FALL 1999
This information effective for Fall 1999.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.
FALL 1999
This information effective for Fall 1999.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.
(Fall Quarter 1999)
This course is designed to introduce students to the German language and
culture. Emphasis is placed on developing beginning-level competence in
the four basic skills: speaking, reading, writing, and understanding.
Through group work in class, and individual work at home and in the
language lab, students acquire an introductory, working knowledge of
pronunciation, basic German vocabulary, and German grammar. In addition,
students are introduced to basic information regarding the geography and
culture of the German-speaking countries. Video material is used where
appropriate to augment the topics discussed in class.
After an intial period of introduction and practice, the course begins with
Chapter 1 in the text Deutsche Sprache und Landeskunde (4th ed.) by Crean
et al. By the end of the quarter, we will have covered the material in
Chapters 1-5, and the beginning of Chapter 6.
Course Requirements: 1) Regular attendance and participation
2) Completion of daily written homework assignments
3) Completion of language lab assignments
4) Four chapter quizzes
5) 1 Midterm
6) 1 Final
7) 2 Oral Interviews
For questions regarding the content or conduct of the course, feel free to
contact the instructor. E-Mail: walterc@cats
(Fall 1999)
This is a German language and culture course at the advanced level. The
prerequisite for admission to the course is the successful completion of
German 5, its equivalent, or the consent of the instructor. The course is
conducted in German.
Using regular readings from the German newspaper, Die Zeit, other
newspapers and magazines, and on-line publications on the World Wide Web,
this course is constructed as a true seminar. Students read articles of
interest for each class session, write a brief summary of the main points,
and then present the articles in class. Through questions and the ensuing
discussion, the instructor attempts to amplify the particular topic and
provide the relevant social, cultural, and political background appropriate
to it. Over the course of the ten weeks, students are encouraged to read
articles in a variety of topic areas, including politics, social issues,
economics, philosophy, religion, the arts, and the sciences. By so doing,
and keeping an individual vocabulary list, students greatly expand their
reading comprehension and working German vocabulary in a variety of
fields.
In addition to the regular readings and discussions, news broadcasts,
other video material, and the resources of the World Wide Web are used to
present topics of current interest.
Among the topics certain to be addressed in the press and in the course
are: Articles analyzing the fifty-year history of the Federal Republic of
Germany (1949-1999) as the Federal Republic celebrates its 50th
anniversary, a continuing assessment of life in western and eastern Germany
following German unification- with particular attention paid to the
economic and social conditions in the former East Germany, the
implications of the German government's move to Berlin (Fall 1999),
Germany's role in the European Union, the progress of the monetary union in
Europe and the introduction of the Euro, Germany's role in NATO and its
role in the NATO actions in Kosovo, Germany's domestic and international
economic policy, the attitudes of Germany's major political parties toward
the issues of the day, the current status of various social groups in the
Bundesrepublik (i.e. youth, women, East Germans, foreigners etc.) and
German views on major events in the USA and other foreign countries.
Required Reading: 1) Students will read regularly in Die Zeit and other
publications
2) Selected articles from Der Spiegel: Aktuelle Themen
aus der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, ed. by Helene
Zimmer-Loew and Anne Moss, 1993.
3) Additional articles supplied by the instructor or
suggested by the students.
Course Requirements: 1) Regular presentation of articles in class
2) Brief written summaries of the articles presented
3) Creation of an individual vocabulary list
throughout the quarter
4) Occasional vocabulary quizzes based on the
individual lists (ca. 2-3 in the quarter)
5) A midterm and final oral presentation to the
instructor
6) A term paper of ca. 6-10 pages on a topic or topics
of interest
For questions regarding the content or conduct of the course, feel free to
contact the instructor. E-Mail: walterc@cats.ucsc.edu
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