Selected Undergraduate Course DescriptionsREQUIREMENTS FOR THE NEW GERMAN MAJOR AS OF FALL 2005
(For Graduate Course Descriptions click here)
Lecturer, Lec 1, MTWRF 9:55 Prerequisites: Open to Freshmen. Presumes no knowledge of the German language. In the course students learn basic vocabulary around topics such as classroom objects, daily routines, descriptions of people and objects, simple narration in present time, etc. Currently German 101 covers material presented in the textbook VORSPRUNG from Kapitel 1 to Kapitel 6. Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
102: Second Semester German, 4cr. Lecturer, Lec 1 MTWRF 9:55 Prerequisites: German 101 or appropriate score on placement exam. German 102 continues the learning begun in German 101. Students learn to narrate using past time markers, to express wishes and conditional ideas, to expand on their ability to describe, and to understand and produce extended texts on everyday topics. Currently German 102 covers material presented in the textbook VORSPRUNG from Kapitel 7 to Kapitel 12. Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
111: First Semester Dutch, 4 cr. Lecturer, Lec 1, MTWR 1:20 Prerequisites:Open to freshmen. One of the advantages of studying at the UW is being able to take courses in Dutch. Although the study of Dutch Linguistics and Literature has steadily expanded at major American universities in recent years, many universities do not offer this language. Since Dutch is a Germanic language--linguistically related to both German and English--and since Dutch culture and literature have always had close ties to both German- and English speaking cultures, Dutch is a logical choice as an additional language for American students of German language, literature and culture. See our website at http://german.lss.wisc.edu/dutch/ Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
203: Third Semester German, 4 cr. Lecturer, Lec 1, MTWR 8:50 Prerequisites: German 102 or 172 or appropriate score on placement exam. Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
204:Fourth Semester German, 4 cr. Lecturer, Lec 2, MTWR 9:55 This course is also offered for graduate students as German 404. Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
213: Third Semerster Dutch, 4 cr. Lecturer, Lec 1, MTWF 12:05 Prerequisites: Dutch 112 or consent of instructor. One of the advantages of studying at the UW is being able to take courses in Dutch. Although the study of Dutch Linguistics and Literature has steadily expanded at major American universities in recent years, many universities do not offer this language. Since Dutch is a Germanic language--linguistically related to both German and English--and since Dutch culture and literature have always had close ties to both German- and English speaking cultures, Dutch is a logical choice as an additional language for American students of German language, literature and culture. http://german.lss.wisc.edu/dutch/ Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
221: Introduction to German Literature and Culture I, 3 cr. Prerequisites: German 204 or 225, or placement at 5th-semester level and consent of instructor. Mani, Lec 1, MWF 9:55 Please contact Prof. Mani (bvmani@wisc.edu) for course description and books. Love, Lec 2, MWF 11:00 This course introduces students to the study and interpretation of German literature and cultural topics. Readings will include representative works of twentieth century prose, lyric poetry, and drama, as well as autobiographical writings and essays; the visual arts and film will be among the cultural topics studied. Besides daily participation in class discussion, the course work will include three short papers, two exams, and an oral presentation. The course is conducted in German.
