German courses

Vienna

101-102. Elementary German with Lab.
These courses introduce students to speaking, understanding, reading and writing of German. The text series presents the language in the context of everyday life in modern Germany so that, in addition to acquiring basic language skills, students will also learn the fundamentals of everyday culture of ordinary Germans. Open to students with little or no prior German.

103-104. Intermediate German with Lab.
The intermediate courses further develop the four language skills through grammar review as well as the introduction of more complex grammatical and syntactic forms. Written and oral practice is based on an intermediate language textbook which focuses on a series of German cities in their cultural and historical context. At this level the students are also introduced to more complex cultural texts, such as short literary works, two German films and they learn to work with German websites in preparation for classroom presentations. Also offered through European Studies.

201-202. Advanced German.
These courses are intended to make the transitions from intermediate German to a more advanced level of competence in the basic language skills: oral comprehension and expression, writing and reading comprehension. German 201 is intended for students who have completed German 104 or who have excelled in German 103 as well as for students who have successfully completed the intermediate level of high school German. German 202 Is intended for Students who have completed 201 or who have excelled in German 104 or in an equivalent high school level. Students work with a variety of contemporary topics ranging from environmental issues, immigrants in Germany, the Weimar Republic, the problem of coming to terms with the past, divided Germany and German unification.  The readings and grammatical material are supplemented by three films representing the different topics of the courses.   Also offered through European Studies.

217. Twentieth-Century German Literature (taught occasionally)
This course is designed to introduce students to German literature and culture through the study of a wide variety of well-known works. It also teaches the methods of analytical interpretation and critical evaluation of literature and its genres. Readings from authors such as Mann, Kafka, Hesse, Brecht, Böll, Grass. Also offered through European Studies.

218. The German Film (taught occasionally)
The German film experienced a rebirth in the 1970s with a new generation of talented film directors, such as Schlondorf, Herzog and Fassbinder. The course examines the films of the last 30 years with the aim of acquainting students with the methods of analyzing and interpreting this art form. This course also studies the relationship between the visual and literary arts by introducing some of the literary texts upon which some of the films were based. In addition, the films contribute to an understanding of German history and culture. Also offered through Film and Representation Studies, European Studies and Literature in (English) Translation.

219. Vienna: Turn of the Century (taught occasionally)
The mood in Vienna around 1900 has been described as “a nervous splendor.” The centuries-old Habsburg Empire was rapidly approaching its end, undermined by the ethnic turmoil that would soon contribute to the outbreak of World War I. But in this atmosphere of impending doom, there was a flourishing of art, architecture, music, literature, psychology and philosophy that made Vienna one of the birthplaces of Modernism. This course examines the developments in all these fields and the connections among them. Attention is also given to the ways Vienna still reflects the revolutionary patterns of thought that emerged there a century ago. Also offered through European Studies and Literature in (English) Translation.

247. Special Topics.
Courses focus on such specific topics as literature and film representing World War II, the Holocaust, German National identity, the Construction of Masculinity in German culture and Contemporary German issues. These topics are announced prior to registration; while they have no specific prerequisite, it is generally expected that students’ reading knowledge and comprehension ability be at a level that enables them to handle relatively complex texts.

350. Teaching Languages.
Designed to help students develop competency in language instruction. This course is only offered for student teaching assistants in the department of the Modern Languages and literatures. We explore what it means to be part of a communicative classroom. Students learn how to integrate available technology into their teaching and create original visual and auditory materials and exercises for use in their own lab sections. Many Web 2.0 Tools are used in this course. Teaching Languages is taught in English and cross-listed among all the languages.

489, 490. Independent Study.
Independent study is intended for exceptionally qualified students only. Permission of the instructor is required. See application procedure on the home page of the departmental Web site.

497, 498. SYE: Honors Project/ Independent Study.See Honors in the introductory section on department curriculum. See application procedure on the home page of the departmental Web site.

Study in Austria or Germany
See the International and Intercultural Studies section of this Catalog.