Courses

German 1

Prerequisite: German 1 is intended for students who have not previously taken courses in German.

Course Objectives:

This introduction to the German language focuses on the development of basic communicative competencies (spoken and written) while sensitizing students to the links between language and culture. Students will be able to understand and use high frequency vocabulary and basic grammatical structures and engage with a broad variety of texts from various genres, including poetry, news reports, songs, and the visual arts. 

Materials: Welten: Beginning German (chapters 1-6)

German 2

Prerequisite: 1 semester of college-level German or equivalent.

Course Objectives:

This German language course continues the development of basic communicative competencies (spoken and written) while sensitizing students to the links between language and culture. Students will be able to understand and use high frequency vocabulary and basic grammatical structures and engage with a broad variety of texts from various genres, including poetry, news reports, songs, and the visual arts. 

Materials: Welten: Beginning German (chapters 7-12)

German 3

Prerequisite: 2 semesters of college-level German or equivalent.

Course Objectives:

Embedded in the context of German-speaking regions, their history and culture, this course focuses on the development of communicative competencies (spoken and written), the expansion of vocabulary, and the review and practice of grammatical structures. Students will be guided towards more creative and analytical expression by engaging with texts from a variety of genres such as poetry, drama, news features, and the visual arts.

Materials: Stationen: Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe (chapters 1-6), Friedrich Dürrenmatt: Der Besuch der alten Dame

German 4

Prerequisite: 3 semesters of college-level German or equivalent.

Course Objectives:

Embedded in the context of German-speaking regions, their history and culture, this course continues the development of communicative competencies (spoken and written), the expansion of vocabulary, and the review and practice of grammatical structures. Students will further practice creative and analytical expression by engaging with texts from a variety of genres such as poetry, short stories, essays, and the visual arts. 

Upon completion of German 4 you will be ready to enter the upper-division language courses. 

Materials: Stationen: Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe (chapters 7-12), Franz Kafka: Die Verwandlung

German 101 Advanced German: Conversation, Composition, and Style 

Prerequisite: 4 semesters of college-level German or equivalent.

Objectives: Focusing on genres, this advanced level language course will help students to improve and expand on spoken and written language functions utilizing a variety of works from literature, journalism, broadcasting, fine arts and the cinema. The final goal is to enable students to participate in the academic discourse – written and spoken – at a linguistic and stylistic level appropriate for an advanced student of German in upper division courses. Detailed course objectives are articulated in the Self-Assessment Framework.

Materials: Dreyer/Schmitt: Lehr-und Übungsbuch der deutschen Grammatik; Reader with texts from various genres

102 A Advanced Language Practice: German Kabarett Performance 

Prerequisite: 4 semesters of college-level German or equivalent.

Objectives: 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.

Materials: Reader; audiovisual materials

102 B Advanced Language Practice: German for Business: Language and Culture 

Prerequisite: 4 semesters of college-level German or equivalent.

Objectives: This advanced language course focuses on current economic, political and cultural issues relevant to conducting business in the German-speaking world. German-language news media, video and internet resources will help us to stay informed about contemporary developments in the business scenes of the German-speaking countries and Europe. Language skills practiced will include writing business correspondence and resumes, giving presentations, interviewing, debating, and negotiating. 

Materials: Reader

102 C: Advanced Language Practice: German for Information Technology 

and Science

Prerequisite: 4 semesters of college-level German or equivalent.

Objectives: The course is designed to help those in the sciences to become acquainted with the linguistic registers and structures that inform German scientific texts. It will also serve as an introduction for the students of German to the world of science, which German-speaking scientists have helped create and expand. We will move through a number of the major specific disciplines, developing the tools for vocabulary acquisition. Each student will be better able to concentrate within their specialty in order to read, write, and speak within that discipline with a high degree of accuracy and clarity.

Materials: Reader; audiovisual materials

102 D Advanced Language Practice: German Pop Culture

Prerequisite: 4 semesters of college-level German or equivalent.

Objectives: Focusing on popular culture in German speaking countries, this advanced level language course will help students to improve and expand on spoken and written language functions utilizing a variety of works from different genres in journalism, broadcasting, literature, fine arts, music and the cinema. Readings, screenings, discussion, and writing assignments will advance students’ language skills and further develop their communicative competencies in German at a linguistic and stylistic level appropriate for an advanced student.

Materials: Reader; audiovisual materials