SELCS

Metropolen


Course code: GERM2111.
Course unit value: 0.5.

This is an integrated language-culture course for second-year students. It is taught entirely in German and designed as preparation for university-level study or work experience during the Year Abroad. As such, it functions on two levels:

1. Content: This course aims to provide students with the literary, cultural and political history of the two capitals of Germany and Austria. The course will teach analytical skills in German using a number of texts, from literary genres (poetry, drama, prose) to non-literary genres (newspaper articles, political speeches, editorials).

2. Language acquisition: All work for this course (reading, writing, speaking) must be done in German. Specific language acquisition goals of the course are to:

  • refine students' perception of different styles and text types
  • enable students to discuss, orally and in writing, literary, social and political issues on a stylistically sophisticated level
  • furnish students with a principal vocabulary and style for textual analysis, in preparation for university-level study or professional activity in German during the Year Abroad. Stylistic refinement will take place on two levels - the textual and the contextual. The textual level involves close reading of selected passages/scenes, analyses of plot/character, characterisation and linguistic aspects. The contextual level will involve discussion, analysis and comparison or major historical and cultural issues.

Assessment: two 1 500 word take-home essays (35% each); and one twenty minute oral examination (30%). One essay will be on a literary/cultural subject, the other on a political/historical subject (one essay may be resubmitted for a mark improvement of up to 10%). The oral examination will be a report (Referat) on a topic set by the course tutor and will be recorded, given in teams of four, and based on outline notes only.

Tutor: Various.