Language
Courses
Reading & Composition
Freshman Seminar
Courses Taught in English
Courses Taught in German
Dutch
Yiddish
Graduate
LANGUAGE
COURSES
Please note that all sections of German 1 through German 4 will still meet five hours per week. However at each level we are introducing sections that will meet three days per week, rather than five days per week.
German 1
1. (5) Elementary German I. Euba in charge.
Fall/Spring. Five units; classes meet three or five times a week. All four foreign language skills (reading, writing,
speaking, and listening) are addressed to help students acquire communicative competence in the German language while being
sensitized to the links between language and culture. German 1 is for students with no prior knowledge of German.
1E. (3)
G 1E (Express) is for students with prior knowledge of German.
German 2
2.
(5) Elementary German II. Euba in charge.
Fall/Spring. Five units; classes meet three or five times a week. Prerequisite: G1 or equivalent. In German 2, students will continue to develop communicative competence in the German language and expand their sensitivity towards the relationship between language and culture. While all language skills will be addressed, additional emphasis will be on the various styles of written and spoken German. Prerequisite: G1 or equivalent.
German 1G/2G
1G/2G. (0) Reading German for Graduates (S/U) .
Euba in charge.
Fall/Spring. Taken on S/U basis. Prepares graduate students from other disciplines to take their German reading exam. One year of German should be taken before 1G; 1G or consent of instructor for 2G. Students who will take 2G should enroll in it at the beginning of the semester; 2G will begin approximately the eighth week of instruction. All students interested in the G courses should attend the first meeting of the semester.
German 3
3. (5) Intermediate
German I. Topics in German Language and Cultural History.
Euba in charge.
Fall/Spring. Five units; classes meet three or five times a week. While continuing to expand students' communicative competence in German, this content-driven course will provide insights into postwar German history and cultural trends. Primary focus will be on the development of literacy skills (critical reading and writing), vocabulary expansion, and a thorough review of structural concepts. You will be guided towards expressing yourself on more abstract topics, such as language and power in society, multiculturalism, rebellion and protest, and social justice and towards drawing connections between texts and contexts, using a variety of text genres (journalistic, historical, short story, poetry, drama, advertising, film).
German 4
4. (5) Intermediate
German II. Topics in German Language and Culture. Euba in charge.
Fall/Spring. Five units; classes meet three or five times a week. In this fourth-semester German language course you will work on strengthening your interpretative abilities as well as your written and oral forms of expression. While continuing the development of communicative competence and literacy skills, students will discuss a variety of texts and films and try to find innovative ways in which to engage with familiar presuppositions about who we are, about what determines our values and actions and about the function and power of language.
READING AND COMPOSITION (Readings and discussions in English.)
R5B. (4) Reading and Composition.
Fulfills the second half of the University's Reading & Composition Requirement (equivalent to English 1B, Comp. Lit. 1 B, etc.).
Section 1: Trop, G.
"Knowledge/Art." This course examines literary and philosophical interventions concerning the possibility of knowledge of the world and the consequences of epistemological failure. We will focus on problems of understanding, knowledge of self and other, and art as a form of cognition. In addition to shorter texts by Nietzsche, Kleist, Moritz, and Kant, we will read in-depth Kafka's The Castle, Goethe's Faust, and Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival.
Section 2: Dewey, T.
"Here Be Dragons". This course will focus on the portrayal of dragons and assorted other monsters in the Germanic tradition, primarily considering texts from the Middle Ages but also with reference to modern interpretations. These will include sagas, epic poetry, novels, and films.
Section 3: Dewey, T.
Law & Literature: In this course we will focus on the relationship between law and literature, looking at texts from the Middle Ages through the present. These will include novels, short stories, sagas, and films.
Section 4: Coffey, M.
