German. Course Descriptions 2014/15

Transcription

1 German Course Descriptions Second Year B.A. Students 2014/15

2 Year coordinator: Michael Shields, MA. Room AM 345. Telephone: ; (semester 1) Aine Ryan, MA. Room AM 305. Telephone: ; (semester 2) Entry requirements: First Arts Advanced Students having attained a total mark of 40% or more and First Arts Beginners Students having attained a total mark of 50% or more will be admitted to Second Arts German courses. Compulsory Modules: Students are obliged to take all six modules on offer. All modules have the value of 5 ECTS. For further details, please check our Departmental website: Important Dates First Semester Start of teaching Monday, 8 th September, 2014 End of teaching Saturday, 29 th November, 2014 Study Week Monday, 1 st Saturday, 6 th December, 2014 Examinations Monday, 8 th Friday, 19 th December, 2014 Christmas Vacation Saturday, 20 th December, 2014 Sunday, 11 th January, 2015 Second Semester Start of Teaching Monday, 12 th January, 2015 End of Teaching Saturday, 18 th April, 2015 Easter Holidays Thursday, 2 nd Tuesday,7 th April, Study Week Monday, 20 th Saturday, 25 th April, 2015 Examinations Monday, 27 th Wednesday, 13 th May, 2015 Autumn Examinations Tuesday, 4 th Friday, 14 th August,

3 Semester 1 All modules are compulsory. All modules have the value of 5 ECTS. Module Components GR236 German Language I GR239 History of German Literature and Culture I Students have to choose one of the two optional components. Family Fiction (core) 60% Heinrich Heine and Germany (optional) 40% Robert Walser - An Introduction (optional) 40% GR238 German Studies I Students have to choose two components. Introduction to Linguistics 50% Intercultural Communication 50% Write, Act, Podcast: Producing and Presenting German Texts 50% Semester 2 All modules are compulsory. All modules have the value of 5 ECTS. Module Components GR237 German Language II GR235 History of German Literature and Culture II Students have to choose one of the three optional components. Wiener Moderne (core) 60% Kafka, Der Prozess (optional) 40% Introduction to Christa Wolf (optional) 40% Sociolinguistics (optional; see course description) 40% GR240 German Studies II Landeskunde 50% Research Skills 50% 3

4 Course Descriptions Semester I GR236 German Language I (4 hrs. per week) Lecturer: Michael Shields, Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa Course description: This course (level B1+) will reinforce and build on your language skills acquired in first year. It will help you to become more comfortable and articulate in your practical use of German while deepening your understanding of grammar, vocabulary and structure. Prerequisites: 40% or more in First Arts Advanced German, 50% or more in First Arts Beginners German, or their equivalent. Teaching and learning methods: The course is based on language exercises and text production, including aural, oral and written language structure work, conversation and oral presentations, listening comprehension. Attendance (also on Fridays) is vital. As students are required to participate fully in all elements of the course, half of all marks are given for continuous assessment. Former beginners will be given additional support. Methods of assessment and evaluation: Two-hour written examination and oral examination: 55%; continuous assessment (written assignments, grammar exercises, Friday tests): 45%. Core texts: Michaela Perlmann-Balme & Susanne Schwalb, Sicher! B1+ in two volumes: Sicher! B1+ Kursbuch, (Hueber) ISBN ) and Sicher! B1+ Arbeitsbuch mit Audio-CD (Hueber) ISBN Dreyer, Hilke & Schmitt, Richard, A Practice Grammar of German (Hueber) ISBN

5 GR239 History of German Literature and Culture I Components: Family Fiction 60% H. Heine and Germany (optional) 40% R. Walser - An Introduction (optional) 40% Family Fiction (2 hrs. per week) Lecturer: Tina Pusse Course description: The struggles and the dynamics that take place in families have always been a major topic of literary exploration. Although it is not inevitable that at the end of a drama an entire family lays slaughtered on the stage, like in Hamlet, families, at least in literature, are seen as social units where conflicts, sometimes devastating, arise. Very often family conflicts reflect general problems related to gender issues and to concepts of masculinity and femininity. The course will analyse family conflicts in their historical contexts in novellas and short stories from Romanticism to contemporary German literature. Method of assessment: 20% attendance with active participation including a short presentation, 80% take home essay (the essay assignment will be broken down into four steps, each of them will build 20% of your essay grade). Core texts: Franz Kafka: Die Verwandlung. Stuttgart: Reclam 2006 (ISBN: ); Ludwig Tieck: Der blonde Eckbert. Der Runenberg. Stuttgart: Reclam 2006 (ISBN: ); E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der Sandmann. Stuttgart: Reclam (ISBN ): Elfriede Jelinek: Die Klavierspielerin (Excerpt will be provided). Heinrich Heine and Germany (1hr. per week) Lecturer: Michael Shields Course description: In 1843 Heine travelled to Germany from Paris, where he had spent over ten years as a political refugee and met Karl Marx and other progressive thinkers. His travel poem Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen (first published in 1844 and banned in Prussia the same year) is a satirical description of the impressions of such a journey, and contains hilarious descriptions of the contrast between the revolutionary poet and the conservative figures he meets. The course will focus on this canonical poem and the literary, political and cultural influences that helped shape its representation of Germany. 5

