THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
Faculty of Humanities
GERMAN STUDIES
DIRECTORY OF
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE UNITS
2007 - 2008
CONTENTS
PAGE NO.
1.
General Information
1.1
1.2
Introduction
An Important Note on Core Language Courses
4
4
1.3
1.3
1.5
Essential Information
Essential Dates
German Studies: Staff List
5
6
6
2.
Degree Programmes
2.1
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.2
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.3
2.3.1
2.3.2
First Year
Structure of Degree Programmes: First Year
Level 1 Course Units
Second Year
Structure of Degree Programmes: Second Year
Level 2 Course Units
Final Year
Structure of Degree Programmes: Final Year
Level 3 Course Units
8
8
8
11
33
33
36
71
71
74
Appendix 1: The BA Dissertation - Guidelines and Regulations
Appendix 1.1: BA Dissertation Proposal Form
Appendix 2: Formal Requirements and Academic Conventions for Essays and
Dissertations
104
109
Appendix 3: Final-Year Oral Examination
118
112
GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1
INTRODUCTION
This Directory of Course Units is to be read in conjunction with the relevant School
Undergraduate Programmes Handbook, which contains full information on all
aspects of the degree programmes provided within the School of Languages,
Linguistics and Cultures.
The Directory contains additional information about German Studies, particularly details
of all course units available. It spells out part of the regulations governing compulsory
and optional course units in German for the following degree programme:
GERMAN STUDIES (Single Honours)
as well as for the German component of the following degree programmes:
A MODERN LANGUAGE
(GERMAN) (Joint Honours)
AND
BUSINESS
AND
MANAGEMENT
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES WITH A MODERN LANGUAGE (GERMAN)
(Joint Honours)
COMBINED STUDIES
ENGLISH or ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND A MODERN LANGUAGE
(GERMAN) (Joint Honours)
EUROPEAN STUDIES AND MODERN LANGUAGES (GERMAN) (Joint
Honours)
GERMAN AND LINGUISTICS (Joint Honours)
HISTORY AND GERMAN (Joint Honours)
HISTORY OF ART AND A MODERN LANGUAGE (GERMAN) (Joint
Honours)
MASTER OF MODERN LANGUAGES (GERMAN)
MATHEMATICS WITH A MODERN LANGUAGE (GERMAN) (Joint
Honours)
MIDDLE EASTERN AND MODERN EUROPEAN LANGUAGES (Joint
Honours)
MODERN LANGUAGES (Joint Honours combining two subjects within the
School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures)
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON CORE LANGUAGE COURSES
According to Paragraph 28 of the University's Regulations for Undergraduate Awards,
following resit examinations, students may be allowed by the Board of Examiners to
progress to the next year of study taking additional course units of the same credit value
and at the same level (or a higher level if the programme specification allows) as the
failed credits, in addition to the full set of course units for that year, up to a maximum of
20 credits. It is possible for certain course units to be excluded from this provision, and
the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures has decided that failure in the core
language courses will not be permitted. This has two consequences. Firstly, automatic
compensation cannot be applied, so students who have received a mark below 40% in a
core language course unit will have to resit it, even if the mark is 30% or above.
Secondly, a student who fails a core language unit in the resit examination will not be
able to carry the credits into a subsequent year of study.
This ruling means that students taking GERM10100, GERM10210, GERM20100 and
GERM20210 must pass the course unit with a minimum mark of 40% in order to proceed
to the next year of study.
1.2
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
HEAD OF GERMAN STUDIES:
Professor Martin Durrell (in Semester 1)
(Room no. S3.21, martin.durrell@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 275 3179)
Professor Margaret Littler (in Semester 2)
(Room no. S3.22, margaret.littler@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 275 3181)
The Head of German Studies is responsible for maintaining the academic standards of
each programme involving German as a named Honours subject. Professors Durrell and
Littler will be pleased to meet any student to discuss academic or personal matters during
their office hours, which are posted on their doors. An appointment for a different day or
time can be made by e-mail.
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR:
Dr Judith Purver
(Room no. S3.23, judith.purver@manchester.ac.uk, 0161 275 3178)
The Programme Director's role is to ensure the smooth running of the degree
programmes. This involves input to the Undergraduate Programmes and Curriculum
Committee of the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures, overseeing the student
course unit evaluation process, considering changes and improvements to the course units
offered and ensuring adherence to the guidelines set out in the University's Academic
Standards Code of Practice. Dr Purver will be pleased to meet any student to discuss
matters relating to the various programmes during her office hours, which are posted on
her door. An appointment for a different day or time can be made by e-mail.
GERMAN STUDIES OFFICE:
Room S3.5, Humanities Lime Grove Building
Tel: 0161 275 3182 Fax: 0161 275 3031
E-mail: german@manchester.ac.uk
Website: www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/german
The information given in this Directory of Course Units is as known at the time of
going online (July 2007).
Some elements may still be subject to final confirmation.
1.3
ESSENTIAL DATES
The academic year at the University of Manchester is divided into two semesters, each
comprising approximately fifteen weeks. The dates for the academic session 2007-2008
are given below:
Registration and induction week
Reading week
End of Semester 1 teaching
Christmas vacation
Semester 1 examinations
End of Semester 1
Beginning of Semester 2 teaching
Easter vacation
Semester 2 teaching resumes
End of Semester 2 teaching
Oral examinations
Semester 2 examinations
End of Semester 2
Resit examinations
1.4
17-21 September 2007
29 October-2 November 2007 (provisional)
15 December 2007
16 December 2007 - 14 January 2008
15-26 January 2008
26 January 2008
29 January 2008
15 March – 6 April 2008
7 April 2008
4 May 2008
7-11 May 2008
17 May-6 June 2008
8 June 2008
20-30 August 2008
GERMAN STUDIES: STAFF LIST
At present, there are thirteen lecturing staff as well as four lectors (native speaker
assistants); research staff and postgraduate teaching assistants also make a contribution.
Current staff and their main research/teaching interests are as follows:
Jannis Androutsopoulos Email: (to follow)
David Bell, MA, PhD (Cambridge), Senior Lecturer: German literature and history of
ideas in the 18th century and Goethezeit, with particular reference to the work of Goethe,
Herder and Lessing. E-mail: david.bell@manchester.ac.uk
Stefan Berger, DPhil (Oxford), Professor: Nationalism and national identity, workingclass and labour, Social Democracy, Communism, historiography and historical theory.
Email: stefan.berger@manchester.ac.uk.
Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand, BA, PhD (London), Senior Lecturer: German linguistics;
phonology, especially the application of phonological theory to the pronunciation of
German; German dialects. E-mail: wiebke.brockhaus-grand@manchester.ac.uk
Martin Durrell, MA (Cambridge), Dip Gen Ling (Manchester), Dr. phil. (Marburg),
Henry Simon Professor of German: German and Germanic linguistics, especially
inflectional morphology, diachronic phonology and contrastive semantics; descriptive
study of modern German usage; German dialectology and sociolinguistics. E-mail:
martin.durrell@manchester.ac.uk
Cathy Gelbin, MA, PhD (Cornell), Lecturer: Cathy Gelbin, MA, PhD (Cornell),
Lecturer: 19th and 20th Century German-Jewish Culture; Film Studies; Holocaust
Studies; Gender Studies. E-mail: cathy.gelbin@manchester.ac.uk
Jutta Grub, M.A., Dr.phil. (Cologne), Lecturer in Business German and Tutorial Fellow:
Business German; Intercultural Studies; Transnationalism and German Business Culture;
medieval German literature; medieval Latin literature and language. Email:
jutta.grub@manchester.ac.uk
Matthew Jefferies, BA (Sussex), DPhil (Oxford), Senior Lecturer: German history
1871-1933, particularly the relationship of art and politics, the Werkbund, the
Heimatschutz movement, early German naturists and other cultural reformers. E-mail:
matthew.jefferies@manchester.ac.uk
Margaret Littler, BA, PhD (Manchester), Professor: Contemporary German Culture;
Post-1945 German literature; German women's writing; feminist theory; cultural theory;
diaspora studies; Turkish-German culture. E-mail: margaret.littler@manchester.ac.uk
Stephen Parker, BA (Leeds), PhD (Manchester), Professor: Literature of the Weimar
Republic, especially Die Kolonne; non-Nazi writing, radio and film in the Third Reich;
literary politics in the GDR, especially Sinn und Form; the sixties in West German
literature; Peter Huchel's life and work. E-mail: stephen.parker@manchester.ac.uk
Matthew Philpotts, BA, MA, PhD (Manchester), Lecturer: Cultural politics and cultural
production in the Third Reich and the GDR; German literary journals 1930-1960; Bertolt
Brecht; Günter Eich. E-mail: matthew.philpotts@manchester.ac.uk
Judith Purver, MA, PhD (Cambridge), PGCE (Manchester), Senior Lecturer: German
literature and culture from 1770, with special reference to German Romanticism and its
reception; the life, work, and reception of Joseph von Eichendorff; Ludwig Tieck;
Vormärz; 18th and 19th century women writers; Dresden; Kierkegaard’s reception of
Romanticism. E-mail: judith.purver@manchester.ac.uk
Lectors:
Thomas Despositos, Staatsexamen (Erlangen) (Senior Lector). E-mail:
thomas.w.despositos@manchester.ac.uk
Sandra Bayer M.A. (Dresden) (DAAD-Lektor). E-mail:
sandra.bayer@manchester.ac.uk
Angelika Krawanja, M.A. (Vienna), (Lector, Österreichisch-Kooperation). E-mail:
angelika.krawanja@manchester.ac.uk
German Studies Undergraduate Support Officer: Oliver Pinch E-mail:
oliver.pinch@manchester.ac.uk
2.
DEGREE PROGRAMMES
2.1
FIRST YEAR
2.1.1 Structure of Degree Programmes: First Year
In each year of study honours students normally take course units with a total credit
rating of 120.
Students registered for degree programmes with a German component take the following
from the Level 1 course units listed below.
STUDENTS WITH AN A-LEVEL PASS IN GERMAN (OR EQUIVALENT):
Single Honours German Studies:
German course units totalling 100 credits, namely GERM10210, GERM10221,
GERM10232, GERM10262, GERM10292, GERM10301, GERM10312,
GERM10321 and GERM10331 .
The remaining 20 credits are made up from other course units in German (if
available) or from Faculty of Humanities approved course units in subjects other
than German.
The following joint honours programmes with German as a named Honours
subject:
A Modern Language and Business and Management
English or English Language and German
German and Linguistics
History of Art and German
Middle Eastern and Modern European Languages
Modern Languages
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM10210, plus FOUR of
GERM10221, GERM10232, GERM10262, GERM10292, GERM10301,
GERM10312, GERM10321, GERM10331. The course units chosen must
include at least ONE OF GERM10301or GERM10312.
Where Linguistics is the second subject of study, GERM10221 and GERM10292
are compulsory.
Master of Modern Languages (MML):
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM10210, plus FOUR of
GERM10221, GERM10232, GERM10262, GERM10292, GERM10301,
GERM10312, GERM10321, GERM10331. The course units chosen must
include at least ONE OF GERM10301 or GERM10312.
Joint Honours Biological Sciences / Mathematics with German:
German course units totalling 40 credits, namely GERM10210, plus TWO of
GERM10221, GERM10232, GERM10262, GERM10292, GERM10301,
GERM10312, GERM10321, GERM10331.The course units chosen must
include at least ONE OF GERM10301 or GERM10312.
Honours Combined Studies:
The permitted number of course units in German is prescribed by the Board of
Combined Studies. All candidates take GERM10210; further course units may be
chosen from GERM10221, GERM10232, GERM10262, GERM10292,
GERM10301, GERM10312, GERM10321, GERM10331.The course units
chosen must include at least ONE OF GERM10301 or GERM10312.
Joint Honours European Studies and Modern Languages (German):
German course units totalling 40 credits, namely GERM10210, plus TWO of
GERM10221, GERM10232, GERM10262, GERM10292, GERM10301,
GERM10312, GERM10321, GERM10331.The course units chosen must
include at least ONE OF GERM10301 or GERM10312.
Note: GERM10321 and GERM10232 may be counted as Social Science options.
Joint Honours History and German:
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM10210,
GERM10321,GERM10232, plus TWO of GERM10221, GERM10262,
GERM10292, GERM10301, GERM10312, GERM10331.The course units
chosen must include at least ONE OF GERM10301 or GERM10312.
STUDENTS WHO ARE BEGINNERS IN GERMAN:
The following joint honours programmes with German as a named Honours
subject:
A Modern Language and Business and Management
English and English Language and German
German and Linguistics
History and German
History of Art and German
Middle Eastern and Modern European Languages
Modern Languages
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM10100, GERM10221 and
GERM10292.
2.1.2 Level 1 Course Units
All Level 1 content course units (GERM10221, GERM10232, GERM10262,
GERM10292, GERM10301, GERM10312, GERM10321, GERM10331 and
LALC10001 OR LALC10002) develop and/or assess a range of transferable skills. On
successful completion of one of these course units, students will have improved their
ability to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
manage time and work to deadlines
use information and communications technology (ICT)
undertake independent learning and reflect upon their achievements
participate constructively in group/team work and group discussions
assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others
present information, ideas and arguments orally with due regard to the target
audience
demonstrate powers of analysis
present a structured, coherent and convincing argument
display good literacy skills in English and German
show an awareness of, and a responsiveness to, the nature and extent of
intercultural diversity
GERM10100
Beginners' German Language Skills
Credits: 40
Level: 1
NB. This course unit must be passed with a minimum overall mark of 40% in order for a
student to progress to the next year of study.
Pre-requisite:
A-level pass in a foreign language other than German, or in English
Language.
This is not a LEAP course unit and is available only as part of a degree
programme where German is taken as a named Honours subject.
Taught during: Both semesters
Timetable:
Mo 10.00, Tu 10.00, We 10.00, We 13.00, Th. 15.00
Description:
This course unit provides an introduction to the pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary
of Modern Standard German. Focussing on a variety of topics (including culture, society,
current affairs, history and politics) and using a range of teaching methods and audiovisual as well as printed media, it aims to equip students with the language skills needed
for competent spoken and written communication.
Classes are complemented by an independent language learning programme,
involving reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, as well as vocabulary work
and CALL exercises.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 understand extended speech, including some TV news and current affairs
programmes
 read articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems, as well as
short literary texts
 speak with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes interaction with
native speakers quite possible and take an active part in discussion in familiar
contexts
 produce longer pieces of oral discourse
 write clear text (including letters and short essays) on a range of subjects
Learning and teaching methods: Five 1-hour tutorials per week
Languages of teaching: English and German
Assessment:
a) Two 2-hour written examinations at the end of Semester 2 (30%), comprising
together:
i) Translation from German into English
ii) Comprehension test
iii) Grammar test
iv) Short essay of 200 words
b) Oral examination at the end of Semester 2, lasting about 10 minutes.
Candidates will have the opportunity to choose a topic from a list and will be
given 15 minutes to read and reflect on a short text on that topic. They will
then be asked to read aloud from the text, to answer questions about it and to
discuss the subject with the examiners. The topics will be related to the
material that has been covered during the year and students will be permitted
to use their own dictionary during the preparation time. (10%)
c)
d)
e)
f)
1-hour aural examination at the end of Semester 2 (10%)
Three invigilated 45-minute class tests during the course of the year (30%)
Coursework (10%)
Dossier (10%): a record of independent language-learning activities
performed by students during the course of the year
Deadline for assessed coursework (dossier): Friday of Week 11, Semester 2
Languages of assessment: English and German
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand, Mr Thomas Despositos
Max. entry:
20
Set texts:
Dollenmayer, David B. & Thomas S. Hansen. 2001. Neue Horizonte: a brief course.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Dollenmayer, David B., Ellen W. Crocker & Thomas S. Hansen. 2001. Neue Horizonte:
a brief course. Workbook / Laboratory Manual / Video Manual. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin.
Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 2002. Essential German Grammar.
London: Arnold.
Collins German Dictionary, 5th edn. 2004. Glasgow: HarperCollins.
Further reading:
Fernández-Toro, María & Francis R. Jones. 2001. DIY techniques for language learners.
London: Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT).
EITHER: Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate (ed.). 2001. Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 2nd
edn. Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.
OR: Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Neubearbeitung. 2006.
Berlin: Langenscheidt..
Pathway: Level 2: GERM20100
Level 3: GERM30510
GERM10210
German Language Skills I
Credits: 20
Level: 1
NB. This course unit must be passed with a minimum overall mark of 40% in order for a
student to progress to the next year of study.
Pre-requisite:
A-level pass in German or equivalent
Taught during: Both semesters
Timetable:
1) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
2) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
3) Group A Mo 12.00
Group B Th 16.00
Description:
This core language course unit fosters essential language skills and is delivered in three
sessions per week: Grammar and Translation, Sprachpraktische Übung, and Landeskunde
(see below for details). All of these sessions are taught in German, as far as possible.
Classes are complemented by an independent language learning programme,
involving reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, as well as vocabulary work
and CALL grammar exercises. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own
learning and to improve their language learning skills with the help and support provided
by their tutors.
1)
GRAMMAR AND TRANSLATION (seminar: one hour per week)
This part of the course unit is intended to develop competence in written German (writing
and reading skills) by focussing on translation skills (English-German and GermanEnglish) and consolidating command of basic grammatical structures.
2)
SPRACHPRAKTISCHE ÜBUNG (tutorial: one hour per week)
This element of the course unit, taught by one of the lectors (native speaker language
assistants), fosters both oral and written skills. Thematically based material, treating
aspects of contemporary German life, provides the background for assignments, which
include essay and précis writing as well as giving at least one oral presentation.
Students of a Modern Language and Business & Management will be allocated to
one or more groups where the thematic focus is on business and management issues
(rather than contemporary German life), although the skills acquired will be the same for
all students.
3)
LANDESKUNDE I (lecture: one hour per week)
This series of lectures provides basic information about Germany and one other Germanspeaking country/region (physical and human geography, political system, media,
history, arts, and education system), using a range of teaching media (e.g. videos, slides,
OHTs, handouts).
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 demonstrate mastery of the grammar topics covered (valency and cases, noun
genders and plurals, adjectives, determiners and pronouns, verb forms,
prepositions, modal auxiliaries, Konjunktiv II)
 demonstrate competence in translating from German into English, with some
understanding of stylistic considerations
 show basic insight into the particular difficulties of translating from English
into German
 understand extended speech, TV news and current affairs programmes as well
as the majority of films
 read and analyse articles and reports concerned with contemporary issues
 speak with a good degree of fluency and spontaneity, and take an active part
in discussion covering a range of contexts (including environmental issues,
leisure and travel, relationships and family life, diet and health, and Germany
since reunification)
 orally present clear descriptions on a range of subjects and explain a
viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of
various options
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
write clear text (including short essays and reports) on a range of subjects,
giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view
give a broad description of aspects of two German-speaking countries/
regions, with reference to physical and human geography, political systems,
history, arts, and education
assess their own language learning needs, develop and follow strategies for
addressing these needs, and evaluate and further refine these strategies
produce word-processed text in German
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour sessions per week (see above for details)
Language of teaching: Predominantly German
Assessment:
1) 2-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2, comprising:
i) Translation from German into English (25%)
ii) Summary (140-160 words) in German of a longer German text (25%)
2) Oral examination at the end of Semester 2, lasting about 10 minutes,
conducted by one of the lectors and one of the lecturing staff in German
Studies. Candidates will have the opportunity to choose a topic from a list and
will be given 15 minutes to read and reflect on a short text on that topic. They
will then be asked to read aloud from the text, to answer questions about it
and to discuss the subject with the examiners. The topics will be related to the
material that has been covered in the Sprachpraktische Übung during the year
and students will be permitted to use their own dictionary during the
preparation time. (25%)
3) Assessed coursework: two short essays (300 words each) in German, dealing
with the material covered in the Landeskunde lectures (25%)
Deadlines for assessed coursework: - Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
- Friday of Week 11, Semester 2
Languages of assessment: German and English
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand and others
Set texts:
Collins German Dictionary, 5th edn. 2004. Glasgow: HarperCollins.
Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 2002. Essential German Grammar.
London: Arnold.
EITHER: Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate (ed.). 2001. Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 2nd
edn. Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.
OR: Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Neubearbeitung. 2006.
Berlin: Langenscheidt.
Further reading:
Durrell, Martin. 2002. Hammer's German Grammar and Usage. 4th edn. London:
Arnold; Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 1996. Practising German
Grammar: A Workbook. 2nd edn. London: Arnold; Fernández-Toro, María & Francis R.
Jones. 2001. DIY techniques for language learners. London: Centre for Information on
Language Teaching and Research (CILT)
Further reading:
Durrell, Martin (2002). Hammer's German Grammar and Usage. 4th edn. London:
Arnold; Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus (1996). Practising German
Grammar: A Workbook. 2nd edn. London: Arnold; Fernández-Toro, María & Francis R.
Jones (2001). DIY techniques for language learners. London: Centre for Information on
Language Teaching and Research
Pathway: Level 2: GERM20210
Level 3: GERM30510
GERM10221
Pre-requisite:
The Sounds of German
Credits: 10
Level: 1
Good GCSE pass in German or equivalent (except for students taking
GERM10100 at the same time)
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Tu 9.00 (lecture); Tu 16.00 or Th 15.00 (tutorials)
Description:
Have you ever wondered how to say ä, ö, ü or ch correctly? Or perhaps struggled to get
the German r just right? Then this course unit is for you. Presupposing no knowledge of
linguistics, it provides an introduction to the sounds and sound structure of German, i.e.
its phonetics and phonology. We begin by considering how speech sounds are made, and
how they can be described and written down. This provides us with an opportunity to
explore in what ways the sounds of German differ from those we find in English. In
particular, we ask what difficulties English learners of German face in achieving a good
accent and how to overcome them. The final part of the semester is taken up with an
introduction to some basic concepts of phonology and a discussion of the relationship
between phonetics and phonology.
Selected learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
•
•
•
•
•
explain how speech sounds are produced
describe the CONSONANTS and VOWELS of English and German by giving
them phonetic descriptions and discuss the differences between the SOUND
INVENTORIES of the two languages as well as the differences in the
DISTRIBUTION of these sounds
produce the sounds of German accurately and with confidence
use the IPA SYMBOLS for the sounds of English and German and transcribe a
short written passage of German into IPA symbols
define and discuss basic phonological concepts such as PHONE, PHONEME,
ALLOPHONE, PHONEMIC vs. (BROAD) PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION,
COMPLEMENTARY DISTRIBUTION, FREE VARIATION and PHONETIC SIMILARITY
Learning and teaching methods:
One 1-hour lecture per week plus fortnightly 1-hour
tutorials
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Continuous assessment of tutorial contributions (10%)
b) 1.5-hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (90%)
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Set text:
Hall, Christopher. 2003. Modern German pronunciation: an introduction for speakers of
English. 2nd edn. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Further reading:
Aitchison, Jean. 2003. Teach Yourself Linguistics. 5th edn. London: Hodder Arnold;
Cruttenden, Alan 2001. Gimson's pronunciation of English. 6th edn. London: Arnold;
Crystal, David. 2003. A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. 5th edn. Oxford:
Blackwell; Fromkin, Victoria A. (ed.). 2000. Linguistics: an introduction to linguistic
theory. Oxford: Blackwell; Fromkin, Victoria A., Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2003.
An introduction to language. 7th edn. Boston, MA: Thomson Heinle; Ladefoged, Peter.
2001. A course in phonetics. 4th edn. Forth Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich;
O'Connor, J.D. 1973. Phonetics. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Max. entry:
None
Pathway: GERM20271, GERM20381
GERM30341, GERM30392, GERM30562
GERM10321
Pre-requisite:
German History, 1789-1890
Credits: 10
Level: 1
A-level pass in German, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Tu 12.00 (lecture); Mo 14.00, Tu 14.00 (tutorials)
Description:
This course unit provides an accessible introduction to nineteenth-century German
history, focusing on significant political events and long-term social changes. The main
topics covered are: the Holy Roman Empire; the French Revolution and the German
lands; the Napoleonic Wars; the origins of German nationalism; Vormärz Germany; the
1848 revolutions; Bismarck and the unification of Germany; the German Empire;
industrialization and the German labour movement. No prior knowledge of history is
required.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will have a knowledge and
understanding of:
• the principal events in German history between 1789 and 1890
• the key themes and forces that shaped German society in the nineteenth
century
• basic historical methods
They should also be able to:
• undertake a basic review of the historiography, and develop a personal view
Teaching & Learning Methods: 1 hour weekly lecture; 1 hour fortnightly tutorial
Language of Teaching: English
Assessment: a) One group presentation (10%)
b) 1.5 hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (90%)
Convenor:
Dr Matthew Jefferies
Taught by: Dr Matthew Jefferies (Lectures) and Mr Gareth Davies (Tutorials)
Max. entry:
Pathway:
None
GERM10232; GERM20262
Set Texts: Breuilly, John (ed.), Nineteenth Century Germany (London: Arnold, 2001);
Blackbourn, David, History of Germany, 1780-1918: The Long Nineteenth Century
(Oxford: Blackwell, 2002)
Recommended Texts: Allinson, Mark, Germany and Austria 1814-2000 (London:
Arnold, 2002); Carr, William, A History of Germany, 1815-1990 (London: Arnold,
1993); Fulbrook, Mary, A Concise History of Germany (Cambridge: C.U.P, 1990);
Sagarra, Eda, An Introduction to Nineteenth Century Germany (Harlow: Longman,
1980); Sheehan, James, German History, 1770-1866 (Oxford: Clarendon, 1989)
GERM10232
Pre-requisite:
German History, 1890-1945
Credits: 10
Level: 1
A-level pass in German, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Tu 12.00 (lecture); Mo 14.00, Tu 14.00 (tutorials)
Description:
This course unit provides an accessible introduction to that turbulent period of history
between 1890 and 1945, when three very different attempts to build a German nationstate each ended in failure. The German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Third
Reich will be studied in turn, as will the origins of the First and Second World Wars. No
prior knowledge of history is required.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will have a knowledge and
understanding of:
• the principal events in German history between 1890 and 1945
• the key themes and forces that shaped German society in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries
• basic historical methods
They should also be able to:
• undertake a basic review of the historiography, and develop a personal view
Learning and teaching methods:
One 1-hour lecture per week plus fortnightly 1-hour
tutorials
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) One group presentation (10%)
b) 1.5-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2 (90%)
Convenor: Dr Matthew Jefferies
Taught by: Dr Matthew Jefferies (Lectures) and Mr Gareth Davies (Tutorials)
Max. entry:
None
Set texts:
Fulbrook, Mary (ed.), Twentieth Century Germany (London: Arnold, 2001); Pulzer,
Peter, Germany 1870-1945 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997)
Further reading:
Allinson, Mark, Germany and Austria 1814-2000 (London: Arnold, 2002); Berghahn,
Volker, Modern Germany (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982); Carr,
William, A History of Germany, 1815-1990 (London: Arnold, 1993); Fulbrook, Mary, A
Concise History of Germany (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990); Hiden,
John, Republican and Fascist Germany (London: Longman, 1996); Kershaw, Ian, The
Nazi Dictatorship (London: Arnold, 1985)
Pathway: GERM20262, POLI20932
GERM30721, GERM30762
GERM10262
Pre-requisite:
Morality and Politics in German Drama
Credits: 10
Level: 1
A-level pass in German or equivalent
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Th 11.00 (lecture); Tu 15.00, We 12.00 (tutorial groups)
Description:
Drama has played a pivotal role in German literary history. Through close reading and
analysis of three representative landmark examples from the late 18th century to the late
19th century - Lessing’s Emilia Galotti (1772), Büchner’s Woyzeck (1836/7) and
Wedekind’s Frühlings Erwachen (1891) - this course unit aims to introduce the study of
German drama in its historical context to students without prior experience of the subject.
The plays are chosen to illustrate key elements in the development of German drama in
the period, and the course unit will examine the different approaches to drama, dramatic
form and technique (classical, realistic, expressionistic) exemplified in the texts. To
provide a central focus, the course unit will explore the ethical, political and social
dimensions of these works in relation to the prevalent intellectual climate and historical
context, but will at the same time seek to compare the different approaches to these issues
and to investigate ways in which they may be related to one another, for instance in
illuminating the tension between human freedom and social determinants. By examining
the powerful ways drama can harness our emotions, reason and imagination to convey
ideas and raise questions, both in relation to the contemporary conditions and in a broader
sense, the course unit will function on a more general level as an introduction to literary
study and analysis, which will prepare students for more advanced study in other areas.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will:
• have acquired a sound grasp of key developments in the German drama of the
period
• be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the set texts and
their principal interpretative issues, specifically the relationship between the
ethical, social and political dimensions
• have developed their understanding of the way dramatic form and technique
contribute to the exploration of those issues
• have developed their ability to interpret and analyse texts in relation to their
historical context and the wider issues that they raise
• have developed their reading skills in German from an earlier period
Learning and teaching methods: 17 hours in total; combination of lectures and tutorials
Language of teaching:
English
Assessment: By coursework, consisting of two essays of 1,000 words each (50% each)
Deadlines for assessed coursework: - Friday of Week 8, Semester 2
- Friday of Week 12, Semester 2
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr David Bell
Taught by: Dr David Bell
Max. entry:
None
Set texts:
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Emilia Galotti (Stuttgart: Reclam UB45, 2001); Georg
Büchner, Woyzeck in Woyzeck. Leonce und Lena (Stuttgart: Reclam UB7733, 1972);
Frank Wedekind, Frühlings Erwachen (Stuttgart: Reclam UB7951, 1995)
Further reading: See course unit handbook
Pathway: Level 2:
Level 3:
GERM10292
Pre-requisite:
POLI20932, GERM20282, GERM20291, GERM20311,
GERM20352
GERM30412, GERM30421, GERM30432, GERM30451,
GERM30631, GERM30762
Structure and Meaning in German
Credits: 10
Level: 1
A-level pass in German or equivalent (except for students taking
GERM10100 at the same time)
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Tu 9.00 (lecture); Tu 16.00, Th 15.00 (tutorials)
Description:
This course unit provides an introduction to the study of language, with particular
reference to structure and meaning in German. We begin with a very brief overview of
general linguistics and then focus on German for the remainder of the semester. Our first
topic here is sentence structure, and we will look at different ways of describing the
patterns of German. This leads on to a discussion of word structure, helping us to
untangle the sometimes bewildering array of forms and endings. Semantics, the study of
meaning, will be our third, and final, major topic. Here we will focus particularly on how
words are related to one another as part of a larger system in terms of sense relations and
on the semantic fields which some of these relations help us define. We will also explore
how the meaning of a word can be decomposed into semantic components/features, that
is, how to carry out a componential analysis of a word
Selected learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 analyse German sentences in terms of PHRASE STRUCTURE and write the
PHRASE STRUCTURE RULES necessary to generate such sentences
 define VALENCY and identify the valency of common verbs
 describe the major syntactic functions, e.g. SUBJECT, ACCUSATIVE OBJECT and
DATIVE OBJECT and how these relate to CASE in German
 explain the principles of word order in German and define central concepts
such as SATZRAHMEN, VORFELD, MITTELFELD and NACHFELD
 define the concepts of MORPH, MORPHEME and ALLOMORPH and describe how
words may be analysed in terms of their grammatical structure
 describe the basic structure of the German tense system and how the tenses
are used
 explain what is meant by LEXICAL SEMANTICS, SEMANTIC/LEXICAL FIELD,
SENSE RELATIONS, SYNONYMY, HYPONYMY, POLYSEMY, HOMONYMY,
SEMANTIC COMPONENTS/FEATURES and COMPONENTIAL ANALYSIS