"Who you callin' a Barbarian?" Our readings and class discussions will explore the concept of Œbarbarian‚ in traditional historical accounts from antiquity through modern times as it relates to the Germanic peoples. We will compare the frequently negative views of these peoples with revisionist claims based on recent historical and archaeological research, which often contradict the notion that the Germanic barbarians were especially barbaric. Topics will include: the Fall of the Roman Empire and the establishment of barbarian kingdoms throughout Western Europe; the crowning of Charlemagne as Emperor and the beginnings of the Holy Roman Empire; the Viking raids and settlement in England and the Continent as the final wave of Germanic conquest; the influence of the Church on the barbarians and the influence of the barbarians on the Church at the dawn of the Middle Ages. Readings will consist primarily of historical accounts, but will include some fictional and poetic works. We will also read such literary documents as Einhard's Life of Charlemagne, and excerpts from the Nibelungenlied and Beowulf. The course emphasizes the breadth and depth of the Germanic cultural and political inheritance in the development of the European feudal order and modern European civilization. All readings and discussions will be in English. There are no language prerequisites, though some familiarity with German or Latin might be helpful.
Section 5: Banwell, E.
"Legends in Their Own Minds: Delusion, Paranoia, and Naiveté in Narrative". We will look at a wide variety of texts, from the late Middle Ages to the present era, to gain a broader understanding of the idea of delusion in literature and history. Protagonists’ perceptions of themselves and the world around them can be extremely informative, disturbing, and often entertaining – what is illusion and what is real? Who is considered delusional and why? What are benefits and drawbacks to seeing the world differently from everyone else?
This course is taught in English, using German texts in translation. In addition to critical-reading skills, it also focuses on the skills necessary for writing a research paper, and fulfills the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement.
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COURSES TAUGHT IN GERMAN
German 40
40. (2) German Conversation - Toth.
Advanced German conversation course that includes discussions, debates, individual presentations and one or two in-class movies in German. Most materials will be provided by the instructor but students will also be asked to use their own resources from printed or online media. Regular vocabulary quizzes will be part of the course grade. Taught in German.
German 100
100. (3) Introduction to Reading Culture - Merolle.
This course is intended to acquaint students with selected works from German cultural history and to familiarize them with various methods of interpretation and analysis. Required for all German majors. Fulfills the L&S requirement in Arts and Literature or International Studies. Taught in German. Students with native fluency in German are not eligible to enroll.
German 101
101. (3) Advanced German Conversation, Composition and Style - Merolle.
Focusing of five central themes, this advanced-level language course will help students improve and expand on spoken and written language functions utilizing a variety of works from different genres in journalism, broadcasting, literature, fine arts, and cinema. The final goal is to enable students to participate in the academic discourse, written and spoken to linguistic and stylistic level appropriate for and advanced student of German in upper division courses. Fulfills the L&S breadth requirement in Arts and Literature or International Studies. Taught in German. Students with native fluency in German are not eligible to enroll.
German 102
102A. (3) Cabaret Performance - Euba.
The analysis, discussion, adaptation and public performance of authentic texts from German Kabarett (i.e., comedic skits, political and social satire, parody, humorous poetry, etc.) will advance students?? language and interpersonal skills, while providing unique access to a significant dimension of German popular culture. Additional emphasis is put on aspects and practice of creative writing and German pronunciation and enunciation. Students need to be available for evening and weekend performances on 4/24/07-4/29/07. Fulfills the L&S breadth requirement in Arts and Literature or International Studies. Taught in German. Students with native fluency are not eligible to enroll.
102B. (3) New Course . German for Business- Merolle.
This advanced language/culture course focuses on the structure and practices of German business as well as current economic, political, and cultural issues relevant to conducting business in the German-speaking world. German-language news media, video, and Internet resources keep us abreast of contemporary developments in the business scenes of the German-speaking countries and the rest of Europe. Language skills practiced include business writing, presentations, and negotiation. Fulfills the L&S breadth requiremnt in Arts and Literature and Internatinal Studies. Taught in German. Students with native fluency in German are not eligible to enroll.
108. (3) Literary Translations - Kudszus.
Our focus will be the theory and practice of literary translation, primarily from German to English. Students will select their own texts for their individual projects (presentation, paper). The Translation Studies Reader, ed. Lawrence Venuti, will provide theoretical background material. Taught in German
148. (3) Topics in Narrative - Seeba.
“Vienna / Berlin: Two Models of Cultural Topography”. Nationalism in Germany may have been more rigid than that of comparable countries because it had to overcome the conflict between long-established cultural regionalism and the modern push for administrative and economic centralism. Lacking a capital like Paris or London, German culture has traditionally been centered in various competing cities, even during the relatively brief periods when Berlin served as the official German capital from 1871 to 1945 and again since 1991. Taught in German.
175B. (3) 20th Century Poetry - Kudszus.