Silberman, Lec 3, MWF 1:20 - 2:10 This course introduces students to the study and interpretation of German literature and cultural topics. Readings will include representative works of twentieth century prose, lyric poetry, and drama, as well as autobiographical writings and essays; we will also study examples of visual cultural such as paintings, poster art, and film. Besides daily participation in class discussion, the course work will include several short papers (in German), two exams (in English and/or German), and an oral presentation (in German). The course is conducted in German. Required textbooks:
222: Introduction to German Literature and Culture II, 3 cr. Kluge, Lec 1, MWF 9:55 Prerequisites: German 221 or consent of instructor. Open to freshmen. The goal of this course is to introduce students to the study and interpretation of German literature and cultural topics. The class will read representative works of nineteenth-century prose, lyric poetry, and drama (by authors such as Tieck, Büchner, Droste-Hülshoff, Hebbel, Storm, Hauptmann, and others), along with selected texts on historical and cultural topics. Discussions will be conducted in German. Required work includes oral discussion, two short papers, one in-class exam, and a final. Required Textbooks:
225: Composition and Conversation I, 3 cr. James, Lec 1, MWF 8:50 Prerequisites: German 204 or appropriate score on placement exam. The aim of German 225 is to develop the students' ability to speak and write in German on everyday culture and current events through readings in the German media, daily oral work (in-class discussions and presentations), formal essays, and other written assignments. A systematic grammar review is an integral part of the course. The final grade is based on class participation and daily homework, essays, grammar quizzes, and in-class exams. The course is taught in German. Required Textbooks:
226: Composition and Conversation II, 3 cr. Mani, Lec 1, MWF 8:50 Prerequisites: German 225. Please contact Prof. Mani (bvmani@wisc.edu) for course description and books. 235:Dutch Conversation and Composition, 3 cr. Lecturer, Lec 1, MWF 12:05 Prerequisites: German 214 or consent of instructor. The aim of "German" 235 is to develop the student's ability to speak and write in Dutch on everyday matters, current events, and academic topics through daily oral work (in-class discussions and presentations) and regular essays. A grammar review is an integral part of the course. In addition, this course not only continues and strengthens the skills practiced in Fourth Semester Dutch, but aims to work on more advanced grammatical issues, and to fine-tune a student's vocabulary to include more formal registers, such as academic language, as well as the rich idioms and proverbs which make Dutch such an interesting language to learn. The final grade is based on the following 5 components: class participation, essays, quizzes, in-class exams, and the final exam. Course language is Dutch; excellent preparation for study or research abroad in the Netherlands or Flanders. Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
245: Topics in Dutch Life and Culture: Dutch Republic and the Golden Age, 3 cr. Taylor, Lec 1, MWF 1:20 Prerequisites: Open to freshmen. All readings and lectures in English. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were a time of remarkable development in the Low Countries. During these periods, the development of the peoples’ group identities (regional, eventually national) experienced remarkable changes. The Revolt against the Spanish Habsburg Empire, the founding of the Republic, and the near-unfathomable wealth acquired by some deeply affected the entire region. The period was characterized by a flowering of learning and the arts and sciences; respect for, and development of, vernacular language; massive migration, in part due to the Republic’s reputation for religious tolerance; a dominant position in world-wide trade; and the beginnings of the development of a nation. This course, which will investigate the culture of the Republic and the Golden Age, will introduce this rich material in English. German 245 is a three-credit course which meets for three one-hour class sessions per week taught in English. No prerequisite, open to first-year students. Because the Republic and the Golden Age was such a significant period in Dutch and Flemish history, this course will serve as a meaningful point of entry into Dutch/Flemish culture for those interested in further study, including study abroad in the Low Countries. Course materials include textbooks (which will be available on reserve), readings from other text on reserve, sites on the www, and multimedia (photographic and musical) material presented in class. Required Textbooks:
Note: Multimedia and internet-based resources will supplement the texts listed above. Literature in Translation 277: Topics in 20th Century German Literature: Minority Literature in Germany , 3 cr. Moedersheim, Lec 1, W 10:00-12:30 Prerequisites: Not open to students who have taken or are taking German 302 or above. First Year Interest Group students only. In this course we will read literature by German authors of different ethnic backgrounds, including poems, short stories, novels, autobiographies and essays by Afro-German, Turkish-German, Asian-German, and Jewish-German writers. We will discuss the current social and political conditions of multiculturalism in Germany, and learn about the legacy of antisemitism and racism in recent German history. Readings and discussions in English. Required Textbooks:
Literature in Translation 277: Topics in 20th Century German Literature: Nobel Prize-winning Writers, 3 cr. Markham, Lec 2, TR 1:00-2:15 Prerequisites: Open to Freshmen. No German required. Not open to students who have taken or are taking German 302 or above. Counts toward humanities literature requirement. Contentious though it may be, the Nobel Prize remains an award that captures the attention of the world. We will critically read and discuss texts by the following Nobel Prize-winning authors of the 20th and 21st centuries whose voices in the German language have attained a singular historical and cultural significance owing to the aura of the Nobel Prize: Gerhart Hauptmann, Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse, Nelly Sachs, Heinrich Böll, Elias Canetti, Günter Grass, and Elfriede Jelinek. Dramas, novels, poems, essays, short fiction, and autobiographical writings in English translation challenge us to discover and explore innovative, compelling, and thought-provoking features that contributed to the global attention the writers attracted by winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. We will examine authors and their works in multiple contexts, analyze characteristic techniques and distinctive thematics, consider authorial responses to receipt of the Nobel Prize, and probe to what extent the writers and their texts continue to resonate today. Requirements include two exams, class participation, an interpretive paper, and focused reading responses. Required Textbooks:
Additional readings, including poetry by Nelly Sachs and prose by Elias Canetti 337: Advanced Composition and Conversation, 3 cr. Berghahn, Lec 1, MWF 1:20 Prerequisites: German 226 and one of 222, 274 or 284 or consent of instructor. Der mündliche und schriftliche Sprachgebrauch soll durch gezielte Übungen für Fortgeschrittene weiter verbessert werden. Dabei ist die Wiederholung grammatischen Problembereiche ebenso wichtig wie die Ausweitung des vorhandenen Wortschatzes. Im Sinne eines handlungsorientierten Unterrichts wird großes Gewicht auf die kreative Teilnahme der Kursmitglieder gelegt. Sie sollen sich – vorbeireitet und unvorbereitet – mit ihren Äußerungen einbringen, die gemeinsame Diskussion und Arbeiten sollen die Kompetenz im Verfassen von Texten verbessern. Dazu gibt es Stilübungen, die auf Texttypen bezogen sind. Inhaltlich wird der Kurs verschiedene Schwerpunkte haben. Einen davon bildet der Komplex „Sprache und Witz“, weitere Themen werden durch Texte eingeführt werden, die ich zur Verfügung stellen werde. Arbeitsbuch:
351:Introduction to German Linguistics, 3 cr. Louden, Lec 1, TR, 9:30-10:45 Prerequisites: German 226 or Consent of Instructor. This course is designed to provide a thorough overview of the German language from the perspective of modern linguistics. We will consider how different forms of spoken and written German are put together as a linguistic system, as well as how speakers actually use the language. After a brief look at the history of German, we will spend about half the semester analyzing the internal structure of German, starting at the level of individual sounds, and then considering how German words are formed and arranged in sentences. Beyond the sentence level, we will move on to questions of "meaning" (semantics and pragmatics). Finally, we will analyze how German varies according to region, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation. The primary texts will be Werner König's dtv-Atlas Deutsche Sprache, as well as a copy pack of handouts and other readings. There will be weekly problem sets assigned, as well as a number of Web-based activities. The class will be taught in German. Required Textbooks:
362: Topics in German Literature: Deutsche Märchen, 3 cr. Kaiser, Lec 1, MWF, 11:00 Prerequisites: German 222 or 274 or 284 or consent of instuctor. Von den Brüdern Grimm bis zur Postmoderne sind Märchen eine beliebte Erzählform. In diesem Semester lesen wir eine Auswahl der interessantesten deutschsprachigen Märchen von etwa 1780 bis zur Gegenwart. Warum werden Volksmärchen gesammelt, warum werden literarische Kunstmärchen geschrieben? Warum lesen wir beide Sorten von Märchen so gern? Über diese Fragen sowie über andere zur soziokulturellen Funktion und zur literarischen Form des Märchens im jeweiligen historischen Kontext diskutieren wir anhand von einzelnen Texten. Der Kurs wird in deutscher Sprache gehalten. Es werden Arbeitsgruppen gebildet, und im Laufe des Semesters wird jede Gruppe einen mündlichen Vortrag halten, z.B. zum Leben der Brüder Grimm. Alle TeilnehmerInnen werden ein “take-home” Examen am Ende des Semesters schreiben sowie eine Zwischenprüfung und zwei kurze Papers. Auf Wunsch darf eins der Papers ein Märchen sein. Es wird einen Kursreader mit Texten geben, und folgende Bücher werden im University Bookstore erhältlich sein:
Steakley, Lec 1, TR, 1:00-2:15 Prerequisites: German 221 &222 or 274 or 284 or consent of instructor. In this course, students will become acquainted with the principal developments of German cultural history in the late 17th as well as 18th and 19th centuries within the broader European context. Starting with the growing rivalry between Austria and Prussia as military superpowers following the 30 Years War, we will survey the politics of late feudalistic absolutism and the challenge posed by the Enlightenment, the post-Napoleonic rise of liberal and national democratic strivings that peaked in the abortive Revolution of 1848, and finally the imperialistic mindset stimulated by victory in the wars of unification waged by Bismarck and stunted by defeat in World War I. Three key texts for tracing these developments are "The Magic Flute" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder, "Woyzeck" by Georg Büchner, and "The Mastersingers of Nuremberg" by Richard Wagner. Each student will deliver an oral report on one of these three works and write a paper on all three. The course is conducted in German. Required Textbooks:
445: Topics in Dutch Culture:De Republiek en de Gouden Eeuw, 3 cr. Taylor, Lec 1, MWF, 12:05 Prerequisites: German 214 or 314, or consent of instructor. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were a time of remarkable development in the Low Countries. During these periods, the development of the peoples’ group identities (regional, eventually national) experienced remarkable changes. The Revolt against the Spanish Habsburg Empire, the founding of the Republic, and the near-unfathomable wealth acquired by some deeply affected the entire region. The period was characterized by a flowering of learning and the arts and sciences; respect for, and development of, vernacular language; massive migration, in part due to the Republic’s reputation for religious tolerance; a dominant position in world-wide trade; and the beginnings of the development of a nation. This course, which will investigate the culture of the Republic and the Golden Age, will introduce this rich material, helping students develop their ability to discuss and analyze relevant concepts in Dutch. German 445 is a three- or four-credit course which meets for three one-hour class sessions per week taught in English plus an hour’s discussion in Dutch, for which the fourth credit is available. Therefore, the prerequisite for the course is successful completion of German 214 or 314 (fourth-semester Dutch), or equivalent. Because the Republic and the Golden Age was such a significant period in Dutch and Flemish history, this course will serve as a meaningful point of entry into Dutch/Flemish culture for those interested in further study, including study abroad in the Low Countries. Course materials include textbooks (which will be available on reserve), readings from other text on reserve, sites on the www, and multimedia (photographic and musical) material presented in class. Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
Note: Multimedia and internet-based resources will supplement the texts listed above. Silberman, Lec 1, MW 2:30-3:45 Prerequisites: For German credit: one 300 level course or above; For com arts credit:Com Arts 350 or 352. This film course presents a synoptic view of the German cinema’s development during the twentieth century. Feature-length films will be screened every week on Tuesday evenings and attendance at screenings and class discussion is mandatory; some screening sessions will be as short as 90-100 min., but several features are as long as 140 minutes, and some screenings will include 2 shorter features. Course lectures will introduce the major trends in the German cinema. These include early forms of narrativization, the post WWI Expressionist period, the social film of the late Weimar period, the entertainment cinema of the Third Reich, the fifties "Heimat" and problem films of West Germany, the East German cinema, the Young German Film of the sixties, the New German Cinema of the seventies, and post-unification cinema. Students will develop a knowledge base with which to distinguish the historical development of the German cinema from other national cinemas and will be asked to demonstrate this acquired knowledge through the analysis of individual films. We will be concerned with ways in which the movie industry and specific films responded to cultural, political, and technological changes in Germany over an entire century. The course format will consist of a weekly lecture on Mondays to introduce background to a period, issue, genre, or particular film. The film screening pertinent to the lecture will always begin on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. The screened film will be the main focus of the next day's class session (Wednesday). Pairs or groups of students will be assigned to prepare the Wednesday discussions of the feature film with questions and theses. Written work includes several short (3-4 pages) papers on topics defined by the instructor and a final term paper (ca. 15 pages + scene segmentation) that presents the analysis of an entire film chosen by the student but not screened in class. NOTE: For students with advanced German-language skills: if there is sufficient interest, we can organize an informal discussion section in German to introduce and practice the technical terminology of film analysis (possibly after Tuesday screenings). Required Textbooks:
Recommended Textbooks:
676: Reiseliteratur seit der frühen Neuzeit, 3 cr. Mödersheim, Sem 1, TR 2:30-3:45 Prerequisites: German 337 and two additional advanced German courses or consent of instructor. In diesem Kurs lesen wir ausgewählte Beispiele deutscher Reiseliteratur von der Frühen Neuzeit bis zur Gegenwart. Die Formen der literarischen Reisebeschreibung reichen von Darstellungen realer Reisen mit Referenzen auf den wirklichen Raum bis zu fiktionalen Reiseberichten wie Robinsonaden oder utopischen Entwürfen. Spätestens ab dem 18. Jahrhundert richtet die literarische Reisebeschreibung ihren Blick nicht nur nach außen, sondern auch nach innen. Die Wahrnehmung und Repräsentation des "Fremden" und "Anderen" und die Auseinandersetzung mit kultureller Differenz spiegelt eine Kritik und Auseinandersetzung mit der eigenen Welt. http://german.lss.wisc.edu/gr676/
|