show how we can analyse a word in terms of its semantic features
Learning and teaching methods:
One 1-hour lecture per week lecture plus fortnightly
1-hour tutorials
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Continuous assessment of tutorial contributions (10%)
b) 1.5-hour examination at the end of Semester 2 (90%)
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Max. entry:
None
Further reading:
Aitchison, Jean. 2003. Teach Yourself Linguistics. 5th edn. London: Hodder Arnold;
Crystal, David. 2003. A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. 5th edn. Oxford:
Blackwell; Durrell, Martin. 2002. Hammer's German grammar and usage. 4th edn.
London: Arnold; Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl & Gudrun Loftus. 2002. Essential German
Grammar. London: Arnold; Fox, Anthony. 1990. The structure of German. Oxford:
Oxford University Press; Fromkin, Victoria A., Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2003. An
introduction to language. 7th edn. Boston, MA: Thomson Heinle; Gross, Harro. 1998.
Einführung in die germanistische Linguistik. 3rd edn. revised by Klaus Fischer. Munich:
iudicium-Verlag; Hudson, Richard A. 1984. Invitation to linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell.
Pathway: GERM20222, GERM20271
GERM30392
GERM10301
Pre-requisite:
Reading German
Credits: 10
Level: 1
A-level pass in German or equivalent
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Th 11.00 (lecture); Tu 15.00, We 12.00, Th 9.00, Fr 12.00(seminars)
Description:
This course unit introduces students of German to a wide range of literary texts and to the
specific academic skills required to analyse and interpret them, as well as reinforcing core
language skills through the close reading of written German. In the first part of the course
unit, students will work through a pack of short texts and extracts made up of a variety of
text-types from different literary periods. A combination of lectures and tasks undertaken
in smaller seminar groups will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary
for a critical and analytical approach to texts of different genres and for an understanding
of the characteristic features of certain key periods in German literary history. In the
second part of the course unit, students will build on these skills by reading and analysing
Bernhard Schlink’s best-selling novel Der Vorleser, first published in 1995. The course
unit assumes no prior experience of German literary studies and acts as a foundation for
the range of more specialist literature course units offered at Levels 2 and 3.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will:
• be able to demonstrate a critical approach to a range of text-types from a
range of periods in German literary history
• be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the central
interpretative issues raised by Schlink’s Der Vorleser
• have further developed core skills of German language competence through
extensive primary reading (extended vocabulary; heightened familiarity with
complex sentence structures)
Learning and teaching methods:
A combination of 1-hour lectures and 1-hour
seminars adding up to 18 hours in total over the
semester
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
(a) One essay of 1,750 words from a choice of questions on Schlink’s
Der Vorleser (85%)
(b) Course participation and contribution (15%)
Deadline for assessed coursework:
Friday of week 12, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English
Convenor:
Dr Matthew Philpotts
Max. entry:
None
Taught by: Dr Matthew Philpotts and others
Set texts:
Texts and extracts pack (supplied at beginning of semester in photocopied form);
Bernhard Schlink, Der Vorleser (Zurich: Diogenes, 1997)
Further reading: See course unit booklet
Pathway:
POLI20932, GERM20282, GERM20291, GERM20311, POLI20932,
GERM20352, GERM30422, GERM30432, ERM30451, GERM30631,
GERM30762
GERM 10312
Contemporary German Culture
Pre-requisite:
A-level pass in German, or equivalent
Taught during:
Semester 2
Timetable:
We. 10-11.30
Credits: 10
Level: 1
Description:
This course unit offers an insight into a range of aspects of contemporary German culture
– including popular culture - and an opportunity to reflect on the diversity of postunification Germany. The years since 1989 have come to be seen as an era of
‘normalisation’ in German culture, in which German identity and the National Socialist
past have been displaced by more global considerations. The course will foster a critical
approach to the notion of ‘normalisation’, and will incorporate short texts, films and other
media to treat topics such as: ethnicity and film; contemporary Jewish-German culture;
post-Wende German identities and Ostalgie; minority German identities, and the
reconstruction of Berlin. Teaching will be by weekly seminars with additional screenings
as required.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will:
a) be able to demonstrate a familiarity with a variety of contemporary German
cultural forms
b) be able to analyse and differentiate between various types of textual and filmic
material
c) have further developed German language competence through reading and
viewing
d) through seminar discussion, secondary reading and essay writing have developed
their powers of interpretation, argumentation and of oral and written selfexpression
Learning and Teaching Methods:
1.5 hour weekly lectures/ seminars
Language of Teaching: English
Assessment:
One essay plan (formative feedback only), one essay of 2,000 words (80%), and
resubmission of essay (20%)
Deadlines for assessed coursework:
a) Essay plan: Friday of week 8
b) Essay: Friday of week 12. Essays will be returned during the January
examination period
c) Resubmission: end of examination period (26 January 2008)
Language of Assessment:
English
Convenor: Professor Margaret Littler
Taught by: Dr Cathy Gelbin and Professor Margaret Littler
Max. entry: none
Set texts: A study pack will be provided.
Recommended Texts:
Jacobs, Richard, A Beginner’s Guide to Critical Reading: Reading for Students, (London:
Routledge, 2001)
Lothe, Jakob, Narrative in Fiction and Film: An Introduction, Oxford: (Oxford
University Press, 2000)
Montgomery, Martin, Durant, Alan, Mills, Sara, Fabb, Nigel, and Furness, Tom, Ways of
Reading: Advanced Reading Skills for Studies of English Literature, (London: Routledge,
2000)
Pathway: POLI20932, GERM20262, GERM20282, GERM20291, GERM20311,
GERM20352
GERM10331
Pre-requisite:
Modern German Texts: Register,
Style and Variation
Credits: 10
Level: 1
A-level pass in German or equivalent
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Tu 15.00; We 12.00
Description:
This is a practical course unit which is intended to introduce students of German to the
major varieties of modern standard German. A number of representative texts will be
analysed with regard to their linguistic features, so that students are made explicitly
aware of stylistic and register variation and are able recognise the most important
phonological, grammatical and lexical differences between texts in different registers.
The importance of medium, subject matter and situation will be outlined with reference to
the selected texts (which may include spoken texts on tape or screen), so that the
differences between spoken and written German are made clear, as well as the degrees of
formality possible in the spoken language, the salient differences between literary and
non-literary German, differences in style between popular and more challenging authors
and the variation between the language of the popular and serious press. Some older texts
may be considered for comparative purposes, although the emphasis will be on German
as spoken and written at the beginning of the 21st century.
The course will be primarily participatory, with texts being analysed in groups within
seminars. The aim is to familiarise students with the range of the modern German
language by the systematic linguistic analysis of texts. This has the secondary objective
of reinforcing core language skills, in particular awareness of grammar and syntax,
command of a range of vocabulary and increased confidence in dealing with the different
levels of register required in different types of communicative situations.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will:
• be able to identify the register of particular texts in terms of their linguistic
features
• have an awareness of the factors underlying register variation in modern
German
• know how spoken German differs typically from written German and how the
degree of formality of communicative situations is reflected linguistic1lly
• have further developed core skills of German language competence through
systematic analysis of texts
Learning and teaching methods:
18 seminars during the semester
Language of teaching: English/German
Assessment:
Two linguistic commentaries of 1,000 words each on a specified short
text.
Deadlines for assessed coursework: a) Friday of Week 7, Semester 1
b) 18 January 2008
Language of assessment: English
Convenor:
Dr Jannis Androutsopoulos
Taught by: Dr Jannis Androutsopoulos
Max. entry:
None
Set texts:
Texts and extracts pack (supplied in photocopied form)
Recommended reading:
Martin Durrell (2003), Using German. A Guide to Contemporary Usage. 2nd ed.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pathway:
LALC10001
GERM20222
GERM30392
Introduction to World Cinema 1
Credits: 20
Level: 1
Prerequisite: None
Taught during:
Semester 1
Timetable:
Lectures Friday 12-1
Screenings Friday 2-5
Seminars Tuesday 12-1, 1-2, 3-4pm / Wednesday 10-11, 11-12, 1-2pm, W4.05
Description: This course unit will provide students with an introduction to the language
of film and to key aesthetic movements and concepts in cinema from its early days to the
1950s with an initial focus on Europe. Lectures and seminar sessions will lay the
foundations for the technical analysis of classic films. They will then proceed to explore
the importance of montage, Surrealism and Expressionism within the particular national
contexts in which they arose, as well as the prevailing impact of these movements on film
makers worldwide. Integrated Web CT materials support the learning experience and
offer students guidance on cross-disciplinary learning.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will:
Be able to apply basic analytical skills to a range of cinema production;
have a fundamental grasp of the textual and contextual analysis of films;
have a critical understanding of the aesthetic, historical and ideological dimensions of
European Cinema;
have begun to form strategies for working in a cross-disciplinary manner
Transferable skills:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will have developed:
their ability to work independently;
b)
their ability to argue critically and coherently;
c)
d)
their ability to present information in a convincing and accessible manner
their intercultural understanding in European contexts
Teaching and learning methods: 1-hour weekly lecture, 1-hour weekly seminar, 1
weekly screening generally of 3 hours, for which preparatory reading is necessary.
Language of Teaching:
English (all films are subtitled, although students studying
modern languages are expected to study films in the original as appropriate).
Assessment: 1 acw essay of 2,000 words (50%).
Deadline: Friday, Week 11.
1 hour 30 minute exam requiring two questions to be answered (50%). Students
will not be permitted to answer questions relating principally to material treated in the
coursework essays.
Convenor:
Dr Nuria Triana Toribio
Taught by: Dr Nuria Triana Toribio, Dr Lynne Attwood, Dr Cathy Gelbin, Dr Joseph
McGonagle/Prof Chris Perriam; [+ Screen Studies GTA, not yet known]
Maximum entry: 100.
Set films:
October. Dir. Sergei Eisenstein. Sovkino (USSR). 1928.
Ivan the Terrible I. Dir. Sergei Eisenstein. Alma Ata Studio (USSR). 1944.
Ivan the Terrible II. Dir. Sergei Eisenstein. Mosfilm (USSR). 1945.
Un Chien Andalou. Dir. Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. (France). 1929.
L’Age d’Or. Dir. Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. Vicomte de Noailles (France). 1930.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Dir. Robert Wiene. UFA (Germany). 1919.
Nosferatu. Dir. Friedrich Murnau. UFA (Germany). 1922.
The Third Man. Dir. Carol Reed (UK). 1949.
Recommended texts:
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art, 5th edn (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1997)
Pam Cook and Mieke Bernink, eds., The Cinema Book, 2nd edn (London: BFI, 1999)