We will engage in in-depth readings of prime examples of 20th century lyric poetry in German, including works by Georg Trakl, Rainer Maria Rilke, Stefan George, Else Lasker-Schüler, Gottfried Benn, Ingeborg Bachmann, Johannes Bobrowski, Rose Ausländer, Paul Celan, Nelly Sachs, and Ernst Herbeck. Language, madness, and boundary issues will be among our interests. Fulfills the Arts and Literature requirement. Taught in German.
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COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH
24. (1). Freshman Seminar - Feldman.
"Nihilism and Nothingness: The Roots of Existentialism" - In this freshman seminar we will read and discuss short excerpts from existentialist works of philosophy and literature. We will focus on the topics of nothingness, meaninglessness and negativity in texts of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kafka, Sartre, de Beauvoir and others. The course will also make some reference to such films as "Groundhog Day," "The Truman Show" and David Cronenberg's "eXistenZ."
39J. (3). The Odyssey in Western Culture- Tang.
Homer’s Odyssey inaugurated a unique literary theme in Western culture: the narrative of wandering, exploration, and colonization. If Homer and Virgil’s heroes still remain within the Mediterranean space, Dante’s Ulysses ventures into the unknown, heralding the European exploration of the new world and the subsequent making of modern global society. In this course we will study the figure of Odysseus in Western culture from Homer to our time. Taught in English.
C109. (4). Language and Power - Kramsch.
Multidisciplinary explorations into the origins, nature, and exercise of language as social symbolic power, drawing on readings taken from anthropology, social and cultural theory, and critical discourse analysis. Topics include language and myth, the meaning of meaning, the economy of verbal exchanges, perspective and ideology in language, institutional discourse, gender and discourse, and linguistic imperialism. Also listed as Letters and Science C180T. Taught in English.
155. (4). Kafka and Modernism - Gokturk.
Close readings of major works by Franz Kafka (1883-1924). The focus will be on narratives which complicate notions of linear and coherent identity through acts of performance. The course is taught in English. Students with a working knowledge of German who are interested in reading Kafka in the original will be encouraged to form a reading group, which can have some additional meetings with the instructor. German majors can use this to gain course credit for a class where reading is done in German. This course fulfills the Arts & Literature Breadth Requirement.
157D. (4). Adorno, Benjamin, Habermas. Feldman.
This course examines the writings of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory, a major branch of western Marxism. Focusing on confrontations with modernity, the lectures will deal with three seminal thinkers: Walter Benjamin, known for his genial insights into the culture of modernism; Theodor Adorno, the versatile philosopher and aesthetic theorist of the avant garde; and Jurgen Habermas, the most influential German intellectual after World War II. Taught in English.
160A. (4) A Century of Extremes - Schuering.
Germany's History and Culture in the 20th Century.This course offers an introduction to the history and culture of 20th century Germany. It aims at a systematic account of German history in that period, and it intends to provide a better understanding of today’s German culture and politics. The story of Germany since World War I is a dramatic one, comprising revolution, total war, genocide, Allied occupation, a division into two states on opposing sides of the Cold War, and most recently an unexpected unification. Taught in English.
160D. (4) Multicultural Germany - Gokturk.
This course approaches migration as a force of social and cultural change. Through documents from a 50 year history of migration to Germany, students will learn to contextualize specific case studies within broader debates on recruitment of guest workers, foreigners in East Germany, xenophobia and racism, citizenship law, immigration and national identity, the institutions of multiculturalism, religion, the private sphere, literature and multilingualism, popular culture, and globalization. The course is taught in English. Fulfills the L&S breadth requirement in International Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences. Taught in English.
168. (3) Yiddish Literature and Culture in Translation - Adler-Peckerar.
"Yiddish and Humor" - This course explores Yiddish roots of humor from the birth of Yiddish literature in the early modern period up till the 2007 publication of The Yiddish Policemen's Union. We examine Yiddish culture in a wide variety of media including folklore, fiction, poetry, popular magazines, film, and television. In addition to reading the great works of Yiddish literature, the class will also look at historical and contemporary views of the Yiddish language and Jewish humor in other languages. Fulfills the Arts and Literature requirement. Taught in English.
174. (3). The Morphology and Syntax of Modern German- Shannon.