6 Teaching and learning methods: Starting with a close reading of the text, students will be introduced to different ways of approaching it and will develop techniques for understanding and analyzing it, comparing interpretations and translations and branching out to consider related texts where relevant. We will approach it as a spoken and written work and discuss how best to use the wide range of interpretative tools available in the library and online. Methods of assessment and evaluation: Written exam (50%), take-home essay (50%). Core texts: Heinrich Heine, Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen. Edited by Bellmann, Werner (Reclam) ISBN: Robert Walser - An introduction (1 hr. per week) Lecturer: Dagmar Drabent Course description: Robert Walser is one of the most important Swiss writers of the 20 th Century. His literary reputation is endorsed by renowned writers and theorists alike. He is most famous for his unique short prose form and idiosyncratic style. A characteristic of Walser s texts is a playful serenity behind which hide existential questions. The course will introduce students to his writing by analysing and interpreting some of his short prose pieces and other samples of his writing. Thereby students will gain a deeper understanding of modernist literature but also insights into Swiss culture. Methods of assessment: Written exam 80%, continuous assessment 20% Core texts: Die Handschuhe; Der Nobelpreis; short prose from Fritz Kochers Aufsätze (Der Schulaufsatz) and from other works; all texts will be provided as handouts. 6

7 GR238 German Studies I Components: Introduction to Linguistics 50% Intercultural Communication 50% Write, Act, Podcast: Producing and Presenting German Texts 50% Students have to choose two components. Introduction to Linguistics and Linguistic Analysis: (1 hr. per week) Lecturer: Mel Boland Course description: What do we mean when we say that we know a language? These introductory classes on the field of linguistics examine the idea of native speaker competence, exploring key areas of analysis such as phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax. Methods of assessment and examination: In-class examination, to take place in the final class. Core Text: Keith Allan et al, The English Language & Linguistics Companion (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010). Intercultural Communication (1 hr. per week) Lecturer: Áine Ryan Course Description: The aim of this module is for you to increase your understanding of how to communicate with people from diverse environments and to gain an insight into other cultures as well as examining your relationship to your own culture. There will be a particular focus on Germany and Ireland as you will be spending a year abroad in Germany. The course will contain a mixture of class-room teaching, groupwork and individual student contributions. We will also make use of media like film and podcasts. Assessment: 50% take-home essay, 50% in-class test. 2% will be deducted for each class not attended unless a medical certificate is presented. Teaching and Learning Methods: Team work, discussions, text analysis, reflection on cultural experiences and encounters. Students are expected to read prescribed material each week before coming to class. Material is also available on Blackboard. 7

8 Core Texts: Myron W. Lustig, Jolene Koester, Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures (2010, 7 th edition) or (2009, 6 th edition). Write, Act, Podcast: Producing and Presenting German Texts (2 hr. per week) Lecturer: Vincent O Connell Course Description: In this multimedia course students will learn to write short scenes in German, perform them and record them as podcasts. In one unit of the course students will creatively write about everyday situations as they might occur for example, during their year abroad. In a second unit short literary texts such as poems, short stories or fairytales will be used as source material from which dramatic sketches can be developed. Performances of such sketches will be recorded as podcasts and uploaded to Blackboard. The course will enable students to build up confidence in their language and communication skills. Speaking and acting will help students to become in particular more aware of German intonation and pronunciation. Methods of assessment and evaluation: Attendance 10%, written dialogues 30%, scene enactment 30%, podcasts 30% Attendance is crucial. Please note that due to the nature of the course, there will be no opportunity to repeat this module. Core texts: Handouts will be supplied by the lecturer. 8

9 Semester II GR237 German Language II (4 hrs. per week) Lecturer: Tina Pusse Course description: Continuing from GR236, this course (level B1+) will build up fluency and accuracy in your German language. It will help you become more comfortable in the practical use of German while deepening your understanding of grammar and vocabulary. Prerequisites: 40% or more in First Arts Advanced German, 50% or more in First Arts Beginners German, or their equivalent. Teaching and learning methods: The course will involve language exercises and text production, including aural, oral and written language structure work, writing in a range of text types, conversation and oral presentations, listening comprehension. Attendance (also on Fridays) is vital. As students are required to participate fully in all elements of the course, half of all marks are given for continuous assessment. Former beginners will be given additional support. Methods of assessment and evaluation: Two-hour written examination and oral examination: 55%; continuous assessment (written assignments, grammar exercises, Friday tests): 45%. Core texts: Michaela Perlmann-Balme & Susanne Schwalb, Sicher! B1+ in two volumes: Sicher! B1+ Kursbuch, (Hueber) ISBN and Sicher! B1+ Arbeitsbuch mit Audio-CD (Hueber) ISBN Dreyer, Hilke & Schmitt, Richard, A Practice Grammar of German (Hueber) ISBN