Susan Hayward, Key Concepts in Cinema Studies (London: Routledge, 1996)
James Monaco, How to Read a Film (New York: OUP, 1977)
Amy Villarejo, Film Studies; The Basics (London: Routledge, 2007)
Pathway:
BA Level 2:
FC2141: Themes and Genres in French Film;
GM2351 Gender, Sexuality, Race;
IT2381 Modern Italian Culture: Cinema;
BA Level 3:
FC3410 From Novel to Film;
GM3432 Ost-West-Geschichten
IT3282 Contemporary Italian Culture: Cinema;
RU3320 Soviet Cinema and Society;
SP3260 Spanish Drama and Film.
MA:
EL6300: Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary French Cinema;
EL6721: Issues in French Film History I: The Fiftees;
El6981: Representing the Holocaust;
EL9811 and 9812: Italian Cinema I and II;
EL8040 Soviet Cinema and Society
LALC10002
Introduction to World Cinema 2
Credits 20
LEVEL: 1
Prerequisite: None
Taught during:
Semester 2
Timetable:
Lectures Friday 12-1
Screenings Friday 2-5
Seminars Tuesday 12-1, 1-2, 3-4pm/Wednesday 10-11, 11-12, 1-2pm, W4.05
Description: This course unit will provide students with an introduction to key aesthetic
movements and concepts in world cinema from the 1940s to the present across a range of
cinemas. Lectures and seminar sessions will explore the importance of Neo-Realism and
New Wave Cinema in Europe and beyond. It will explore “new” cinema movements in
Latin America, North Africa and other countries and areas whose languages and cultures
are studied in the School. Integrated Web CT materials support the learning experience
and offer students guidance on cross-disciplinary learning.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will:
Apply basic analytical skills to a range of world cinema production;
have a fundamental grasp on in the textual and contextual analysis of films;
have a critical understanding of the aesthetic, historical and ideological dimensions of
World Cinema;
developed informed strategies for working in a cross-disciplinary manner
Transferable skills:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will have developed further:
their ability to work independently;
b)
their ability to argue critically and coherently;
c)
their ability to present information in a convincing and accessible manner.
d)
and their intercultural understanding in global contexts
Teaching and learning methods: 1-hour weekly lecture, 1-hour weekly seminar, 1
weekly screening generally of 3 hours, for which preparatory reading is necessary.
Language of Teaching:
English (all films are subtitled, although students studying
modern languages are expected to study films in the original as appropriate).
Assessment: 1 acw essay of 2,000 words (50%).
Deadline: Friday, Week 11.
1 hour 30 minute exam requiring two questions to be answered (50%). Students
will not be permitted to answer questions relating principally to material treated in the
coursework essays.
Convenor:
Prof Chris Perriam
Taught by: Prof Chris Perriam, Prof Hoda Elsadda, Prof Margaret Littler, Prof
Stephen Milner, Dr Joseph McGonagle/Dr Darren Waldron; [+ Screen Studies GTA, not
yet known]
Maximum entry: 100.
Set films:
Roma città aperta/Rome, Open City. Dir. Roberto Rossellini. Excelsia film
(Italy) 1945
Ladri di Biciclette/Bicycle Thieves. Dir. Vittorio De Sica. De Sica Productions (Italy).
1948
Les Quatre Cents Coups/The 400 Blows. Dir. François Truffaut. Les Films du Carosse
(France). 1959
Á bout de souffle/Breathless. Dir. Jean-Luc Godard. Rome-Paris Films (France). 1960
Short Sharp Shock. Dir. Fatih Akin (Germany) 1998
Y tu mamá también/And Your Mother Too. Dir. Alfonso Cuarón (Mexico) 2001
Divine Intervention. Dir. Elia Suleiman (Morocco/France) 2002.
Recommended texts:
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art, 5th edn (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1997)
Pam Cook and Mieke Bernink, eds., The Cinema Book, 2nd edn (London: BFI, 1999)
J Dudley Andrew, The Major Film Theories (Oxford: OUP, 1976)
Susan Hayward, Key Concepts in Cinema Studies (London: Routledge, 1996)
James Monaco, How to Read a Film (New York: OUP, 1977)
Pathway:
BA Level 2:
FC2141: Themes and Genres in French Film;
GM2351 Gender, Sexuality, Race;
IT2381 Modern Italian Culture: Cinema;
BA Level 3:
FC3410 From Novel to Film;
GM3432 Ost-West-Geschichten
IT3282 Contemporary Italian Culture: Cinema;
RU3320 Soviet Cinema and Society;
SP3260 Spanish Drama and Film.
MA:
EL6300: Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary French Cinema;
EL6721: Issues in French Film History I: The Fiftees;
El6981: Representing the Holocaust;
EL9811 and 9812: Italian Cinema I and II;
EL8040 Soviet Cinema and Society
2.2
SECOND YEAR
2.2.1 Structure of Degree Programmes: Second Year
In each year of study students normally take course units with a total credit rating of 120.
Students registered for degree programmes with a German component take the following
from the Level 2 course units listed below. Attention is drawn to the prerequisites
prescribed for each course unit.
STUDENTS WITH AN A-LEVEL PASS IN GERMAN (OR EQUIVALENT):
Single Honours German Studies:
German course units totalling 100 credits, namely GERM20210 (20 credits), plus
EIGHT 10-credit course units at Level 2. The remaining 20 credits are made up
either from other course units in German (if available) or from Faculty of
Humanities approved course units in subjects other than German.
The following joint honours programmes with German as a named Honours
subject:
A Modern Language and Business and Management
English and German
German and Linguistics
Middle Eastern and Modern European Languages
Modern Languages
German course units totalling a minimum of 40 credits and a maximum of 80
credits, namely GERM20210 (20 credits) plus a minimum of TWO and a
maximum of SIX 10-credit course units at Level 2.
Note: Candidates offering Russian or a Middle Eastern language who entered the
first year as beginners must take course units totalling 60 credits in the language
in question, and thus a maximum of 60 credits in German.
Master of Modern Languages (MML):
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM20210 (20 credits), plus
FOUR 10-credit course units at Level 2.
Note: MML students may take a total of 20 credits (across their 2 languages)
deriving from content courses at level 1 in order to extend the breadth of
experience at introductory level.
Joint Honours Biological Sciences / Mathematics with German:
German course units totalling 40 credits, namely GERM20210, plus TWO 10credit course units at Level 2.
Honours Combined Studies:
The permitted number of course units in German is prescribed by the Board of
Combined Studies. All candidates take GERM20210; further course units may be
chosen from the range of 10-credit course units at Level 2.
Joint Honours European Studies and Modern Languages (German):
German course units totalling 40 credits, namely GERM20210 (20 credits), plus
TWO 10-credit course units at Level 2.
Note: Course units in German History may be counted as Social Science options.
Joint Honours History and German:
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM20210 (20 credits), plus
FOUR 10-credit course units at Level 2.
Note: Course units in German History may be counted as History options.
Joint Honours History of Art and German:
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM20210 (20 credits), plus
FOUR 10-credit course units at Level 2.
STUDENTS WHO WERE BEGINNERS IN GERMAN IN 2006-07:
The following joint honours programmes with German as a named Honours
subject:
Masters in Modern Languages (MML)
A Modern Language and Business and Management
English and English Language and German
German and Linguistics
History and German
History of Art and German
Middle Eastern and Modern European Languages
Modern Languages
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM20100, GERM10301 and
GERM20222, plus TWO of GERM10232, GERM20271, GERM20381 and
ULTL20011 (Semester 1)/ULTL20022 (Semester 2).
Students with certain special interests may ask the convenor of the relevant course
unit for permission to replace GERM10232 with GERM10312, GERM10321 or
GERM10331. Alternatively, they may apply to replace one or both of
GERM20271 and GERM20381, with GERM20262, GERM20352, GERM20372
or POLI20932.
2.2.2 Level 2 Course Units
Students taking course units at Level 2 are expected to have READ all the set texts
prior to the beginning of the semester in which the relevant course unit is taught.
This is essential for making informed choices about seminar presentations and for
building the foundation for successful course unit participation. Remember that it is
necessary to have read a text at least twice in order to contribute fruitfully to discussions
and to write an essay or examination answer on it.
All Level 2 content course units develop and/or assess a range of transferable skills. On
successful completion of one of these course units, students will have improved their
ability to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
manage time, and work to deadlines
use information and communications technology (ICT)
undertake independent learning and reflect upon their achievements
participate constructively in group/team work and group discussions
assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others
present information, ideas and arguments orally with due regard to the target
audience
demonstrate powers of analysis
present a structured, coherent and convincing argument
display good literacy skills in English and German
show an awareness of, and a responsiveness to, the nature and extent of
intercultural diversity
Transferable skills mentioned in the course unit descriptions which follow are fostered in
addition to those listed here.
GERM20100
German Language Skills for Ex-Beginners
Credits: 20
Level: 2
NB. This course unit must be passed with a minimum overall mark of 40% in order for a
student to progress to the next year of study.
Pre-requisite:
GERM10100
The course unit is available only as part of a degree programme where
German is taken as a named Honours subject.
Taught during: Both semesters
Timetable:
1) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
2) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
3) Group A Mo 12.00
Group B Th 16.00
Description:
This core language course unit fosters essential language skills and is delivered in three
sessions per week: Grammar and Translation, Sprachpraktische Übung, and Landeskunde
(see below for details). All of these sessions are taught in German, as far as possible.
Classes are complemented by an independent language learning programme,
involving reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, as well as vocabulary work
and CALL grammar exercises. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own
learning and to improve their language learning skills with the help and support provided
by their tutors.
1)
GRAMMAR AND TRANSLATION (seminar: one hour per week)
This part of the course unit is intended to develop competence in written German (writing
and reading skills) by focussing on translation skills (English-German and GermanEnglish) and consolidating command of basic grammatical structures.
2)
SPRACHPRAKTISCHE ÜBUNG (tutorial: one hour per week)
This element of the course unit, taught by one of the lectors (native speaker language
assistants), fosters both oral and written skills. Thematically based material, treating
aspects of contemporary German life, provides the background for assignments, which
include essay and précis writing as well as giving at least one oral presentation.
Students of a Modern Language and Business & Management will be allocated to
one or more groups where the thematic focus is on business and management issues
(rather than contemporary German life), although the skills acquired will be the same for
all students.
3)
LANDESKUNDE I (lecture: one hour per week)
This series of lectures provides basic information about Germany and one other Germanspeaking country/region (physical and human geography, political system, media,
history, arts, and education system), using a range of teaching media (e.g. videos, slides,
OHTs, handouts).
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 demonstrate mastery of the grammar topics covered (valency and cases, noun
genders and plurals, adjectives, determiners and pronouns, verb forms,
prepositions, modal auxiliaries, Konjunktiv II)
 demonstrate competence in translating from German into English, with some
understanding of stylistic considerations
 show basic insight into the particular difficulties of translating from English
into German
 understand extended speech, TV news and current affairs programmes as well







