|
Table of Contents Academic Life Academic Regulations The Academic Programs International and Off-Campus Studies Special Programs Admissions and Financial Aid Life Outside the Classroom People Facts and Figures College Calendar |
German http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/german/ Chair, 2000-01: La Vern J. Rippley, German Romanticism and German Americana; Faculty, 2000-01: Karen R. Achberger, 20th-century literature, Ingeborg Bachmann, Austrian literature; Karl J. Fink, Goethe studies, history of science; Friederike von Schwerin-High, German drama, translation studies, the Novelle and German short story; Michael Wala, German and American history Studying the German language allows students to explore the interwoven cultural traditions of three countries located in the heart of Europe: Germany, a nation for just over a century but with origins that reach back to the Middle Ages, and the two smaller countries of Austria and Switzerland, each of which has played a significant role in the cultural and political development of Europe. With Germany the economic powerhouse of today's Europe and barriers between East and West continually being reduced, the German language continues to gain in pivotal significance as an international medium of political and economic negotiation. In the cultural realm, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have produced some of Europe's greatest writers, natural and social scientists, artists, musicians, theologians, and philosophers, many of whom are encountered in German course offerings. A major goal of the German Department is to provide courses and programs across disciplines and national boundaries. OVERVIEW OF THE MAJOR Majoring in German allows students to deepen their understanding of German culture and to develop their communication skills in both the written and spoken language. Courses in the German major serve students who wish to pursue careers in business, education, the sciences, or foreign service while also preparing them for a wide range of programs in German literature and cultural studies. Several of our majors have continued their study at German universities with grants from the Fulbright Commission or the German Academic Exchange Service. German majors are strongly encouraged to participate in at least one of the study or internship opportunities in Germany (see below), during either a January Interim, summer, semester, or full-year program. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJORS/MINOR Graduation Major Students must take seven courses above German 232/233 plus one complementary course taught in either English or German. German 251 and 265 plus three 300-level courses are required. The complementary course, defined as any course having at least 50% German cultural content, may be taken abroad, in the German Department, or in another St. Olaf department or program, such as Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum (FLAC). Teaching Major Students preparing to teach German must take one additional course beyond those required for the graduation major, plus Education 353 and other courses required for teacher certification (see Department of Education and Consult World Language Licensure Adviser). Teaching Minor Five courses in German above German 232 including German 251 and 265, plus Education 353 and other courses required for state certification. SPECIAL PROGRAMS Study Abroad The German Department offers January Interims in Germany at the fourth-semester level and sponsors semester- or year-long programs for more advanced students at three German universities. Courses in English for General Education Credit No knowledge of German is required for German 145, 147, 246, 248, 249, and Interdisciplinary 249, all of which may be taken for General Education credit. These courses also count toward the German major (complementary course). Cross-disciplinary courses Students may receive FLAC credit (Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum) for certain courses team-taught with members of other departments. These courses also fulfill the complementary course requirement for the major. Internships Abroad Internships for major credit (German 294 or 394) are available during the January Interim or summer break on an individual basis for students who have completed fifth-semester German (250, 251, or equivalent). See the German Study Abroad Coordinator or the campus Director of Academic Internships for more details. German House/Native Speakers Majors and students with advanced ability in German may apply to live for a semester or a year with one or more native speakers in our Deutsches Haus. COURSES Students begin to learn German through listening, speaking, reading, and writing about topics that are familiar to them (their personal biographies, family, daily life, interests). Regular language lab activities and the occasional singing of German songs aid in acquiring good pronunciation and listening skills. Offered Fall and Spring Semesters. Students continue to develop their oral language skills through in-class and language lab activities with both audio and video tapes. Regular written assignments aid in the expansion of vocabulary and in the practical application of grammatical concepts. Students communicate in German about familiar personal topics, as well as about such things as sports, food, holidays, school, the environment, life in German cities, Austrian and Swiss culture, and the reunification of Germany. Prerequisite: German 111 or placement. Offered Fall and Spring Semesters. 145 Bastion Berlin (in English) Enlightened, imperial, dictatorial, divided, walled, reunited, Berlin has been known since the 17th century as a city of contrasts -- enlightened kings (Frederick the Great) conflicting with diabolical dictators (Hitler), grand ideologies (communism and capitalism) at odds over its dividing wall, East finally meeting West again. Students explore this microcosm of the world from historical, literary, architectural, ideological, military, industrial, and proletarian perspectives. GE: HWC. Offered Interim 2001 and every fourth year. Students explore life in the German-speaking countries through reading and discussion of cultural texts. The course emphasizes vocabulary building, a thorough review of German grammar, and the composition of short essays to develop writing skills. Taught in German with some grammar explanations in English. Prerequisite: German 112 or placement by test. Offered Fall and Spring Semesters. Students continue to explore life in German-speaking countries, supported by literary and cultural readings and other authentic materials that help students develop vocabulary and inspire them to advance their writing and speaking skills. Taught in German, the course includes a review of selected grammar topics and weekly conversation groups with native speakers on everyday topics and occasional films. Prerequisite: German 231 or placement by test. GE: FOL-G. Offered Fall and Spring Semesters. 233 Old and New Capitals: Changes in Contemporary Germany (abroad) Students experience intensive German language and culture in Bonn and Berlin, the old and new German capitals, with emphasis on recent changes in the character of both cities. Language sessions are held each morning, with afternoons devoted to excursions, discussions with Bonn and Berlin university students and other residents, performances, and visits to nearby cultural centers such as Cologne, Trier, and Potsdam. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 231. (Note: this course is an alternative to German 232.) GE: FOL-G. Offered every Interim, though sites may change. 246 The Age of Goethe (in English) Students examine the transformation of German political culture from feudal society to modern institutions of art, science, education, and commerce. While the French Revolution (1789) is the historical axis on which this change turned, the life of Goethe (1749-1832) spans the period in which Germany made significant progress toward unity and democracy. Readings are supplemented by illustrative materials in digital and video form. GE: HWC, ALS-L. Offered every third year. Interdisciplinary Studies 249 Mare Balticum (abroad; in English) This international travel course explores economic and social developments along the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Topics of interest range from the Hanseatic League of the 13th century to the current transition from Soviet-style central planning to a Western European social market system. GE: HWC, HBS. Offered 2000-01 and every second year. This class offers an immersion experience (including lunch together) for students interested in improving their oral proficiency, majors and non-majors alike. With input from German TV, films, and web-based media, students engage in small and large group discussions and give individual and group presentations. To assess improvement, each student is given an Oral Proficiency Interview on the first and the last day of class. Recommended for majors before study abroad. Prerequisite: German 232/233 or equivalent. GE: FOL-G. ORC. Offered every second Interim. Students refine their communication skills in writing, reading, listening, and speaking, with emphasis on stylistic appropriateness and idiomatic proficiency. Weekly assignments include short (two-page) compositions covering different types of writing, as well as group conversations with native speakers outside class. Readings and in-class discussions center on German and American events and cultural developments and on their coverage in the German media (the internet, newspapers, magazines, TV). Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 232/233. GE: FOL-G. Offered every semester. This course is a survey of events from the Middle Ages through the 18th century -- the establishment of the feudal system, the rise of cities, effects of the Reformation -- followed by a focus on the changes that have taken place over the past two centuries in the German-speaking areas with respect to politics, society, and the arts. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251. GE: FOL-G, HWC, ORC. Offered once a year. Students work with the German language, vocabulary, and style used in commerce and economics, with focus on industry and labor, import and export, transportation systems, communication styles, banking, marketing, and management-labor relations. Students develop reading, listening, speaking and writing skills using contemporary economics and business texts and conventions. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251. GE: FOL-G. Offered 2000-01 and every second year. This course is an introduction to the skills and techniques required in the translation of texts from German to English. Students examine and compare existing translations with respect to style, idiomatic usage, and figurative language, as well as the translation strategies that inform them. Groups and individuals translate a variety of texts ranging from literary prose to journalistic and scientific articles. Prerequisite: German 251. GE: FOL-G. Offered 2001-02 and every second year. Students study Germany's largest ethnic minority through reading and discussion of texts written by Turkish nationals who have grown up in Germany as native speakers of German. Taught in German, this course also includes films and weekly conversation groups with native speakers. Prerequisite: German 251 or consent of instructor. GE: FOL-G, MCS-G. Offered every second year.. Students spend four weeks during Interim or summer break interning in Germany. Opportunities include work in health care, communications, and manufacturing, as well as non-profit groups, schools, and churches. Several sites are available. Prerequisite: German 251. GE: FOL-G. 298 Independent Study Students explore a specific topic in German culture, such as German cinema, German-American relations, the Bauhaus, Weimar today, Germany in Europe, turn-of-the-century Vienna, German immigration to the US. Taught in German. Prerequisite: at least one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G. Offered once a year. This seminar addresses changing literary topics associated with specific time periods, genres, or writers, e.g., German classical drama, film and literature, German Romanticism, Cold War writers, writers in exile, women writers, the German radio play, and Kafka's short stories. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251 and one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G, ALS-L. Offered once a year. This course surveys the novella, a short prose form popular in the German-speaking countries from the early 19th century to the modern period. Students consider works by authors such as Goethe, Kleist, Tieck, Eichendorff, Hoffmann, Stifter, Droste-Hülshoff, Meyer, Keller, Mann, and Grass, as well as readings on theories of the novella. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251 and one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G, ALS-L. Offered every third year. Students read selected dramas from the late 19th century to the contemporary period and analyze theoretical works on the development of German drama in the 20th century. Writers include Hauptmann, Schnitzler, Kaiser, Brecht, Dürrenmatt, Weiss, Handke, and Jelinek. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251 and one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G, ALS-L. Offered every third year. Students analyze short prose works by 20th-century writers, such as Schnitzler, Mann, Kafka, Seghers, Böll, Bachmann, Grass, Morgner, Frischmuth, and Wolf. The course also examines the influence of the American short story on 20th-century German writers. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251 and one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G, ALS-L. Offered every third year. This course studies both parts of Goethe's Faust, focusing on plot narrative and ethical questions raised as Faust enters agreements with the devil in his quest for ultimate experiences. Students report on variations of the Faust story in literature (Marlowe, Lessing, Lenau, Heine, Mann), music (Berlioz, Gounod, Schubert, Schumann, Randy Newman), film (Murnau and Gründgens), and illustration (Delacroix, Cornelius, Retzsch, Barlach and Schröder). Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251 and one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G, ALS-L. Offered every third year. Students analyze the work of major poets from the mid-18th century onward, such as Klopstock, Goethe, Hölderlin, Eichendorff, Heine, Droste-Hülshoff, Meyer, Rilke, Benn, Bachmann, and Enzensberger. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 251 and one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G, ALS-L. Offered every third year. Students spend four weeks during Interim or summer break interning in Germany. Opportunities include work in health care, communications, and manufacturing, as well as non-profit groups, schools, and churches. Several sites are available. Prerequisite: German 251 and one additional course beyond 251. GE: FOL-G. 398 Independent Research |