German Studies
Course Descriptions – Spring 2016
Department of Modern Languages
These descriptions supplement the official descriptions published in the most recent KSU Undergraduate and
Graduate Catalog, and should be read together with them. They are arranged numerically in the same order as the
schedule of classes. When available, a list of required texts follows each description.
Note for German 101-301 regarding student placement:
The Department of Modern Languages strives to provide the best possible learning environment for its
students, and for this reason we take very seriously the placement of students in courses that match their
abilities. In order to best serve each individual, the Department reserves the right to remove students
from the rosters of classes that do not correspond to their proficiency levels. Students who have
acquired advanced language skills abroad or at home must consult with Modern Languages staff in order to
determine their appropriate entry point in our language sequence.
GRMN 101 Beginning German I
(5 cr) Ihien
Note: This course is not open to students with previous (classroom or immersion) experience with German.
This first-semester German language course is for students who have no previous experience with the
language. In four class meetings per week and guided individual study and projects, students develop basic
language skills and explore the culture of the modern German-speaking world. The course is conducted in
German and takes a communicative approach. Students learn to use basic German language forms in
meaningful contexts, both in speaking and in writing. By the end of the course, students will be able to deal
with a variety of communicative situations and narrate orally and in writing; they will, for example, be able to
ask and answer questions, name and describe persons, things, and places, refer to present and past events, and
express wishes. Class periods are primarily for using German in practical communication, while reading,
writing, and the practice of grammatical structures are done mostly outside of class. The overall goal of the
course is to develop students' ability to master every-day situations in a German-speaking environment.
Texts:
Terrell et al., Kontakte: A Communicative Approach. 2013 (7th ed.).
Terrell et al., Kontakte: Connect Plus (Online Workbook/Lab Manual). 2013 (7th ed.).
[Note: If you purchase a used book, you will have to buy the online component separately!]
Zorach, English Grammar for Students of German. 2001 (4th ed.) [Recommended]
GRMN 102 Beginning German II
(5 cr) Brady
Prerequisite: GRMN 101 (a grade of C or better) or equivalent.
Not open to students whose competency has been demonstrated at this level.
The second semester course continues the linguistic and culture instruction begun in German 101. By the end
of this course, students will be familiar with most basic structures of the German language and will have
developed basic cultural knowledge about the German-speaking world. In German 101, students develop their
vocabulary and grammar and become increasingly better at expressing their thoughts, feelings, and opinions
on a variety of subjects they may encounter in every-day life in a German-speaking community. To facilitate
this, the course is conducted in German and takes a communicative approach. Students learn to use basic
German language forms in meaningful contexts, both in speaking and in writing. Class periods are primarily
for using German, while reading, writing, and the practice of grammatical structures are done mostly outside
of class. To develop reading and interpretative skills, students in this course will read and discuss a detective
novel and several longer cultural texts. Class meetings will be conducted entirely in German.
Texts:
Terrell et al., Kontakte: A Communicative Approach. 2013 (7th ed.).
Terrell et al., Kontakte: Connect Plus (Online Workbook/Lab Manual). 2013 (7th ed.).
[Note: If you purchase a used book, you will have to buy the online component separately!]
Zorach, English Grammar for Students of German. 2001 (4th ed.) [Recommended]
GRMN 201 German III: Speaking, Reading, and Review
(5 cr) Jost Fritz
Prerequisite: GRMN 102 (a grade of C or better) or equivalent.
Not open to students whose competency has been demonstrated at this level.
German 201 concludes the three-semester introduction to the German language. In this course students gain
the skills to read German texts for basic understanding and analysis, engage in discussion, and work with
video segments. They will further expand their vocabulary, become familiar with more complex grammar, and
thus increase their ability to communicate their thoughts in German. This course has a stronger emphasis on
integrating reading skills into the classroom: Students apply their linguistic and cultural knowledge to the
reading and interpreting of the German novel Im Land der Schokolade und Bananen. They will also carry out a
variety of creative activities based on this text, and they will learn more about the culture and history of the
German-speaking countries. The course is conducted in German and takes a communicative approach.
Students learn to use basic German language forms in meaningful communicative contexts, both in speaking
and in writing. Class meetings will be conducted entirely in German.
Texts:
Terrell et al., Kontakte: A Communicative Approach. 2013 (7th ed.).
Terrell et al., Kontakte: Connect Plus (Online Workbook/Lab Manual). 2013 (7th ed.).
[Note: If you purchase a used book, you will have to buy the online component separately!]
Zorach, English Grammar for Students of German. 2001 (4th ed.) [Recommended]
GRMN 224 Elementary German Conversation
(2 cr) Luly
Prerequisite: GRMN 102 or equivalent. Recommended: Concurrent enrollment in GRMN 201 or 301.
Not open to students whose competency has been demonstrated at this level.
This course is designed to help you improve and become confident in using basic conversational German.
The topic of the course is a trip through Germany. Every unit will focus on a specific city in a Germanspeaking country, with an emphasis on Germany. We will discuss the history of the city and its local culture
including regional foods, holidays, dialects and current events. Class meetings will be conducted entirely in German.
Texts: A good (big!) German-English/English-German dictionary (e.g., Langenscheidt, Oxford-Duden,
Harper-Collins)
GRMN 301 German IV: Reading, Discussion, and Review
(4 cr) Chronister
Prerequisite: GRMN 201 (grade of C or better) or equivalent
Not open to students whose competency has been demonstrated at this level.