as the majority of films
read and analyse articles and reports concerned with contemporary issues
speak with a good degree of fluency and spontaneity, and take an active part
in discussion covering a range of contexts (including environmental issues,
leisure and travel, relationships and family life, diet and health, and Germany
since reunification)
orally present clear descriptions on a range of subjects and explain a
viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of
various options
write clear text (including short essays and reports) on a range of subjects,
giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view
give a broad description of aspects of two German-speaking countries/
regions, with reference to physical and human geography, political systems,
history, arts, and education
assess their own language learning needs, develop and follow strategies for
addressing these needs, and evaluate and further refine these strategies
produce word-processed text in German
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour sessions per week (see above for details)
Language of teaching: Predominantly German
Assessment:
1) 2-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2, comprising:
i) Translation from German into English (25%)
ii) Summary (140-160 words) in German of a longer German text (25%)
2) Oral examination at the end of Semester 2, lasting about 10 minutes,
conducted by one of the lectors and one of the lecturing staff in German
Studies. Candidates will have the opportunity to choose a topic from a list and
will be given 15 minutes to read and reflect on a short text on that topic. They
will then be asked to read aloud from the text, to answer questions about it
and to discuss the subject with the examiners. The topics will be related to the
material that has been covered in the Sprachpraktische Übung during the year
and students will be permitted to use their own dictionary during the
preparation time. (25%)
3) Assessed coursework: two short essays (300 words each) in German, dealing
with the material covered in the Landeskunde lectures (25%)
Deadlines for assessed coursework: - Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
- Friday of Week 11, Semester 2
Languages of assessment: German and English
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand and others
Set texts:
Collins German Dictionary, 5th edn. 2004. Glasgow: HarperCollins.
Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 2002. Essential German Grammar.
London: Arnold.
EITHER: Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate (ed.). 2001. Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 2nd
edn. Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.
OR: Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Neubearbeitung. 2006.
Berlin: Langenscheidt.
Further reading:
Durrell, Martin. 2002. Hammer's German Grammar and Usage. 4th edn. London:
Arnold; Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 1996. Practising German
Grammar: A Workbook. 2nd edn. London: Arnold; Fernández-Toro, María & Francis R.
Jones. 2001. DIY techniques for language learners. London: Centre for Information on
Language Teaching and Research (CILT)
Further reading:
Durrell, Martin. 2002. Hammer's German Grammar and Usage. 4th edn. London:
Arnold; Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 1996. Practising German
Grammar: A Workbook. 2nd edn. London: Arnold; Fernández-Toro, María & Francis R.
Jones. 2001. DIY techniques for language learners. London: Centre for Information on
Language Teaching and Research (CILT)
Pathway: GERM30510
GERM20210
German Language Skills II
Credits: 20
Level: 2
NB. This course unit must be passed with a minimum overall mark of 40% in order for a
student to progress to the next year of study.
Pre-requisite:
GERM10210
The course unit is available only as part of a degree programme where
German is taken as a named Honours subject.
Taught during: Both semesters
Timetable:
1) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
2) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
3) Groups for Aktuelle Landeskunde and Wirtschaftsdeutsch will run
in parallel, on Tuesdays at 2.00 and Thursdays at 2.00.
Description:
This core language course unit fosters essential language skills and is delivered in three
sessions per week: Grammar and Translation, Sprachpraktische Übung, and Landeskunde
II or Wirtschaftsdeutsch (see below for details). All of these sessions are taught in
German.
Classes are complemented by an independent language learning programme,
involving reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, as well as vocabulary work
and CALL grammar exercises. Students will be given ample opportunity to reflect on
their own learning and to improve their language learning skills with the help and support
provided by their tutors.
1)
GRAMMAR AND TRANSLATION (seminar: one hour per week)
This part of the course unit further develops competence in written German (writing and
reading skills) by enhancing the translation skills (English-German and German-English)
introduced in the first year and consolidating command of grammatical structures in
written German.
2)
SPRACHPRAKTISCHE ÜBUNG (tutorial: one hour per week)
This element of the course unit builds on the oral and written skills developed during the
first year.
3)
LANDESKUNDE II OR WIRTSCHAFTSDEUTSCH (seminar: one hour per week)
Students can choose EITHER:
a) LANDESKUNDE II
This element of the course unit is designed to build on and deepen the knowledge
acquired in Landeskunde I during the first year of study. Using newspaper articles
and video clips, issues relating to politics, the arts and everyday life in Germanspeaking countries are discussed. As far as possible, matters of topical interest are
also included.
OR:
b) WIRTSCHAFTSDEUTSCH
This part of the course unit will focus on business/management issues and is
designed particularly for students of a Modern Language and Business and
Management, although it is open to all second year students.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
• demonstrate mastery of the grammar topics covered (word order,
conjunctions, use and formation of the tenses, the passive and alternatives to
its use, word formation, and Konjunktiv I)
• demonstrate a good level of competence in translating from German into
English, with an understanding of stylistic considerations
• demonstrate competence in translating from English into German, with some
understanding of stylistic considerations
• understand extended speech, TV news and current affairs programmes as well
as films
• read and analyse articles and reports concerned with contemporary issues
• speak with a good degree of fluency and spontaneity, and take an active part
in discussion covering a range of topic areas (including politics, arts,
everyday life in German-speaking countries, multicultural issues, and science
and technology in modern times)
• research, compose and deliver clear and well-structured oral presentations on
a range of topics (see above)
• write clear text (including short essays and reports) on a range of subjects,
giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view
• give a broad description of aspects of at least two German-speaking countries/
regions, with reference to recent political, societal and cultural developments
as well as current trends
• interact competently in a business-related context (including writing business
letters) and discuss a range of business topics both orally and in writing
• assess with confidence their own language learning needs, develop and follow
strategies for addressing these needs, and evaluate and further refine these
strategies
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour sessions per week (see above for details)
Language of teaching: Predominantly German
Assessment:
1) 2-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2, comprising:
i)
Translation from German into English (25%)
ii)
Translation from English into German (25%)
2) Oral examination at the end of Semester 2, lasting about 10 minutes,
conducted by one of the lectors and one of the lecturing staff in German
Studies. Candidates will be asked to choose a topic from a list, and then given
15 minutes to read and reflect on a short text on that topic. Candidates will be
asked to read aloud from the text, to answer questions about it and to discuss
the subject with the examiners. The topics will be related to the material that
has been used and discussed in the Sprachpraktische Übung during the year
and students will be permitted to use their own dictionary during the
preparation time. (25%)
3) 25% of overall mark, composed as follows:
i)
Coursework, consisting of one short presentation and two short essays
(300 words), each contributing 5% to the overall mark (15%)
ii)
Short class test taken towards the end of Semester 2 (10%)
Deadlines for assessed coursework: - Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
- Friday of Week 8, Semester 2
Languages of assessment: German and English
Convenor: Professor Martin Durrell
Taught by: Professor Martin Durrell and others
Max. entry:
n/a
Set texts:
Collins German Dictionary, 5th edn. 2004. Glasgow: HarperCollins.
Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 2002. Essential German Grammar.
London: Arnold.
EITHER: Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate (ed.). 1997. Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 2nd
edn. Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.
OR: Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Neubearbeitung. 2006.
Berlin: Langenscheidt.
Further reading:
Durrell, Martin. 2002. Hammer's German Grammar and Usage. 4th edn. London:
Arnold; Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 1996. Practising German
Grammar: A Workbook. 2nd edn. London: Arnold; Fernández-Toro, María & Francis R.
Jones. 2001. DIY techniques for language learners. London: Centre for Information on
Language Teaching and Research (CILT
Pathway: GERM30510
GERM20212
Language and Popular
Culture in Germany
Prerequisite: GERM10331 or by consent of Convenor
Taught during:
Timetable:
Description:
Semester 2
Mon 15.00-17.00
Credits: 10
Level: 2
In this course we will examine patterns of language use in German popular culture.
Genres of popular culture such as advertising, film, music and television shows employ
different styles and varieties of language to represent a range of social characters and
social relationships, relying for this purpose on the cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
which they assume they share with their audience. Genres of popular culture like this
constitute a significant set of situations where varieties of language beyond (or ‘below’)
standard German are to be found; at the same time, they offer a window on lay attitudes
towards linguistic differences in the German-speaking area. The first part of the course
will introduce and illustrate theoretical notions such as language variety, style and
stylization, stereotype, and genre. In the main part of the course we will jointly analyse a
selection of texts from German popular culture with respect to (a) which varieties and
styles of German used in each text, (b) how they are distributed in relation to characters
and discourse structure, how they contribute to the text’s meaning and function, (c)
linguistic creativity and innovation, e.g. in terms of word-formation or language contact,
and (d) the overt or covert evaluation of linguistic variability.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to discuss:
–
–
–
patterns of linguistic variability and creativity in popular culture genres, in
Germany as well as generally;
the implications of language use in popular culture for language attitudes and
linguistic stereotypes in present-day Germany;
the relationship of language use in popular culture to broader issues of sociocultural representation and change in Germany.
Learning and teaching methods: 1½ hour seminar weekly
Language of Teaching: English / German as appropriate to the discussion topic.
Assessment: a) One fifteen-minute presentation, including two copies of a written
abstract thereof, to be handed in to the course tutor and at the School
Reception on the day of the presentation (33%)
b) Coursework: 1 essay of 2000 words (67%).
Deadlines for assessed coursework: End of week 12, semester 2
Language of Assessment: English
Convenor:
Dr Jannis Androutsopoulos
Taught by: Dr Jannis Androutsopoulos
Max. entry: 30
Further reading:
Androutsopoulos, J. (ed.) (2003). HipHop: globale Kultur – lokale Praktiken. Bielefeld:
transcript. Burger, H. (2005). Mediensprache (Chapter 12). Berlin: de Gruyter. Culperer,
J. (2001). Language and Characterization (Chapter 4). Hallow: Longman. Gardt, A. & B.
Hüppauf (eds.) Globalization and the future of German. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Lippi-Green, R. (1997). English with an Accent (Chapter 5). London: Routledge. Janich,
N. (2003). Werbesprache. (Chapter 4.4.2). Tübingen: Narr.
Pathway: GERM30392
GERM20222
Pre-requisite:
The German Language Today
Credits: 10
Level: 2
GERM10221, GERM10292, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Th 12.00 (lecture), Mo 14.00 (tutorial)
Description:
This course unit acknowledges that all languages change over time and that every period
in the "lifetime" of a language has certain typical properties. It asks what characterises the
German language of today and attempts to answer this question mainly on the basis of
written texts (especially from popular science publications and national papers). We will
consider lexical, morphological and syntactic properties in particular detail and explore
their interdependence. The 1998 spelling reform, as one of the most widely discussed
events affecting the German language in recent years, will also be investigated, as will
issues of sexism in language, politeness (du vs. Sie) and the newly emerging purist
movements in the German-speaking countries.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 show an appreciation of the range of varieties within any language and in
German in particular
 discuss the difficulties of defining 'the German language'
 define and critically discuss Eggers' concepts of Zeitstil, Personalstil and
Gattungsstil
 read and interpret statistical data generated through the quantitative analysis of
texts
 discuss the most important trends in present-day German syntax, morphology
and lexis
 critically discuss the current movement towards linguistic purism in Germanspeaking countries
 explore the question of sexism in the German language today
 describe the major criteria for choosing between du and Sie and discuss recent
developments in the way German speakers make this choice

