-tive skills. You will be improving your ability to read these texts without the help of translations. Another exciting aspect of German 202 is that we will also explore the world of cinema by watch-ing and working with several German films over the course of the semester.

GER 202 earns 1.0 unit of credit; however, both 201 and 202 must be completed satis-factorily to receive credit for either course. Three meetings per week.

Prerequisite: One to two units and placement exam or German 101-102Distribution: Language and Literature.

German 239: Germany and Austria Today:

Advanced Conversation and CompositionT, F 9:50 – 11:00 am

Mr. Kruse

Intensive practice in oral and written com-munication and presentation; introduction to rhetorical strategies of conversation and discussion; introduction to elements of Ger-man prose style; practice of various forms of writing. On the basis of newspaper and magazine articles, essays and stories, televi-sion news, film clips, and web site materi-als, we will discuss and write about current events and issues in Germany and Austria.

Prerequisite: 201-202 or permission of instructor.Distribution: Language and Literature

German 242/342: Myth, Memory, and Movie Making

German 242 T, F 11:10 – 12:20 pmGerman 342 T, W, F 11:10 – 12:20 pm

Mr. Nolden

GER 242 (in English)This course will analyze the role of cinema in the creation of national myths and in the con-struction of collective memories in twentieth-century Germany. We will focus on a core of topics (i.e. Shoah, reconstruction, lib-erations movements, minorities, reunification) and their representa-tion primarily in the films of New German Cinema (Wenders, Fass-binder, Herzog, Sanders-Brahms, Reitz, Farocki, von Trotta). We will draw comparisons with other cinematic traditions (Nazi film, Hollywood, East German film) and discuss the narrative and visual strategies used to negotiate Germany's complex history. We will discuss film as a medium of propa-ganda and subversion, and examine the relationship between media and national identity.Close readings of paradigmatic features, and shot-by-shot analyses of key sequences.Lectures, readings and discussions in English; all films subtitled.

Prerequisite: NoneDistribution: Arts, Music, Theatre, Film, Video

GER 342 Same course as 242 above plus an additional weekly class meeting taught in German with discussions in German.

Prerequisite: One Grade II unit, 231 or above, or by permission of instructor.Distribution: Arts, Music, Theatre, Film, Vidio or Language and Literature

German 276/376: Franz Kafka German 276 T,F 1:30 – 2:40 pm

German 376 T,Th,F 1:30 – 2:40 pmMr. Kruse

GER 276 (in English) All aspects of Kafkaʼs works and life will be explored in the historical and social context of early 20th-century Central Europe. We will read a wide selection from his novels, e.g. The Trial; short stories, e.g. The Metamorphosis and In the Penal Colony; parables and aphorisms; diaries and letters, such as his Letters to Felice. We will discuss the delight and difficulty of reading Kafka, his posthumous reception as a world author, and his importance as a cultural icon in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Taught in English, two periods.

Prerequisite: NoneDistribution: Language and Literature

GER 376Same course as 276 above, with additional readings in German, plus an ad-ditional weekly class meeting taught in German with discussions in German.

Prerequisite: One Grade II unit, 240 or above, or by permission of the instructor.Distribution: Language and Literature

German 389:Seminar - German Comedy

Monday 2:50 - 5:20pmMr. Hansen

This seminar provides an overview of the comic dramatic genre in the German theater. The works, which are chosen for their humor and readability, will also provide an his-torical survey of German literature from the seven-teenth to the 20th centuries. We shall also examine the-ories of comedy. Authors include Gryphius, Lessing, Büchner, Lenz, Schnitzler, Sternheim, Hofmannsthal, Hauptmann, Dürrenmatt.

Prerequisite: One 300-level unit or permission of instructor

Distribution: Language and Literature