GER Course Descriptions

German (2009-2010)

For students with little or no knowledge of German. The basic elements of German grammar with emphasis on group and individual oral practice. Development of skills in listening/comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Introduction to aspects of German culture and everyday life. Tapes and computer exercises accompany each chapter of the textbook. Students are encouraged to use them in the language laboratory and at home.

A continuation of GER 101.

This course continues the work of GER 101/102, completing the first-year textbook. It offers practice in speaking, reading and writing, with vocabulary building, grammar, and exercises in comprehension.

Strengthening of communicative skills, grammar review, vocabulary building, written practice, conversation on issues of contemporary life in German-speaking countries.

The most important elements of German grammar are examined, and students develop the skills necessary for various types of written communication.

Develops competence in reading, writing, and oral skills. This course also prepares students for the international ZD (Certificate for German as a Foreign Language) exam.

This course focuses on improving the student's oral skills through the preparation and performance of a German play. Students also learn about the theoretical and technical aspects of theatre production.

This course examines the role that languages play in multilingual societies from a linguistic perspective. It focuses on topics such as dialects, language contact and change, bilingualism, language choice, and language and identity.

This course examines the role that languages play in multilingual societies from a social and cultural perspective. It focuses on topics such as plurilingualism and multilingualism, language maintenance and loss, language planning and politics, multilingual and heritage language education.

A survey of cultural currents to the 18th century. Lectures will focus on major developments in literature, philosophy, religion, art, architecture, and music as seen against the historical background of the German-speaking peoples.

A survey of cultural events from the 18th century to the present. Lectures will focus on major developments in literature, philosophy, religion, art, architecture, and music as seen against the historical background of the German-speaking peoples.

Introduction to the major periods of German literature and culture.

A continuation of GER 291.

Listening comprehension and oral communication are developed through exposure to German media. Students also develop a more sophisticated understanding of contemporary German society.

Students learn strategies for understanding a variety of texts such as newspaper reports, manuals, and fiction. Translation exercises are used to improve language skills.

A third-year language course concentrating on the language requirements for the modern workplace. Praxis-oriented language and inter-cultural training combined with discussion of the German business world, in particular business organization and the marketplace.

A third-year language course concentrating on the language requirements for the modern workplace. Praxis-oriented language and inter-cultural training combined with discussion of the German business world, in particular industrial production and international trade.

An introduction to the study of linguistics with a focus on developing the German language skills necessary for linguistic analysis.

An introduction to the study of prose and poetry with a special focus on developing the German language skills necessary for analysis of these genres.

An introduction to the study of theatre and film with a special focus on developing the German language skills necessary for analysis of these genres.

A course for more advanced learners of German who wish to improve their oral skills through the preparation and performance of a German play. Students also learn about the theoretical and technical aspects of theatre production.

Conversation and composition on topics in German 'Landeskunde' with grammar review and study of German vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. This course is taught in Mannheim in conjunction with the 'Waterloo in Germany' program.

Conversation and composition on topics in German 'Landeskunde' with grammar review and study of German vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. This course is taught in Mannheim in conjunction with the 'Waterloo in Germany' program.

Selected topics in German film.

An examination of German culture during the Nazi period (1933-1945). The course will analyze representations of Nazi ideology in the arts (film, art, architecture, and propaganda), the literature of exile and "inner emigration," and the impact of the Nazi legacy on post-war German culture.

Study abroad at a German university in the Fall Term.

Study abroad at a German university in the Winter Term.

Study abroad at a German university in the Spring Term.

For Honours German students interested in a career in international business. The course involves an apprenticeship in an industrial setting in Germany, Austria or Switzerland of no less than twelve weeks combined with weekly written reports, a presentation and a final report. The course is offered on a credit/non-credit basis and cannot be used to meet the Core German Course requirement. Due to the costs involved with working in a foreign country, paid positions are eligible for credit in the course.

Topics in the instruction of German.

Topics in German literary and cultural studies and linguistics chosen by the instructor in consultation with the department. These courses reflect research interests of the faculty and form part of a well-rounded undergraduate education in 'Germanistik'.

German Honours students in their third or fourth year may complete, with departmental permission, a major project, the results of which must be presented in a substantial essay. The topic should reflect the student's field of interest.

Reading course in topics chosen in consultation with an advisor.