outline the guiding principles behind the 1998 spelling reform and comment
critically on its success in achieving the stated aims
Learning and teaching methods:
One 1-hour lecture per week plus fortnightly 1-hour
tutorials
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 2,000 words (75%)
b) 30-minute in-class written exercise towards the end
of Semester 2 (25%)
Deadline for assessed coursework:
Friday of Week 9, Semester 2
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Max. entry:
30
Set texts:
Braun, Peter. 1998. Tendenzen in der deutschen Gegenwartssprache: Sprachvarietäten.
4th edn. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer; Russ, Charles V.J. 1994. The German language today: a
linguistic introduction. London: Routledge.
Further reading:
Braun, Peter (ed.). 1979. Deutsche Gegenwartssprache: Entwicklungen, Entwürfe,
Diskussionen. Munich: Fink; Clyne, Michael. 1995. The German language in a changing
Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Eggers, Hans. 1973. Deutsche Sprache
im 20. Jahrhundert. Munich: Piper; Hellinger, Marlis. 1995. Language and gender. In
Patrick Stevenson (ed.), The German language and the real world, 281-316. Oxford:
Clarendon Press; Johnson, Sally. 2005. Spelling trouble? Language, ideology and the
reform of German orthography. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters; Reiffenstein, Ingo,
Heinz Rupp, Peter von Polenz & Gustav Korlén. 1983. Tendenzen, Formen und
Strukturen der deutschen Standardsprache nach 1945: vier Beiträge zum Deutsch in
Österreich, der Schweiz, der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und der Deutschen
Demokratischen Republik. Marburg: Elwert; Stevenson, Patrick. 1997. The Germanspeaking world: a practical introduction to sociolinguistic issues. London: Routledge;
www.ids-mannheim.de/reform/
Pathway: GERM30341, GERM30392
GERM20262
Pre-requisite:
Culture and Society in Germany, 1918-33
Credits: 10
Level: 2
Any course unit with a historical component, or by consent of
Convenor
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Mo 11.00, Th 10.00
Description:
Building on basic historical knowledge acquired in GERM10321/GERM10232, this
course unit examines German culture and society during the years of the Weimar
Republic, when political and social instability were accompanied by great artistic and
intellectual creativity. It introduces the major currents in German art, architecture, film,
music and photography between the November Revolutions and the Nazi ‘seizure of
power’, and explores the relationship between art and politics.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will have a knowledge and
understanding of:
• the principal movements in German culture between 1918 and 1933
• social and political developments in the Weimar Republic
• the basic methodological approaches employed by historians of art,
architecture, film and music.
They should also be able to:
• undertake a critical review of the historiography, and develop an independent
perspective
• analyse and comment on visual sources, such as paintings, photographs and
buildings
Learning and teaching methods: Sixteen 1-hour seminars plus four film screenings
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
1.5 hour written examination at the end of Semester 2 (100%)
Convenor: Dr Matthew Jefferies
Taught by: Dr Matthew Jefferies
Max. entry:
Set texts:
30
Gay, Peter, Weimar Culture. The Outsider as Insider (London: Penguin, 1969); Peukert,
Detlev, The Weimar Republic (London: Penguin, 1991); Willett, John, The New Sobriety.
Art and Politics in the Weimar Period (London: Thames & Hudson, 1978)
Further reading:
Burns, Rob (ed.), German Cultural Studies. An Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1995); Bookbinder, Paul, Weimar Germany: The Republic of the Reasonable
(Manchester: M.U.P., 1997); Bullivant, Keith (ed.), Culture and Society in the Weimar
Republic (Manchester: M.U.P, 1977); Durst, David, Weimar Modernism: Philosophy,
Politics and Culture in Germany 1918-1933 (Lanham: Lexington Books, 2004);
Kolinsky, Eva & van der Will, Wilfried (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Modern
German Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998); Lacqueur, Walter,
Weimar. A Cultural History 1918-33 (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1974);
McElligott, Anthony (ed.), Rethinking the Weimar Republic: Authority and
Authoritarianism, 1916-1936 (London: Arnold, 2005)
Pathway: GERM30721, GERM30762
GERM20271
Pre-requisite:
The Making of Modern German
Credits: 10
Level: 2
GERM10221, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Mo 11.00; Mo 16.00
Description:
This course unit traces the development of German from the Middle Ages to the
beginning of the 20th century; its aim is to understand how modern German came to be
the language it is today. We shall look, first, at how the forms of the language –
phonology, morphology and syntax – have changed, examine the ways in which language
changes and the reasons for these changes. Secondly, we shall consider how linguistic
change reflects changes in social and historical conditions – this is most clearly evident in
relation to the contact German has had with other languages. Finally, we shall see how
German becomes a ‘language’ as commonly understood, with the codified spelling,
grammar and vocabulary of modern Hochdeutsch, investigating how this codification and
its acceptance came about in a speech area which, unlike England or France, lacked a
political centre to serve as a linguistic model for the whole speech area.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to discuss:
• the nature of linguistic change, both in general and in relation to German
since the Middle Ages
• the relationship between linguistic change and social change
•
language standardisation, both in general and in relation to German
Learning and teaching methods:
One 1-hour weekly lecture plus six 1-hour tutorials
spread over the semester
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
1.5 hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (100%)
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Professor Martin Durrell
Taught by: Professor Martin Durrell
Max. entry:
30
Further reading:
Keller, R. E. (1978). The German Language. London: Faber; König, W. (1994). dtv-Atlas
zur deutschen Sprache. 10th (or later) ed. München: dtv; Schmidt, W. (1993). Geschichte
der deutschen Sprache. 6th (or later) ed. Stuttgart, Leipzig: Hirzel Verlag; Stedje, A.
(1989). Deutsche Sprache gestern und heute. Einführung in Sprachgeschichte und
Sprachkunde. 2nd (or later) ed. München: Wilhelm Fink Verlag; Wells, C. J. (1985).
German: A Linguistic History to 1945. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Pathway: GERM30341, GERM30392
GERM20282
Sex, Gender, and Power in
German Women’s Writing
Credits: 10
Level: 2
Prerequisite: 10 credits of cultural/literary study at level 1
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
We. 9.00; Fr 11.00 (seminars) for six weeks;
one seminar (Fri 11.00) for five weeks (total 17 hours)
Description:
This course explores developments in the portrayal of sex and gender, and their
relationship to power in women’s writing from the 1950s to the present day. It covers the
emergence of a distinctly feminist literature in Austria and the Federal Republic in the
1970s, and contrasts this with the very different position of women writers in GDR. We
explore different dimensions of political feminism (liberal, socialist, radical), but also the
gendered social critique implicit in writing from the 1950s and 1960s. Finally we will
look at more recent texts to explore how ideas about gendered identities had changed by
the start of the 21st century. Topics covered will include lesbian desire, domestic
violence, sex change, the politics of the personal, the control of fertility and women’s
relationship to science and technology. We will also discuss the location of these writers
within a cultural and historical tradition, and debate the existence of a female aesthetic.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
a) demonstrate a specific knowledge of the work of a range of women writers of the
1950s to the present
b) demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the politics of feminism to assess the
political impact of the texts on the course
c) demonstrate a sufficient sensitivity to the aesthetic qualities of the texts to be able
to assess implicit as well as explicit cultural critique
d) through reading, seminar discussion, presentations and the writing of an essay,
demonstrate the skills of information-gathering, interpretation and the
construction of lucid argumentation
Learning and Teaching Methods:
1 or 2 weekly seminars (17 hrs in total)
Language of Teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay plan (formative feedback only) and one essay of 3,000
words (100%). Essay topics will be comparative and will require students to
demonstrate knowledge of a number of texts on the course.
Deadline for assessed coursework:
Essay plan: Friday of week 8.
Essay: Friday of week 12.
The essay plan will be assessed for structure,
coherence, and relevance to the topic.
Formative feedback on it will be given in an
essay writing workshop before the essay
itself is submitted.
Taught by: Professor Margaret Littler
Max entry: 30
Prescribed texts: (in order of study)
Bachmann, Ingeborg, Das dreißigste Jahr (Munich: Piper, 1997) (with particular
reference to ‘Ein Schritt nach Gomorrha’ 1961)
Haushofer, Marlen, Wir töten Stella und andere Erzählungen (Munich: dtv, 1990) (first
published 1958)
Stefan, Verena, Häutungen (out of print. Excerpts to be made available) (1975)
Jelinek, Elfriede, Die Liebhaberinnen (Reinbek: Rowohlt 1989) (First published 1975)
Irmtraud Morgner, ‚Der Schöne und das Tier’, in Das heroische Testament (Munich:
Luchterhand, 1998) (photocopy provided)
Kerstin Hensel, ’Das Licht von Zauche’ in Kerstin Hensel, ed. Beth Linklater and Brigit
Dahlke (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2002) (photocopy provided)
Ulrike Draesner, ’Gina Regina’ in Hot Dogs (Munich: btb Verlag 2006)
Recommended Texts:
Catling, Jo (ed), A History of Women’s Writing in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000
Weedon, Chris (ed), Post-War Women’s Writing in German: Feminist Critical
Approaches, Oxford: Berghahn, 1997
Weedon, Chris, Feminism, Theory, and the Politics of Difference, Oxford: Blackwell,
1999
Weigel, Sigrid, Die Stimme der Medusa, Reinbek: Rowohlt 1989
Pathway: GERM30012, GERM30422, GERM30432, GERM30451, GERM30631,
GERM30721, GERM30762
GERM20291
Pre-requisite:
German Culture and Totalitarianism
Credits: 10
Level: 2
Any course unit with a literary or historical component, or by consent
of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Thursday 10.00, Friday 10.00
Description:
This course unit offers a comparative and contrastive analysis of politics and culture in
the Third Reich and in the early years of the GDR, illustrated through two works of
literature from each period. It begins by considering how the problematic notion of
‘totalitarianism’ may be applied both to Hitler’s Nazi regime and to the SED’s socialist
system, before discussing key issues such as the nature of official ideology and
aesthetics; instruments of control and their limitations; and the capacity of literary texts to
express both assent and dissent towards official requirements. Throughout, the emphasis
rests on identifying similarities and differences between the literature produced in the
Germany of the Third Reich and of the GDR.
The course unit is divided into three parts:
Part I (Weeks 1-3) consists of a series of introductory lectures/seminars covering the
following topics: ‘what is totalitarianism?’, ‘totalitarian ideology’, ‘totalitarian
aesthetics’, ‘what is resistance?’, ‘literature and totalitarianism’.
In Part II (Weeks 4-10), one lecture and one student-led tutorial each will be given over
to analysing the following texts in terms of their relationship to the policies and ideology
of the NS or SED regimes: Hanns Johst’s play, Schlageter (1933); Stephan Hermlin’s
short story, ‘Die Kommandeuse’ (1953); Bertolt Brecht’s cycle of poems, the ‘Buckower
Elegien’ (1953); Peter Huchel’s radio play, ‘Die Herbstkantate’ (1935).
In Part III (Weeks 11-12) we shall prepare for the coursework essay, by reconsidering
each of the texts from a comparative perspective and by working on essay-writing skills.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will be able to:
• outline and compare four set works of literature produced under the two
‘totalitarian’ German regimes and their circumstances of composition
• explain the problematic nature of the term ‘totalitarianism’, including its
ability to highlight the ‘total claim’ made by the Nazi and SED regimes on
society but also the way in which the realisation of that claim was limited
• explain the nature of cultural policy in the Third Reich and the GDR and the
similarities and differences in the official ideology and aesthetics of the two
regimes
• explain the relationship between each of the four set texts and the aesthetic
and ideological requirements of the regime under which they were produced
and draw out points of similarity and difference between those texts written in
the Third Reich and those written in the GDR
Learning and teaching methods:
Weeks 1-3: two 1-hour seminars per week
Weeks 4-10 four 1-hour lectures plus four 1-hour
tutorials (spread over six teaching weeks)
Weeks 11-12: two 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) One coursework essay of 2,250 words (80%)
b) 1 group oral presentation of 10 minutes (20%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Matthew Philpotts
Taught by: Dr Matthew Philpotts
Max. entry:
30
Set texts: Supplied in photocopied form:
Hanns Johst, Schlageter (1933); Peter Huchel, ‘Die Herbstkantate’ (1935); Stephan
Hermlin, ‘Die Kommandeuse’ (1953); Bertolt Brecht, ‘Buckower Elegien’ (1953)
Further reading:
On the Third Reich:
Ian Kershaw, The Nazi Dictatorship. Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation
(London: Edward Arnold, 1993); Glenn Cuomo (ed.), National Socialist Cultural Policy
(London: Macmillan, 1995)
On the GDR:
Mary Fulbrook, Anatomy of a Dictatorship. Inside the GDR 1949-89 (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1995); Manfred Jäger, Kultur und Politik in der DDR 1945-90
(Cologne: Edition Deutschland Archiv, 1995)
Pathway: GERM30422, GERM30432, GERM30451, GERM30631, GERM30762
GERM20311
Pre-requisite:
Classical and Romantic Prose Fiction
Credits: 10
Level: 2
Any course unit with a literary component, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Tu 12.00-13.30
Description:
The period from about 1770-1830 witnessed an unprecedented explosion of creativity in
all areas of German cultural and intellectual life. It saw the development of modern
German literature and the emergence within a short time-span of the movements of Sturm
und Drang, Empfindsamkeit, Classicism, and Romanticism. The texts chosen for study
are of seminal importance and deal with controversial themes which are still relevant
today. Goethe’s Werther (1774/1787) and Schiller’s Der Verbrecher aus verlorener Ehre
(1786/1792) take us, respectively, into the mind of a suicide and a murderer. Kleist’s Die
Verlobung in St. Domingo (1811) deals with ethnicity, gender, and violence.
Eichendorff’s Das Marmorbild (1818) explores the relationship between sex, death, and
art. All these texts have had a major impact on subsequent German writing; those by
Goethe and Schiller are also reflected in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818).
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit students will have acquired
knowledge and understanding of:
• the fundamentals of the principal literary movements of the period
• the historical and cultural context in which these movements came into being
• important texts by influential authors
•
narratological, thematic, and interpretative issues arising from close study of
these texts
Students will also have developed and enhanced their:
• techniques of analysis and interpretation
• speed and understanding in reading German
• enjoyment and sophistication as readers of literary texts
Learning and teaching methods:
1.5 hours per week lectures/seminars
Language of teaching: English
Assessment: (a) One 10-minute presentation, including two copies of a written abstract
thereof, to be handed in to the course tutor and at the School Reception on
the day of the presentation (20%)
b) Coursework: 1 essay of 2,250 words (80%).
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 11, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Judith Purver
Taught by: Dr Judith Purver
Max. entry: 30
Set texts:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Die Leiden des jungen Werthers (Stuttgart: Reclam
UB67); Friedrich von Schiller, Der Verbrecher aus verlorener Ehre (Stuttgart: Reclam
UB8891); Heinrich von Kleist, Die Verlobung in St. Domingo (Stuttgart: Reclam
UB8003); Joseph von Eichendorff, Das Marmorbild (Stuttgart: Reclam UB2365)
Further reading:
Erläuterungen und Dokumente zu Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Die Leiden des jungen
Werther, ed. by Kurt Rothmann (Stuttgart: Reclam UB8113); Erläuterungen und