This course is designed to be a "bridge" between the basic language series (German I-III) and more advanced
composition, grammar, and literature/culture courses. Through reading, interpreting, and discussing longer
German texts (including poems and short stories), this course extends the focus on language and culture
begun in German III. Moreover, students research various aspects of the history and culture of the Germanspeaking countries and will gain practice writing about and presenting the results of their research. Grammar
instruction and review is an integral part of this course, as mastery of the structures of German will facilitate
your ability to express more complex ideas. We will supplement a textbook with grammar exercises, additional
readings, music, and films. Class meetings will be conducted entirely in German.
Texts:
Motyl- Mudretzkyj & Späinghaus, Anders gedacht. Textbuch incl. CD. 2010.
[Note: Older editions are not accepted as textbook alternatives. You will need 2010 ed.]
Motyl-Mudretzkyj & Späinghaus, Anders gedacht. Übungsbuch. 2010.[OPTIONAL]
A good German dictionary. [Strongly recommended]
GRMN 510: German Film
(3 cr) Chronister
Since the turn of the millennium, German cinema has reached a level of productivity and creativity that for
many critics puts is on par with Weimar Cinema of the 1920s and New German Cinema of the 1970s.
Certain impulses lie behind this renewed energy: a memory culture that prompts Germany to work through
its troubled past on-screen with visual intensity, the emergence of Turkish-German and other ‘minority’
cinemas within the German film industry that bring new perspectives to the fore with aesthetic innovation,
and the quiet, minimalist styles of the so-called ‘Berlin School’ directors. In this course, students will
examine these impulses in films by such directors as Maren Ade, Fatih Akin, Thomas Arslan, Kutluğ
Ataman, Wolfgang Becker, Uli Edel, Leander Haußmann, Christian Petzold, Angela Schanelec, and Christian
Schmid, among others. Students will develop their skills in visual analysis, interpreting the interplay of image,
sound, and story. Films are in German with English subtitles, readings and discussions are in English.
Note: This course is conducted in English and may count for the German major but not the German minor.
German majors should check with their advisors before enrolling.
Text: Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. 7th ed or newer
GRMN 522: Introduction to 20th and 21st century German Literature and Culture
Topic: Style
(3 cr) Hillard
Prerequisite: GRMN 301 (grade of C or better) or equivalent
What is style and why does it change? For instance, why and how did something like the fierce, vibrant
melancholy of Expressionismus emerge around 1910? And why was it largely eclipsed by the cool surfaces
and sharp lines of 1920s Neue Sachlichkeit? What did the stripped-down, understated tone of writing and
film in the years after World War Two have to do with the legacy of Nazi Germany? Why did an authentic,
youthful, and rebellious first-person style become so popular in the 1970s among East Germans under
socialism? And what is the style of Germany today? In this class students will gain an overview of major
authors, themes, and concerns of twentieth-century German literary culture by focusing on the question of
aesthetic style. As we will see, one stylistic macro-divide since the beginning of the twentieth century has
been between realism and symbolism. By examining the relationship between emerging and dominant styles,
generational revolt, and historical events, we will get at reasons why one aesthetic mode suddenly goes out
of fashion. Because stylistic shifts take place across the arts, we will also compare literary developments with
those in visual art, music, and film.
GRMN527: Advanced German Conversation
(3 cr) Jost Fritz
Prerequisite: GRMN 301(grade of C or better) or equivalent
This course is designed to advance students’ abilities in all four language skills (reading, writing, listening,
and speaking) with an emphasis on speaking. Over the course of the semester, we will explore topics
presented in the German news media with the goal of developing students’ abilities to discuss a range of
topics in German, including current events, politics, literature, the arts, film, popular science, and general
interest stories. In addition to gaining familiarity with reputable print and digital news sources, students will
also listen to and produce podcasts and short news videos. Upon completion of this course, students should
feel well equipped to engage in conversations about a range of topics in German.
GRMN 701: Topics in 18th Century German Literature and Culture
Topic: Hauntings and German Ghost Stories during and after the Enlightenment
(3 cr) Luly
Prerequisite: GRMN 521 or 522 (grade of C or better) or equivalent
The Enlightenment sought to create a population that thought rationally and turned away from superstition.
Enlightened philosophers hoped that once people were enlightened, they would no longer be afraid of
ghosts and would reject all things mysterious. After all, once science explained things, what would people
possibly fear?! And yet, it is the time around 1800 that German Gothic literature reached its height of
popularity. Stories of ghosts, monsters, haunted houses, cursed people, and the dark arts were widely read
and circulated.
This course will explore the development of German Gothic literature around 1800, with an emphasis on
the motif of haunting. We will read short works by Caroline de la Motte Fouqué, Benedikte Naubert,
Friedrich Schiller and others. We will examine how these texts fit in the larger debates around 1800 including
the limitations of the Enlightenment, gender & sexuality, and various scientific discourses.
GRMN 720: Seminar in German Language and Linguistics
Topic: Second language identities
(3 cr) McGregor
Prerequisite: At least one GRMN 500-level course.
Who are you? Does your idea of who you are change when you learn and use another language? What about
when you are in a different environment? Or do you think that it always remain stable across language, time,
and setting? This course introduces students to aspects of second-language identities in German-speaking
contexts. We will cover a broad range of topics, including discussions about the construction of secondlanguage identities in the foreign language classroom, study abroad, and contexts of migration. The course
will be taught in German. Readings are in German and English. This is an introductory course; no prior
knowledge of linguistics is expected.
Note: This course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students.
MLANG 770: Theories of Second Language Acquisition
(3 cr) McGregor
This course is designed to provide future and current language instructors with an overview of theories that
attempt to explain how second/foreign languages (L2) are acquired. This includes reading, discussion and
analysis of different theories/hypotheses of second language acquisition (SLA) and recent research that has
implications for SLA. This course should enable you to ground your teaching in current research, and thus
make informed decisions concerning L2 classroom practices and course design.
Note: This course is designed primarily for graduate students.