The aim of this course is to provide the American student with a thorough introduction to the structure of the modern German language. Specifically we will examine the fundamental concepts and principles of German word structure (inflectional forms, word formation), syntax (sentence structure, word order), and vocabulary. There are no prerequisites for this class and no prior experience with linguistics is presupposed. However, an advanced knowledge of German (at least German 4 level, or permission of the instructor) is expected. Lectures and discussion will be conducted in German or English, as the class prefers. Our main reference work will be: Martin Durrell (2002), Hammer’s German grammar and usage.
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GRADUATE
COURSES
201C. (4) 18th Century Literature- Tang.
This course provides a survey of eighteenth-century German literature and thought, and introduces students to the main theoretical approaches in eighteenth-century studies. We will focus on three issues in our reading of key eighteenth-century novels, dramas, as well as theoretical prose: (1), the Enlightenment and new models of the political; (2), the emergence and consolidation of a new anthropological paradigm, and (3), culture of writing and the rise of “literature” in the modern sense.
201D. (4) 19th Cenury - Seeba.
“Survey 19th century”. Designed mainly for M.A. candidates, this course deals with major issues of 19th century literature in the context of intellectual, social and institutional history - to suggest a model of cultural history of the 19th century. Brief reports will be required on national monuments, literary salons, libraries, schools and universities, scientific academies, writers' unions, culture clubs, newspapers, censorship, museums, theaters. The final paper should be a research proposal focusing on one central issue or a course outline exploring various issues in representative texts. Texts and discussions in German, papers in English or German.
203. (2) Readings in German Philosophy - Kaiser.
A study of aspects of the self in classic works from the German philosophical tradition. Topics to be addressed include self-consciousness, the transcendental ego, self and other, self and world, and the will. The course involves close reading of texts from Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger and others. Special attention will be paid to issues of language and translation. Prerequisite: at least one year of college-level German.
205. (4) Studies in Medieval Literature. Largier.
“The Rhetoric of Love”.In this research seminar we will discuss courtly and religious love poetry, focusing on the formal aspects of the medieval rhetoric of love, on genres and variation, and on specific traditions in light of the reception of Ovid and the Song of Songs. Texts and authors will include German Minnesong poetry from its beginnings to Ulrich von Liechtenstein, Andreas Capellanus, Hadewijch of Antwerp, Gottfried’s Tristan. A small colloquium with guests from the FU Berlin research group on emotions in the Middle Ages (Ingrid Kasten, Jutta Eming, Elke Koch) will be part of this seminar.
256. (4). Problems of Literary Theory. Feldman.
Philosophy and literature: Kant, Nietzsche and Heidegger at the crossroads. This course examines Kant, Nietzsche and Heidegger at the crossroads of literature and philosophy. It will focus on the roles of representation, narrative, figurality, fictionality and tonality in their claims about knowledge, language and subjectivity. In each case we will study the significance for literary theory of both the matter and the style of their thought. Texts include excerpts from Kant's three Critiques; Nietzsche's writings on language and truth; Heidegger's lecture course on Leibniz's principle of reason; and critical essays by Willi Goetschel, Claudia Brodsky Lacour, Gottfried Benn, Paul de Man, Ernesto Grassi, David Wood and others.
273. (4). Gothic - Rauch.
Study of the orthography, phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon of the earliest Germanic dialect with a sizeable corpus. The Indo-European origins of the Gothic language as well as the relationship with North and West Germanic are considered. The cultural environment in which Bishop Wulfila translated the Scriptures in the fourth century is discussed. Translations of texts include, among others, the newly found leaf (1971) of the Codex Argenteus and the Skeireins. No prerequisites.
295. (4) Dialectology- Shannon.
“German Dialectology”.In this seminar we will examine questions of geographical variation within the German language. Among other things we will consider the differences between language and dialect, the division of German dialects and the history of German dialect study, various linguistic features (phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical) characteristic of the major German dialect areas, and issues involving the use of dialect versus standard language in contemporary society. Taught in English.
296. (4). Semiotics - Rauch.
This seminar introduces principal figures from the basic disciplines of philosophy, biology, and linguistics who are particularly influential in current trends in semiotic method. It undertakes to lay the foundation of a semiotic method distinct from monolithic traditional structuralism, so, e.e.g, it concentrates on anti-Saussurean thought. In presenting semiotic universals, the seminar pursues the formulation and the application of a theoretical construct valid for any and all semiotic modalities ranging from the literary text, to the language act as text, and to the human being as text. No prerequisites.
