COURSE SCHEDULE

Fall 2007

Elementary & Intermediate Language Courses

Advanced German Language, Literature and Culture Courses

Level 1

Level 2

Courses in German Literature & Civilization
Conducted in English

Elementary and Intermediate German

GERMN 101 Elementary German I 3hrs, 3crs.
NOT CREDITED WITHOUT GERMN 102.

This course is intended for students with no prior knowledge of German.  Basic skills of speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension are taught with a strong emphasis on active student participation.

GERMN 102 Elementary German II 3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 101 or equivalent.

This course continues the work of GERMN 101, practicing the four basic language skills.

GERMN 103 Intensive Elementary German I & II 6hrs, 6crs.

This course is intended for students with no prior knowledge of German. It covers in ONE semester the material normally covered in two semesters, in GERMN 101 and GERMN 102. Basic skills of speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension are taught with a strong emphasis on active student participation. The class meets three times a week, and involves a considerable investment of time. Please consult the Chair of the Department for further advice about this accelerated course.

GERMN 201 Intermediate German I 3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 102 or 103 or equivalent.

Continued instruction in the four basic language skills. Introduction of advanced grammatical forms and review of elementary grammar. Reading and discussion of selected German writings. Continued practice in conversation and composition.

GERMN 202 Intermediate German II 3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 201 or equivalent.

Students at this level will normally be tested by both written and oral examination. Continued instruction in the four basic language skills.  Reading and discussion of selected literary texts.  Completion of this course fulfills the Hunter College foreign language requirement. 

ADVANCED GERMAN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE COURSES
All 300 Level courses in German plus 444 count
as Focused Exposure (Stage 3, Group A.)

Level I: Literature and Culture

The advanced German courses are divided into two levels. We expect students to take several courses at Level One before proceeding to Level Two. If you are in any doubt which course you should take, please consult the chairperson of the Department or a departmental advisor. All courses are conducted in German.

Level I
Language and Culture

GERMN 301 Advanced German Comprehension and Conversation 3 hours, 3 credits
Prereq: GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent.

This course is intended for students who have recently completed GERMN 202 or 203.  The course sequence 301/302 is specifically designed to help students make the transition from a 200-level course to upper level German courses.  GERMN 302 Advanced German Conversation & Composition will be offered in the Spring Semester 2008: students of 302 will be prepared in the Spring to take the examination for the Zertifikat Deutsch, the professional certificate of basic language competence administered by the Goethe Institute.  This course is not intended for native speakers of German.

The course provides intensive practice in speaking and comprehending contemporary German.  Mastery of vocabulary and idiom is emphasized.  Topics for class discussion will derive from various sorts of printed as well as recorded texts.  Taped materials are used in class and at home to strengthen comprehension skills.  Regular preparation in writing required for group work and class dialogues.  (GER, Stage 3, Group A.)

GERMN 322 German Civilization  3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 202 or 203 or equivalent.

Introduction to key topics in German history, politics, arts and culture. This course is intended for students who have recently completed 202 or 203. The course is conducted in German. You will practice writing and speaking in this class through many short essays and a class project. We will work through a textbook on German cultural history and read a few extra texts on the side. This course is not intended for native speakers of German. GER 3/A, PD D.

GERMN 339 German Drama from Naturalism to the Present 3hrs, 3crs.
Prereq: GERMN 202, 203 or equivalent,

This course is intended for students who have recently completed German 202 or 203. In this course, we shall read and discuss German dramas of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Three dramas will be selected from among those written by such dramatist as Hauptmann, Wedekind, Brecht, Dürrenmatt and Frisch. Emphasis will be on close reading of texts, and analysis of form. The cultural and historical background of the period will also be discussed. The course will be conducted in German and there will be regular writing assignments in German. It is not intended for native speakers of German. GER 3/A, PD D.

Level II:
Language

GERMN 345 Introduction to Business German 3 hrs, 3crs.
This course may be taken by students at all levels of the German program after GERMN 301 or permission of the instructor. It is not intended for native speakers of German.

This course is an introduction to German for business and economics. We will work simultaneously on increasing the language needed in a business context and learning about Germany as an important player in today’s work economy. Topics to be covered will include, among others, Germany as an industrial country, Germany as a global trading partner, Germany’s role within the European Union. In addition to working with the language, we will also work at building up cross-cultural awareness.

The prerequisite for the course is GERMN 301 or permission of the instructor. Students interested in taking the course who do not meet this prerequisite should contact or email the instructor to arrange for, if necessary, a placement interview. Please call the German Department at 212 772-4980 or send an email to the instructor Professor Lisa Anderson, lisa.anderson@hunter.cuny.edu.

Level II:
Literature and Culture

The following course is 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 level of the undergraduate program and beyond.  Students enrolled in Level II courses have the opportunity to take the Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung,** the professional certificate of advanced language competence administered by the Goethe Institute.

** The exams are given each spring. A fee set by the outside agency will be charged for these exams.

GERMN 346 German Literature of the Thirties & Fourties: Inside and Outside of the Third Reich 3hrs, 3crs.

This course deals with literature written in German in the 1930s and 1940s in the context of society and politics of the times. We shall read the work of writers who emigrated from Nazi Germany, as well as writers who stayed. The two major novels we will read are Lion Feuchtwanger’s Die Geschwister Oppermann and Anna Seghers’ Das siebte Kreuz. These readings will be supplemented by documents of the times. The course is conducted in German. GER 3/A, PD D.

German Literature in English Translation
(All reading, writing and discussion in English)

GERMN 241 German Thought and Culture 3hrs, 3crs
Prereq or co-req: Engl 120

This course is an introduction to patterns of thought and culture which have developed in the German-speaking countries from the eighteenth to the late twentieth century. We shall read (in English translation) representative writings by major authors in literary, philosophical, political and other fields. These texts will be discussed in their historical context and in the context of developments in the fine arts. Some slides and taped materials will be used.

This course counts for GER, Stage 2: Broad Exposure, “W” designation, P & D requirement: Group D.

GERMN 241 German Fairy Tales 3hrs, 3crs

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 down to a Walt Disney movie and “politically correct fairy tales”. Students will read fairy tales, tell one that they know, and write three short papers, a mid-term and final examination. All readings will be in English. This course has a “W” designation.

This course counts for GER, Stage 2: Broad Exposure, "W" designation, P & D requirement: Group D.