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Undergraduate German 2022-2023

GM1049: BACKGROUND TO GERMAN FOR BEGINNERS 1

15 credits

Level 1

First Term

Students will gain detailed knowledge and understanding of the fascinating political and cultural developments and historical events in 20th century Germany.

They will be introduced in weekly lectures and tutorials to a variety of texts and contemporary films.

This course is taught in English and normally taken in conjunction with GM1054 German for Beginners 1. It is specifically recommended to students with the intention to proceed with German Studies beyond level one.

No pre-requisites are required.

GM1050: GERMAN LANGUAGE 1

15 credits

Level 1

First Term

Sustained Study

This module is designed for students with an SCE H in German or equivalent. The course develops receptive and productive oral and written German language skills. Students who are considering applying for entry to German Honours must take this course.

GM1052: MODERN GERMAN CULTURE 1

15 credits

Level 1

First Term

Learn more about German 20th-century literature, dealing with the events that shaped German and European history. As in all good literature, we will discuss universal themes and topics covering all of the most important aspects of modern life.  

GM1054: GERMAN FOR BEGINNERS 1

15 credits

Level 1

First Term

Sustained Study

This language course provides students with a sound foundation in German (grammar and vocabulary). It enables students to understand the gist of authentic written and spoken German and to speak and write about familiar topics with a degree of accuracy and fluency.

No previous knowledge of German is required, but this course is also for students which took German at school before, on any level lower than Higher or A-level.

With 3 Language Classes and 1 Language Practical per week this course encourages and supports students to develop their personal self-study strategies.

GM1549: BACKGROUND TO GERMAN FOR BEGINNERS 2

15 credits

Level 1

Second Term

This course is intended for beginners, wishing to proceed with German Studies beyond level 1. It provides an introduction to selected German Short Stories from the 20th-century, with a particular focus on relating these to their cultural, historical and social context.

GM1550: GERMAN LANGUAGE 2

15 credits

Level 1

Second Term

Sustained Study

This module is designed for students with an SCE H in German or equivalent. The course develops receptive and productive oral and written German language skills. Students who are considering applying for entry to German Honours must take this course. The course builds on GM1050.

GM1554: GERMAN FOR BEGINNERS 2

15 credits

Level 1

Second Term

Sustained Study

This language course provides students with a sound foundation in German (grammar and vocabulary). It enables students to understand the gist of authentic written and spoken German and to speak and write about familiar topics with a degree of accuracy and fluency.

No previous knowledge of German is required, but this course is also for students which took German at school before, on any level lower than Higher or A-level.

With 3 Language Classes and 1 Language Practical per week this course encourages and supports students to develop their personal self-study strategies.

GM1556: MODERN GERMAN CULTURE 2

15 credits

Level 1

Second Term

Learn more about modern German history, culture and literature while also extending your skills in reading German texts.  

GM2040: GERMAN LANGUAGE (ADVANCED INTRODUCTORY) 1

15 credits

Level 2

First Term

Sustained Study

The course consists of language classes leading to advanced communicative competence in German and it will include the analysis of contemporary texts drawn from a variety of contexts. This course may be taken only by students who have completed the German for Beginners courses.

GM2042: GERMAN LANGUAGE 3

15 credits

Level 2

First Term

Sustained Study

This level two language course will build on and extend students' fluency and written skills in German.

GM2043: MODERN GERMAN CULTURE 3

15 credits

Level 2

First Term

Learn more about modern German history and culture while also extending your skills in reading German texts. 

GM2540: GERMAN LANGUAGE (ADVANCED INTRODUCTORY) 2

15 credits

Level 2

Second Term

Sustained Study

The intention of the course is to extend and reinforce further students' command of German grammar, vocabulary and syntactic structures, and to introduce various styles of written and spoken German. The course builds on the work done in GM2040 and  is intended only for continuing beginners. 

GM2542: GERMAN LANGUAGE 4

15 credits

Level 2

Second Term

Sustained Study

Building on work done in GM 2042, the course will develop further language skills.

GM2543: MODERN GERMAN CULTURE 4

15 credits

Level 2

Second Term

This course consists of the study of selected aspects of German culture and involves the close analysis of German texts. 

