german studies program - western university · stories by authors such as hoffmann, storm,...

German

Programs

Department of

Modern Languages and Literatures

Why Study German?

At the Heart of Europe: 100 million German speakers

Enhance your employment opportunities in a global economy

business, law, medicine and health

care, teaching, technology, tourism,

communications, social service, the

military and the foreign service

GERMANY has the largest national economy in the

European Union, the fourth largest in the world and is the

world‘s leading exporter and importer

Explore one of the great European cultures

GERMAN

is a leading language

of music,

film,

literature,

science,

philosophy,

theology,

history

and art

What do we offer in German?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Certificate in Practical German (3 courses)

Minor in German Language and Culture (4 courses)

Major in German Language and Culture (6 courses)

Specialization in German Language and Culture

(9 courses)

Honors Specialization in German Language and

Culture (9 courses)

1 Certificate and 4 Modules

Build a solid foundation in German Language ,

no matter which module you choose ....

Achieve Fluency in German

German 2200 Intermediate German

practice speaking and writing while exploring many aspects of German culture,

complete a comprehensive grammar review

German 3305 Advanced German

achieve fluency -- further develop oral and written skills, acquire vocabulary

systematically, review the more challenging grammar points and practice translation

both courses

take a multimedia and communicative approach

focus on the cultures of German-speaking countries

work with authentic materials such as articles, websites, film and literature

Refine your German Language Skills in elective courses

in second year with German Conversation

talk about current issues in Germany, Austria, Switzerland; discuss social, political topics,

TV, pop culture, fashion, food, sports!

in third year with German Cinema: Culture and Conversation

develop the history and culture of Germany through film and improve your speaking

skills at the same time!

or Performance German

prepare and perform your own script based on a literary text!

or Business German

practice the language of business and study inter-cultural differences by completing real-

world tasks!

and in fourth year with Intensive Translation translate a variety of texts between English and German and master practical problems!

Second Year

= find your bearings in a common course for all modules

a practical introduction to research in German studies

team-taught in German by one core professor with different specialists

German 2215F/G Exploring German Cultures In this first encounter with German literary, visual and performing arts, students

investigate key places, times, persons, and issues, such as Berlin, WWII, Goethe and

Turkish-German relations.

= discover influential German, Swiss, Austrian contributions to world culture

with courses in English

German-Jewish Literature

engage critically with thinkers like Kant, Marx, Nietzsche who inform the values and

principles of the modern world

with courses taught in English and German

German Fairy Tales

discover German folk tales collected by the brothers Grimm and literary fairy

tales such as those by Tieck or Hoffman and investigate the relationship of these classic tales to modern children‘s literature and film

= focus on on urban centers

with multi-media, interdisciplinary courses in English and German

Vienna 1900/2000 contemplate continuities and discontinuities in Viennese life, literature, and culture during the Habsburg Empire and a century later as part of the European Union; immerse yourself in the world of Freud, Schnitzler, Wittgenstein and Klimt, and their modern counterparts from Bernhard to Hundertwasser

Berlin Snapshots

examine “snapshots” of Berlin during its history of continuous transformation: as

capital of Empire, Weimar Republic, Third Reich, and as a cosmopolitan centre in present-day Europe; study visual media including maps, photographs, and film, and texts including poems, essays, and short stories

Third Year

= work in German on your German

= consider issues of identity and self-understanding in modernity

Modernity and Modernism in German Literature and Culture explore ideas and visions of modernity in late 19th-century and early 20th-century German literature (e.g. Rilke, Kafka, Hesse) and culture; incorporate transnational perspectives to examine aesthetic responses to the achievements and catastrophes that emerged

Uncanny German Stories: from the Extraordinary to the Supernatural

Delve into the mysterious worlds of the novella and short story in the 19th and 20th centuries. Unravel enigmas on the level of language, form and content in famous stories by authors such as Hoffmann, Storm, Droste-Hülshoff, Mann, Dürrenmatt

= focus on key periods of transition in German culture

Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages Study the 12th century revitalized intellectual life in Europe, and the great medieval works of chivalry and romantic love in their cultural context. Gain in depth knowledge of castle and cathedral architecture, fashion, food, travel, sexuality, courtly love, and the hunt in text and image.

German Classicism and Romanticism Classicists and Romantics create competing and complementary artistic visions to make sense of rapid changes in society around 1800. Examine everyday culture, consider conceptions of subjectivity and aesthetic ideals, discuss concepts of genre and reflect on the movements' affinities to media like sculpture and music.

Contemporary Cultures of Unification and Integration in Germany

Study literary texts, films, and popular music informed by German unification, European integration, economic crisis, and human migration. This course confronts contemporary questions about citizenship, cultural and religious diversity, nationalism, and German identity in the context of immigration and the intensifying European project.

= Travel

OR open up new perspectives with a multi-media, interdisciplinary course in English and German

German Travel Writing When you travel, through what lenses do you view the world? How does travel

change you? Trace evolving perspectives on why, when, where and how travellers

have experienced European locations and destinations beyond.

