| |
German (GR)
Assistant Professor: J. Karolle-Berg; Visiting Instructor: J. Davis
The program in German at John Carroll prepares students for a number of career paths in education, translation, and international business, and lays the foundations for graduate study in German. The goals are to develop students’ proficiency in speaking, writing, listening, and reading; to hone critical analytical skills; and to foster a thorough understanding of modern German culture. The German Studies major is an interdisciplinary program, which encourages students to make relevant connections between developments in German literature and culture and trends in history, philosophy, and politics.
For general information about the language department, see page 161.
Major and Minor Requirements |
Major in German: 36 credit hours, as follows:
Students may count the following language courses toward the German major:
- Two courses at the 200 level or above in cognate area (history, political science, philosophy, religious studies). Students interested in graduate study in German are strongly advised to substitute cognate courses with additional GR courses and/or study abroad. Please see department chair for qualifying courses and approval.
- One ML course. ML 308: Teaching Languages is recommended for education majors.
Remaining credits must be earned in GR language, including:
- GR 201-202, GR 301-302 or the equivalent.
Literature and culture courses must be at the 300 level or higher, including:
- GR 497: Senior Thesis, a capstone course
Minor in German: 21 hours, beginning at any level. |
101. BEGINNING GERMAN: THE PERSONAL WORLD I 3 cr. each. Introduction to German, with focus on speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students learn to ask and answer questions and share information about themselves, their families, and their daily activities. Open only to students with no previous study of German. (Fall)
101R. BEGINNING GERMAN IN REVIEW: THE PERSONAL WORLD I 3 cr. For students with previous but limited instruction in German. (Fall)
102. BEGINNING GERMAN II: THE GERMAN-SPEAKING WORLD 3 cr. Prerequisite: GR 101 or 101R or equivalent. Expansion of skills acquired in GR 101. Students build on their basic knowledge of everyday German-speaking culture (through topics such as tourism and transportation and leisure activities), improve their communicative competence, and develop skills needed to negotiate a variety of cultural settings. (Spring)
191-192. BEGINNING SUPERVISED STUDY 3 cr. each. Supervised independent study of German at the beginning level.
199. SPECIAL TOPICS 3 cr. Occasional course on a selected topic announced in advance.
201. INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I: CONTEMPORARY GERMAN-SPEAKING CULTURES 3 cr. Prerequisite: GR 102 or equivalent. Grammar review and practice of speaking, writing, reading, and listening, coupled with a survey of the present-day culture of the German-speaking countries, including geography, politics, popular culture, developments in the standard language and dialects, and multiculturalism. (Fall)
202. INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II: ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY GERMAN CULTURE 3 cr. Prerequisite: GR 201 or equivalent. Grammar review and practice of speaking, writing, reading, and listening, coupled with an introduction to a theme in contemporary German culture. Possible topics include Multicultural Germany, Revolution and Reunification, Third Reich, German Cities. (Spring)
291-292. INTERMEDIATE SUPERVISED STUDY 3 cr. each. Supervised independent study of German at the intermediate level.
299. SPECIAL TOPICS 3 cr. Occasional course on a selected topic announced in advance.
301-302. ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION THROUGH POPULAR FORMS I, II 3 cr. each. Introduction to popular culture (film, literature) with a focus on building oral and written proficiency. (Fall-301, Spring-302)
306. THE CULTURE OF BUSINESS IN GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES 3 cr. Introduction to cultural and social aspects of conducting business in Germany (vocabulary, grammar, written and oral forms of communication). Topics covered include Germany’s industry, the social market system, and Germany’s position within the European Union.
310. GERMAN FILM 3 cr. Important filmmakers from 1910 to the present; their relation to German cultural and social history of the period.
313. GERMANY TODAY 3 cr. Cultural developments in German-speaking states since 1945, such as divided and reunified Germany, multiculturalism, the role of Germany in the EU, and popular culture.
316. INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN LITERATURE 3 cr. Readings and discussion of primarily 20th- and 21st-century German-language literary texts, such as short stories, plays, and poems; introduction to the analysis of literary texts; emphasis on development of reading, speaking, and writing skills. May be taken concurrently with GR 301 or 302.
375. GERMAN DRAMA: THEORY AND PERFORMANCE 3 cr. German dramatic theory, interpretation of contemporary German dramas, performance of German-language drama.
396. GERMAN-LANGUAGE INTERNSHIP 3 cr. (Formerly GR 388). Prerequisites: GR 302 or equivalent. Supervised and directed experiential learning in a position in a German-speaking country. Department chair’s permission required.
398. SUPERVISED STUDY 1-3 cr. (Formerly 391-392). Supervised independent study of German language, literature, or culture.
399. SPECIAL TOPICS 1-3 cr. Rotating focus on a specific theme, genre, or time period on German literature or culture. Topic announced in advance, such as literature of reunification, German Jewish authors, or 20th-Century German poetry. May be repeated for credit.
497. SENIOR THESIS 3 cr. Individual research project developed and written in consultation with appropriate faculty member. Topics approved in fall of student’s senior year, thesis written in spring of senior year. Instructor’s and chair’s permission required.
498. ADVANCED SUPERVISED STUDY 1-3 3 cr. Supervised independent study of German language, literature, or culture. For advanced students. May be repeated for credit.
499. SEMINAR: SPECIAL TOPICS 3 cr. Rotating focus on a specific theme, genre, or time period in German literature or culture. Topic announced in advance and may include German Romanticism, German Classicism, or War Literature. May be repeated for credit. |