GM301H: LANDMARKS OF MODERN AUSTRIAN LITERATURE

15 credits

Level 3

First Term

This course will examine several landmark texts of modern Austrian literature and, indeed, world literature. We will look at Arthur Schnitzler’s examination of bourgeois hypocrisy in Fräulein Else, Franz Kafka’s dystopian presentation of an individual versus a powerful bureaucracy in Das Schloss, Ingeborg Bachmann’s depiction of a female subject’s struggle for identity in Malina, and Thomas Bernhard’s critique of the long shadow of Austria’s past in Heldenplatz. We will examine the works’ social and historical contexts, as well as the authors’ innovative style and use of language.

GM3050: GERMAN LANGUAGE STUDY 5

30 credits

Level 3

Full Year

This  Level 3  course consists of a German language class, a composition class and an oral class. Students are encouraged to refine their oral and written German skills.

GM3069: GERMAN JUNIOR HONOURS LANGUAGE STUDY

15 credits

Level 3

Full Year

This junior honours language course will build on and extend students' written skills and fluency in German.

GM3070: GERMAN LANGUAGE STUDY - LEVEL 3

15 credits

Level 3

First Term

This course offers advanced German language learning at Level 3. The course runs for only the first semester.

GM3090: BORDER CROSSINGS: GERMAN TRAVEL WRITING THROUGHOUT THE AGES A

15 credits

Level 3

First Term

Far away - and yet so near.

By reading we can travel, not only to other worlds, but also into our own.

GM351B: ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS IN LITERATURE CULTURE C

15 credits

Level 3

Second Term

In recent decades, environmental crisis has become a global concern. In this course we examine how literary writers have engaged with issues such as pollution, nuclear disaster and climate change. If we are to prevent future environmental disaster we need more than a scientific understanding of facts – we need to understand how attitudes towards the environment are culturally shaped, and how environmental discourse is generated, debated and circulated.

GM3589: MEANS AND MOTIVES: GERMAN CRIME FICTION C

15 credits

Level 3

Second Term

Why are we endlessly fascinated with murder and violence? The more peaceful the society, the greater the fascination - so it seems.

GM401H: LANDMARKS OF MODERN AUSTRIAN LITERATURE

15 credits

Level 4

First Term

This course will examine several landmark texts of modern Austrian literature and, indeed, world literature. We will look at Arthur Schnitzler’s examination of bourgeois hypocrisy in Fräulein Else, Franz Kafka’s dystopian presentation of an individual versus a powerful bureaucracy in Das Schloss, Ingeborg Bachmann’s depiction of a female subject’s struggle for identity in Malina, and Thomas Bernhard’s critique of the long shadow of Austria’s past in Heldenplatz. We will examine the works’ social and historical contexts, as well as the authors’ innovative style and use of language.

GM4050: GERMAN LANGUAGE STUDY 6

30 credits

Level 4

Full Year

This level 4 course is specifically aimed at students who want to improve their German Language skills, but who are not taking German as  part of a single or joint Honours programme in German Studies. It consists of a German language class, a composition class and an oral class.

GM4052: DISSERTATION IN GERMAN

15 credits

Level 4

First Term

Students engage in their first larger project of independent research. The dissertation is to be written in German and followed by a 20 minute Viva.

GM4090: BORDER CROSSINGS: GERMAN TRAVEL WRITING THROUGHOUT THE AGES B

15 credits

Level 4

First Term

Far away - and yet so near.

By reading we can travel, not only to other worlds, but also into our own.

GM4099: GERMAN LANGUAGE STUDY FOR SENIOR HONOURS

30 credits

Level 4

Full Year

Building on the skills gained during the Junior Honours language course and before, this module expands and refines German language expertise in writing, reading, speaking and listening, to an advanced level, for their final exit written and oral exam in German.

GM451B: ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS IN LITERATURE CULTURE D

15 credits

Level 4

Second Term

In recent decades, environmental crisis has become a global concern. In this course we examine how literary writers have engaged with issues such as pollution, nuclear disaster and climate change. If we are to prevent future environmental disaster we need more than a scientific understanding of facts – we need to understand how attitudes towards the environment are culturally shaped, and how environmental discourse is generated, debated and circulated.

GM4558: DISSERTATION IN GERMAN

30 credits

Level 4

Second Term

Students engage in their first larger project of independent research. The dissertation is to be written in German and followed by a 20 minute Viva.

GM4589: MEANS AND MOTIVES: GERMAN CRIME FICTION D

15 credits

Level 4

Second Term

Why are we endlessly fascinated with murder and violence? The more peaceful the society, the greater the fascination - so it seems. 

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