Study in German-speaking Countries!

Receive Western Credit!

Summer Courses

6 weeks to 2 months

Earn Western credit

A. With scholarship opportunities

1. OBW International Lake Constance Summer School

2. Universität Wien

B. Other programs

1. Freie Universität Berlin

2. Canadian Summer School in Germany, Universität Kassel

3. Goethe Institute Courses

Ontario/Baden-Württemberg

University Student Exchange

Study 1 year at one of 9 partner universities

Earn UWO credit

Eligibity: UWO undergraduate in any field

Duration: September-July

Cost: UWO tuition & living expenses

Stipends: several

Heidelberg University Library

Fourth Year

Fourth Year: choose your capstones

s

Research Seminar: German Masterpieces

This seminar offers the opportunity for focused, advanced study of canonical creative

figures and their masterpieces from the German-speaking world. Topics may include

performing and literary arts, text-image relationships, epochal questions.

Honors Thesis

The thesis will be written in the fourth year and will be directed by a member of the

Modern Languages and Literatures faculty. It will be based on an agreement between

student and faculty member on the topic, approach, and scope of the study.

Senior Research Project

In this capstone course students develop their own research project with a specific

historical or geographical perspective centred on a designated general theme. Students

work in conjunction with peers and professors and choose their own medium of

presentation ranging from the traditional to the experimental.

Work in Germany

Summer Work / Travel Program

After graduation spend one school year teaching English.

After graduation work in any position in Germany through the Canada-Germany Youth Mobility Agreement: http://www.canada.diplo.de/Vertretung/kanada/en/02/visa/yma.html

AWARDS IN

GERMAN

When? Why? What?

Renata Purekvich

Scholarship

Entering second

year

Highest mark in German 1030

or German 2200

$ 200

Special German

Honours Scholarship

Entering second

year

Outstanding student in

German 2200, preference

non-native

$ 300

Herbert Kalbfleisch

Scholarship

Entering third or

fourth year

Outstanding student, non-

native

$ 1200

Raymond Immerwahr

Awards for Excellence

in German

Entering third or

fourth year

Highest average mark in two

senior German courses

$ 700

$ 400

Two German Book

Prizes

Entering third or

fourth year

Greatest achievement in a

German module and a senior

course

Two

books

Prerequisite: an Honors Bachelor Degree with either an Honours Specialization in German Language and

Culture or a double Major including German Language and Culture

German at Western

Study with undergraduates who can interpret opera, speak Spanish or French, philosophize and historize

Study with professors who translate professionally, write children‘s books, analyze medieval cookbooks and 18th Century fashion journals

Study in small seminars with great personal attention

Study in German-speaking countries and receive Western credit

Spend time with the German Club, get popcorn and watch German films, meet a modern German author

For these reasons and so much more…

JOIN US!!!

Required

Courses

Certificate in Practical

German

3 courses

German Language and Culture

Minor =

4 courses

Year 1 1030 German for Beginners 1030 German for Beginners

Year 2 2200 Intermediate German

1.0 optional course, Exploring

German, conversation,

performance, business or

translation

2200 Intermediate German

2.0 optional courses – open choice

with 2215F/G Exploring German Cultures

strongly recommended

Year 3 3305 Advanced German

3305 Advanced German

Year 4

German Language and

Culture

Major = 6 courses

German Language and

Culture Specialization

= 9 courses

German Language and

Culture

Honors Specialization

= 9 courses

Year 1 1030 German for

Beginners

1030 German for

Beginners

1030 German for Beginners

Year 2 2200 Intermediate German

2215F/G Exploring

German Cultures

0.5 optional course in

business, conversation,

performance or translation


2215F/G Exploring

German Cultures

0.5 optional course in

business, conversation,


3.5 required from 2240F/G

and above – open choice


2215F/G Exploring German

Cultures

0.5 optional course guided

toward conversation,


2.5 required from 2240F/G


Year 3 3305 Advanced German

1.5 required from 3323A/B








Year 4 0.5 required from 4400A/B







2200

Intermediate

German

3305

Advanced

German

2220A/B

Conversation

or 3325A/B

Cinema and

Conversation

4440A/B

Intensive

Translation

2215F/G

Exploring

German

Cultures

2nd year

courses in

English

2nd year

courses in

English and

German

TOPICS German Fairy Tales,

Nature and the

Environment, Thought

and Culture


3rd year

courses in

German

3rd year

courses in

English and

German

4th year

capstone

courses in

German

4th year

courses in

English and

German

LANGUAGE

FOUNDATION

PROGRAM

ANCHOR

Questions? Please contact:

Angela Borchert Undergraduate Chair,

Arts and Humanities Building 3R08B

[email protected]

Counselling Times during the ITR period:

In the Department: Tuesday- Thursday 9:30am-

12:00pm

Undergraduate Chair, Angela Borchert:

Tuesday- Thursday 1:30-3:00pm

german studies program - western university · stories by authors such as hoffmann, storm,...

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