10 GR235 History of German Literature and Culture II Components: Wiener Moderne (core) 60% Kafka, Der Prozess (optional) 40% Christa Wolf - An Introduction (optional) 40% Introduction to Sociolinguistics (optional) 40% Students have to choose one of the optional components. Literature and Culture of the Wiener Moderne (2 hrs. per week) Lecturer: Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa Course description: The module introduces students to the literature and culture of Vienna in the period It provides a portrait of the Hapsburgian Capital including aspects like the political and economical situation, urban sociology and architecture. The major thematic focus of the module will be the representation of women in contemporary literature, art, and theory. It introduces major representatives of contemporary art (Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele), and music (Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schönberg). The module analyses major texts of various genres (narration, poetry, drama) by various authors (Arthur Schnitzler, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Peter Altenberg). These texts will be discussed in the context of relevant contemporary theories such as psychoanalysis, and the criticism of language. Assessment: Take home essay: 80%, In-class-tests: 20%. Core texts: Arthur Schnitzler, Fräulein Else; Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Elektra; handouts. Franz Kafka: Der Process (1 hrs. per week) Lecturer: Tina Pusse Course description: Students will be introduced to one of the highlights of early 20 th century prose, Franz Kafka s Der Process, in which a man is arrested and prosecuted by an inaccessible authority that does not reveal the nature of his crime to him. Students will learn about Kafka and his life as a Jewish-German writer in early 20 th century Prague. However, the focus of the course will be a close reading of the (unfinished) novel. Method of assessment: Attendance and continuous assessment (40%), written exam (60%) Core text: Franz Kafka: Der Process. Edited by Ralf Kellermann. Reclam XL Text und Kontext. ISBN:

11 Christa Wolf - An introduction (1 hr. per week) Lecturer: Jeannine Jud Course description: This course provides an introduction to the works of Christa Wolf ( ), one of the most prominent post-second World War female authors. Wolf lived through and reflected on three historical eras: the Nazi era, the GDR era, and Germany post-unification. By looking at her literary oeuvre we are presented with insights into political, historical and psychological themes relevant to these three eras. This course will focus primarily on Wolf's experiences during the Nazi and GDR eras and will examine themes such as trauma, fear, displacement, the loss of identity and political disillusionment. The course will examine three major texts, the short story Was bleibt, a semi-autobiographical work describing the life of an author in the GDR living under constant Stasi-surveillance, the essay Einiges über meine Arbeit als Schriftsteller, and a passage from Wolf's granddaughter Jana Simon s work, Sei dennoch unverzagt: Gespräche mit meinen Großeltern Christa und Gerhard Wolf. Assessment: Written examination (70%), active participation and continuous assessment (30%). Core texts: Christa Wolf, Was bleibt, Christa Wolf Einiges über meine Arbeit als Schriftsteller, in: Die Dimension des Autors; Jana Simon Sei dennoch unverzagt: Gespräche mit meinen Großeltern Christa und Gerhard Wolf. Introduction to Sociolinguistics (1 hr. per week) Lecturer: Mel Boland Course description: The broad aim of these classes is to explore the interrelationship between language and society, and to equip students with a broad working knowledge of key issues in contemporary sociolinguistics. Topics covered in class include the dialect and language dichotomy, language contact, politeness and gender in language. Teaching and learning methods: Lecture-based course Methods of assessment and examination: This part of the module is assessed by two in-class exercises. Language of instruction: English Core text: Peter Stockwell, Sociolinguistics: A Resource Book for Students (Second edition) (Routledge, 2007). 11

12 GR240: German Studies II Components: Landeskunde 50% Research Skills 50% Landeskunde (1 hr. per week) Lecturer: Áine Ryan Course description: This course will examine elements of everyday German life and culture with the aim of giving you insights which will prepare you for your Erasmus year in Germany. It has a practical focus as well as an aim of making you familiar with German culture and society. We will look at student life at a German university, how to prepare yourself before you go as well as the cultural elements of various regions in Germany. There will be some sessions in the multi-media lab as we work with authentic material available on line as well as YouTube videos and other visual/audio material. Assessment: Class presentation in German (40%), in-class test (40 %), attendance and completing homework (20%). Core Texts: Handouts provided in class and on Blackboard Introduction to Research Skills (1 hr. per week) Lecturer: Áine Ryan Course description: The aim of the course is to improve your skills in research and academic writing. You will learn to conduct research effectively from the initial stages of framing a research question to exploring methodologies to the practicalities of referencing and developing good writing skills. Library workshops are offered to introduce you to the productive use of the library and of online resources. The skills acquired in this course will enable you to complete your final year extended essay and viva successfully. Assessment: two-hour take-home examination (60%); assignment: Writing a Research Proposal (40%). 2% will be deducted for each class not attended unless you present a medical certificate. Core texts: Richard Pears and Grahan Shields, Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide. Palgrave Study Skills, eighth edition (2010). Each student must have a copy of this book. 12