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Linguistic investigation of bilingual and interlingual structures of contemporary German found in data collected firsthand in the San Francisco Bay Area. Formulation of a working hypothesis, method and application of linguistic fieldwork, data elicitation and analysis, synthesis and preparation of results for publication.
PEDAGOGY
350. (3) Seminar in Foreign
Language Pedagogy: Teaching College German (I). Euba.
Focusing on the
theory and practice of foreign language pedagogy, this course is designed to provide
graduate students in German with knowledge and tools for their careers as teachers
in the language classroom and beyond. While emphasizing critical reflection on
pedagogical practices--one's own and that of others-- students will also be introduced
to the field of Second Language Acquisition research and its relationship to pedagogy.
This, along with the development of practices that promote continuing professional
growth, should provide a basis for the ability to stay theoretically informed
and to participate in the professional discourse of a rapidly developing field.
Included in this course is a significant practical component, addressing the day-to-day
challenges of planning for and teaching the simultaneously offered elementary
German language courses.
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DUTCH
1. (5) Elementary Dutch. Hollander
Beginner's Course.
2. (5) Elementary Dutch. Hollander
Prerequisite: Dutch 1 or consent of instructor. In this course you reinforce and expand your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and increase fluency through oral and written exercises. Focus of this course is on developing communicative competence in the language, i.e. developing the ability to appropriately use the language (spoken as well as written) in authentic situations. Activities to develop oral communicative competence include dialogues and group discussions, and listening to songs, conversations and interviews. You are encouraged to build confidence and skill by actively participatingin classroom activities and interacting with others. Authentic readings are drawn from a variety of genres (ads, newspaper articles, short stories) and are designed to increase vocabulary and to reinforce grammatical knowledge. Writing assignments include expressing an opinion, and writing personal letters and business letters. The course meets five hours per week. In addition to classroom instruction, one hour at the language lab is required.
125. (3) Conversation & Composition. Hollander
Prerequisite: Dutch 110 or consent of instructor. Course may be repeated for credit. This course emphasizes oral and writtencommunication. You should have a good background in basic Dutch grammar and vocabulary and be able to engage in short conversations. In this course, you build on previous knowledge of the language through oral and written exercises to increase fluency. In a relaxed and social atmosphere, you refine your ability to understand everyday spoken Dutch and to communicate in a variety of situations. You are encouraged to build confidence and skill by actively participating in classroom activities (dialogues, group discussions, problem-solving, games). Classroom discussions and writing assignments will be based on a variety of (short) texts, including songs, proverbs, columns and short stories, increasing your awareness and understanding of Dutch culture. Writing assignments are designed to refine skills such as writing letters, expressing an opinion on a variety of topics, and using the appropriate phrases to make your texts coherent and easy to read.
C164. (4) The Indonesian Connection: Dutch Literature About the Indies in English Translation. Dewulf.
In postcolonial thought on European claims to cultural supremacy, the case of the "Dutch East Indies" still arouses questions like: What made the Dutch colonial policy different from that of other European powers? How did such a small country manage to rule a territory that was 52 times its own in scale? How can we explain that 350 years of Dutch domination left so few traces in contemporary Indonesia? We will focus primarily on literature and film to analyze the Dutch expectations and frustrations, the Eurocentric arrogance and finally the recognition of failure. Fulfills the Arts and Literature requirement. Taught in English.
C178. (4) Cultural Studies. Dewulf.
The Dutch-speaking Caribbean: Hybridity, Race and Identity in the Antilles and Surinam. Although the Caribbean has been recognized in recent years as being one the most compelling areas in regard to questions of interculturality, hybridity and miscegenation, the Dutch-speaking part of it has somehow been neglected. This course intends to give an opportunity to those who do not necessarily have a command of Dutch language, but wish to complete their knowledge of Latin-American and Caribbean history, culture and literature. Taught in English.
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YIDDISH
102. (5) Intermediate Yiddish for Students. Chaver.
Further intensive study of Yiddish for advanced students, building on the foundation established in Yiddish 101, or equivalent knowledge. Advanced grammar and introduction to the reading of original texts.
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