Dokumente zu Joseph von Eichendorff: Das Marmorbild, ed. by Ursula Regener
(Stuttgart: Reclam UB16047). Interpretationen: Kleists Erzählungen, ed. by Walter
Hinderer (Stuttgart: Reclam UB17505). The companion volumes to the Goethe and
Eichendorff texts are designed to complement the prescribed Reclam editions and
students may find it helpful to purchase them. The volume of Kleist interpretations refers
to the edition of all his stories (Stutgart: Reclam UB8232), not to the edition prescribed
here (Stuttgart: Reclam UB8003). There is no Reclam companion volume for the Schiller
text.
Pathway: GERM30422, GERM30432, GERM30451, GERM30631, GERM30762
GERM20352
Gender, Sexuality, Race: The Trials of
Credits: 10
Young Adulthood in Early 20th-Century Literature
Level: 2
Pre-requisite:
Any course unit with a literary component or LALC10001 or
LALC10002
Taught during:
Semester 2
Timetable:
Tu. 12.00-13.30
Description:
This course unit looks at images of young adulthood and
generational conflict during the first half of the Twentieth Century.
Lectures and seminar discussions will explore the ways in which
writers and filmmakers represented their critique of authoritarianism
through the racial, sexual and gender difference of their young
protagonists, and situate these works within contemporaneous
aesthetic movements. Further readings, such as Otto Weininger’s
widely influential theories on gender and race, as well as Sigmund
Freud’s psycho-analytical work on human sexual development, will
sharpen seminar participants’ understanding of major concepts of
difference in early 20th–Century European culture.
Seminar participants are expected to participate actively in seminar
discussions, and to arrange one consultation with the course tutor
prior to giving one oral presentation. All prescribed texts should be
bought and read before the seminar. Essay questions are comparative
and draw on several of the discussed works.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will have
a broad understanding of key themes and dates related to
constructions of gender, sexuality and race in Germany
knowledge of important canonical texts
a good grasp on questions of literary genre and contemporary
aesthtic movements
knowledge of key concepts in cinema studies.
Learning & Teaching Methods: 1.5 hours per week lectures/seminars
Transferable skills:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will have developed further their ability
to
work independently
argue critically and coherently
present information in a convincing and accessible manner
Language of Teaching: English or German
Assessment:
a)
b)
one 7 min presentation including two copies of a written abstract thereof, to be handed in
to the course tutor and at LLC reception on the day of the presentation (20%)
Coursework: 1 essay of 2,500 words (80%).
Deadlines for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English or German
Convenor:
Dr Cathy Gelbin
Taught by: Dr Cathy Gelbin
Maximum entry: 30
Set texts:
Sigmund Freud, ‘Three Essays on Sexuality’. In On Sexuality. London: Penguin 1991, pp. 33-169
Otto Weininger, ‘Judaism’, In Sex and Character. London: William Heinemann 1906, pp. 301330.
Other texts tba.
Recommended Texts:
Sander L. Gilman, Difference and Pathology. Stereotypes of Race, Sexuality and Madness.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1985
Susan Hayward, Key Concepts in Cinema Studies. London: Routledge, 1996.
Siegfried Kracauer, From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1974.
Jean Laplanche, The Language of Psycho-Analysis. London: Karnac and the Institute of PsychoAnalysis, 1988
George L. Mosse, Toward the Final Solution. A History of European Racism. London: Dent,
1978
GERM20372
Pre-requisite:
The East German Dictatorship
Credits: 10
Level: 2
GERM10321 or GERM10232, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Th 11.00, Fr 10.00
Description:
In this course unit we shall investigate some of the central issues arising from the
political, social, and cultural history of the German Democratic Republic between its
foundation in 1949 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. By examining primary source
documents, historians’ interpretations, and contemporary cultural phenomena, we shall
seek to gain a better understanding both of the workings of the East German regime and
of the everyday existence of its population. Two weeks will be devoted to each of the
following topics:
1. The history and historiography of the GDR;
2. GDR State and Society I: Women’s policy;
3. GDR State and Society II: Youth policy;
4. GDR State and Society III: Church Policy;
5. The Fall of the GDR.
For each of these topics, we shall consider the following issues: how the GDR can be
categorised as a dictatorship (totalitarian, welfare dictatorship, modern dictatorship);
where blockages and obstacles to SED rule existed; how everyday experience compared
to official claims; sources and extent of opposition.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will have a detailed
knowledge and understanding of:
• the structural and ideological dynamics of the GDR across its 40 year
existence
• the mechanisms by which the SED regime sought to mobilise and control its
population and the responses of the population to those mechanisms (with
specific reference to women, youth and the Churches)
• the central factors which explain the foundation of the GDR in 1949 and its
fall in 1989
• differing interpretative approaches taken by historians to the East German
dictatorship: authoritarianism, totalitarianism, Stalinism, welfare dictatorship
Through reading, seminar discussion, independent research and essay-writing,
students will also have developed their ability to:
• analyse and interpret primary historical and cultural sources
• respond critically to different historiographical approaches
•
present in writing a coherent and reasoned argument drawing on a range of
appropriate sources
Learning and teaching methods: Odd-numbered weeks: Two 1-hour lectures
Even-numbered weeks: One 1-hour seminar
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
(a) One coursework essay of 2,500 words (85%)
(b) Seminar participation and contribution (15%)
Deadline for assessed coursework:
Friday of Week 12, Semester 2
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Matthew Philpotts
Taught by: Dr Matthew Philpotts
Max. entry:
30
Set texts:
Sources and documents pack (distributed in photocopied form); J. M. Dennis, The Rise
and Fall of the German Democratic Republic 1945–1990 (Harlow: Longman, 2000)
Further reading:
Mary Fulbrook, Anatomy of a Dictatorship: Inside the GDR 1949-1989 (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1995); Corey Ross, The East German Dictatorship: Problems and
Perspectives in the Interpretation of the GDR (London: Arnold, 2002); Hartmut Kaelble,
Jürgen Kocka, Hartmut Zwahr (eds), Sozialgeschichte der DDR (Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta,
1994)
Pathway: GERM30012, GERM30721, GERM30762
GERM20381
Pre-requisite:
Introduction to the Phonology of German
GERM10221, LELA10011, or by consent of convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Credits: 10
Level: 2
Timetable:
Mo 14.00, Th 12.00
Description:
This course unit picks up where GERM10221 left off, so if you enjoyed thinking about
the way the sounds of German relate to each other and about the general patterns which
seem to underlie the pronunciation of German, then this course unit is for you.
Building on some of the basic concepts of phonetics and phonology familiar from
GERM10221, we explore what a speaker of German knows in order to be able to
pronounce not only familiar words, but also those s/he has never come across before. To
enable us to develop a model of this knowledge we use the approach to phonology which
was first put forward by Noam Chomsky and Morris Halle in their ground-breaking work
The Sound Pattern of English (1968).
Focussing on key features of the pronunciation of German, such as the special
distribution of the velar nasal, the relationship between ich-Laut and ach-Laut, and final
devoicing, we put this theory through its paces. Our investigation will tell us more about
the way the pronunciation of German is organised in speakers' minds, and it will give us
an opportunity to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Chomsky and Halle's ideas.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 use, with confidence, the scientific method of setting up and testing
hypotheses
 describe in detail the aims and methods of the phonological investigation of
language
 describe and use the phonological representations put forward in The Sound
Pattern of English (SPE)
 describe and use the derivational mechanisms of SPE
 describe, in detail and with supporting data, the most important distributional
restrictions and phonological processes of German, and develop, as well as
critically discuss, possible analyses of these in the SPE framework
Learning and teaching methods:
Two 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 2,000 words (75%)
b) 30-minute in-class written exercise towards the end of Semester 1
(25%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Max. entry:
30
Suggested reading:
Carr, Philip. 1993. Phonology. Basingstoke: Macmillan; Chomsky, Noam & Morris
Halle. 1968. The sound pattern of English. New York: Harper & Row; Davenport, Mike
& S.J. Hannahs. 2005. Introducing phonetics and phonology. 2nd edn. London: Arnold;
Fromkin, Victoria A., Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2003. An introduction to
language. 7th edn. Boston, MA: Thomson Heinle; Gussenhoven, Carlos & Haike Jacobs.
1998. Understanding phonology. London: Arnold; Hall, Christopher. 2003. Modern
German pronunciation: an introduction for speakers of English. 2nd edn. Manchester:
Manchester University Press; Hyman, Larry M. 1975. Phonology: theory and analysis.
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston; Kenstowicz, Michael J. & Charles W.
Kisseberth. 1979. Generative phonology: description and theory. New York: Academic
Press; Schane, Sanford A.. 1973. Generative phonology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall; Sloat, Clarence, Sharon Henderson Taylor & James E. Hoard. 1978. Introduction to
phonology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Pathway: GERM30562
POLI20932
Prerequisite:
National Politics of Germany
Credits: 10
Level: 2
None
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Wed 9-10, tutorials to be arranged
Description:
The module begins by examining the stages of establishing the stable, consensus-based
model democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG); it contrasts the FRG with
the Weimar Republic and considers the impact of the establishment of democracy in East
Germany in 1989. The module then examines institutional and behavioural aspects of
contemporary German democracy (the parliament, chancellor democracy, the federal
system, the party system, electoral system, electoral behaviour) and outlines how these
features contribute to stable, consensual democracy in the FRG.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will:
•
•
be able to critically apply key theories and models of comparative politics to
selected aspects of the government and politics of Germany
have acquired the necessary grounding in contemporary German politics to
analyse in detail aspects of German political institutions and behaviour
Learning and teaching methods:
Seven 1-hour lectures over 12 weeks plus five 1hour tutorials (fortnightly)
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 1,500 words (worth 50%)
b) 1-hour examination at the end of Semester 2 (worth 50%)
Deadline for assessed coursework:
tba
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Claire Sutherland, Politics Unit within the School of Social Sciences
(claire.sutherland@manchester.ac.uk)
Taught by: Dr Claire Sutherland
Max entry:
n/a
Set texts:
G.K. Roberts, German Politics Today (Manchester: MUP, 2000)
or
L. Helms (ed.), Institutions and Institutional Change in the Federal Republic of Germany
(London: Macmillan, 2000)
LALC20002
Trends in European and
Postcolonial Cinema
Credits: 20
Level 2
Prerequisite: LALC10001 Level 1 `Introduction to World Cinema’ Core course
Taught during:
Timetable:
Semester 2
Weekly lecture and weekly seminar. Times tbc.
Description: Since its invention cinema has represented the constant transformation of
European languages and cultures, as well as of the identities of
European men and women, due to major social, economic, and
technological changes continuing to this day. Meanwhile, these
languages, cultures, and identities, as well the national cinemas that
represent them are not neatly contained by the political boundaries of
continental Europe, having been forged in the context of histories of
nationalism, ideological struggle, modernisation, postmodernism,
gender and sexual revolutions, global competition with Hollywood,
regionalism, colonialism, and migration. This course will provide
students with the opportunity to study European and Europeanlanguage Cinema in the context of these phenomena. The course
includes an example each from Australian and Hong Kong cinema
which help us to examine specifically postcolonial and transnational
issues.
Participants are expected to read preparatory texts for each session.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will
be acquainted with major works of European and Europeanlanguage Cinema since the New Wave cinemas studied in the
Level 1 course, `Introduction to European Cinema’
have a fundamental grasp of the textual and contextual analysis
of post New Wave cinema
have a critical understanding of the aesthetic, historical, and
ideological dimensions of European and European-language
Cinema
begin to engage with a wider context of inter-and transnational
cinema through the study of non-European production
Transferable skills:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will have
developed further their ability to
a)
work independently
b)
argue critically and coherently
c)
present information in a convincing and accessible manner
Teaching and learning methods: 1 lecture of 1 hour weekly, 1 seminar of 1 hour
weekly, 1 screening of generally 3 hours weekly
Language of Teaching: English (all films are subtitled
Assessment: 1 assessed essay of 2,500 words (40%), to be handed in at the end of week
12 of the teaching period
1 2-hour exam requiring two questions to be answered (60%)
Convenor:
Prof Chris Perriam christopher.perriam@manchester.ac.uk
Taught by:
Dr Núria Triana Toribio; Prof Chris Perriam; Dr Joseph McGonagle;
Maximum entry: 100
Set films:
(In chronological order: for order of teaching students should consult the WebCT
page for the course)
Picnic at Hanging Rock. Dir. Peter Weir (Australia). 1975.
Tacones lejanos/High Heels]. Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. (Spain). 1991
El día de la Bestia/ The Day of the Beast. Dir. Alex de la Iglesia. (Spain). 1995.
Gazon maudit/French Twist. Dir. Josiane Balasko. (France). 1995.
La Haine/Hate. Dir. Mathieu Kassovitz. (France). 1995.
Salut cousin/Hey Cousin!. Dir. Merzak Allouache (France). 1996.
Cheun gwong tsa sit/Happy Together Dir. Wong Kar Wei (Hong Kong). 1997.
Y tu mamá también/And Your Mother Too. Dir. Alfonso Cuarón (México). 2001.
LALC20302
Pre-requisite:
Credits:10
Level 2
This course is open to second-year post-A Level students in the
School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures.
Taught during:
Timetable:
Introduction to Translation
Semester 2
General Lecture: Tuesday, 2-3 pm (weekly)
Language-specific tutorials (fortnightly)
Language-specific tutorial groups to be arranged: students should
consult the language discipline noticeboards on Floor 3 of
Humanities Lime Grove.
Provisional Lecture Timetable
W1
Introduction to Translation Studies (I)
Prof Mona Baker
W2
Translation Strategies and Techniques (I)
Dr Luis Pérez-González
W3
Introduction to Translation Studies (II)
Prof Mona Baker
W4
Translation Strategies and Techniques (II)
Dr Luis Pérez-González
W5
Genres and Text-Types
Dr James St. André
W6
Culture-specific Reference
W7
W8
W9
W10
W11
world.
Dr James St. André
Wordplay, Puns and Metaphors (I)
Dr Siobhan Brownlie
Wordplay, Puns and Metaphors (II)
Dr Siobhan Brownlie
Dialect and Register (I)
Prof Martin Durrell
Dialect and Register (II)
Prof Martin Durrell
Translation and Modernization: The case of the Arab
Dr Philip Sadgrove
Description: This unit offers an introduction to the study and practice of translation as a
professional activity. It addresses issues of language and culture as
they impinge on the process of translation and familiarises students
with a variety of strategies for dealing with mismatches between
source and target languages and cultures. Topics covered include
textual and contextual meaning; genres and text types; dialect and
register in translation; translating culture-specific references;
wordplay, metaphor and puns. A range of different text types will be
used, and could typically include administrative texts (from the EU,
UN, etc.), commercial and business documents, literary texts, and
semi-technical material.
Learning outcomes: On successful completion of this course unit, students will
demonstrate:

sensitivity to language structure, language function, and the
intricacies of intercultural communication;

sufficient understanding of core linguistic and cultural concepts
to be able to recognise potential problems in translation and
think of creative solutions to these problems;

improved translation skills related to specific language pairs;

a basic level of familiarity with professional translation
practice;

an ability to evaluate the work of other translators on an
informed basis;

an ability to argue knowledgeably for or against specific
translation choices.
Transferable skills: On successful completion of the course unit, students will
have developed further their ability to:

work independently;

think and argue critically and coherently;

present information in a convincing and accessible manner;

write clearly and effectively at a high level of intellectual
competence in English.
Teaching & Learning Methods:
1-hour weekly lecture, 1-hour fortnightly seminar.
Languages of Teaching: English (lectures) and the relevant foreign language to
each specific combination (language-specific seminars).
Assessment: One 2-hour exam consisting of an analysis of translation issues relating to
texts taken from each of the main languages taught in SLLC, as
appropriate.
Languages of Assessment: English and the relevant foreign language to each
specific combination.
Convenor:
Secretary:
TBC
Bernadette Cunnane
Taught by:
Lectures
Prof. Mona Baker
Dr Siobhan Brownlie
Prof Martin Durrell
Dr Luis Pérez-González
Dr Philip Sadgrove
Dr James St. André
Tutorials
French
Dr Siobhan Brownlie
German
Ms Angelika Krawanja
Italian
Mr Federico Gaspari
Spanish
Dr Susanna Lorenzo
Max. entry: 200
Set texts:

Mona Baker, In Other Words. A Coursebook on Translation
(London: Routledge, 1992).

Peter Fawcett, Translation and Language: Linguistic Theories
Explained (Manchester: St Jerome Publishing, 1997).
Recommended Texts:

Dirk Delabastita (ed.), Wordplay and Translation, special issue
of The Translator, 2:2 (1996).

Dirk Delabastita, (ed.), Traductio. Essays on Punning and
Translation (Namur: Presses Universitaires de Namur and
Manchester: St Jerome Publishing, 1997).

Anthony Duff, Translation (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1990).

André Lefevere, Translating Literature: Practice and Theory
in a Comparative Literature Context (New York: the Modern
Language Association of America, 1992).

Katharina Reiss, Translation Criticism - The Potentials and
Limitations: Categories and Criteria for Translation Quality
Assessment, trans. Erroll F. Rhodes (New York: American
Bible Society and Manchester: St Jerome Publishing, 2000)
LANGUAGE-SPECIFIC
Portuguese

Malcolm Coulthard and Patricia de Baubeta (eds), Theoretical
Issues and Practical Cases in Portuguese-English Translations
(Ceredigion: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1996)
Spanish

Sándor Hervey, Ian Higgins and Louise M. Haywood, Thinking
Spanish Translation. A Course in Translation Method: Spanish
to English (London and New York: Routledge, 1995).

Óscar Jiménez Serrano, La traducción técnica inglés-español.
Didáctica y mundo profesional (Granada: Editorial Comares,
2002).

Guix López, Juan Gabriel and Jacqueline Minett Wilkinson,
Manual de traducción - inglés/castellano (Barcelona: Gedisa
Editorial, 1997).

J.J. Zaro, J. J. Truman, and M. Truman, Manual de
traducción/A Manual of Translation (Alcobendas, Madrid:
SGEL, 1999).
Pathway:
LALC30011; MA in Translation Studies
ULAC20001/
ULAC20012
TANDEM LEARNING
PROGRAMME – GERMAN
Credits: 10
Level 2
Pre-requisite:
A-level in the target language or equivalent
Co-requisite:
Students eligible for LEAP course units. Not normally open to first year students
Taught During:
ULAC20001 in semester one; ULAC20012 in semester two
Timetable:
Minimum of 2 hours study period with partner per week. Lecture-Thursday; Sem
Tues/Wed am
Description:
This is a reciprocal language-learning module, in which students are paired to
work on a series of weekly language learning tasks and/or research based tasks.
Increased contact with native speakers of the target language will help to develop
both oral and written skills and improve cultural knowledge. The course tutors
pair you with a partner of the language of your choice. You will meet with him or
her for a minimum of three hours per week, to complete a set of language tasks
provided. Some of these tasks are compulsory and some may be negotiated with
your partner or course tutors. These tasks form the basis of your dossier. You
may, of course, meet where and when you like to complete them. Workshops are
also provided during the semester as well as virtual seminars via WEBCT.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the course the students will have demonstrated:






An improvement in oral and written fluency.
Increased knowledge and awareness of the target culture.
If taken in the second semester, an awareness of enquiry-based learning in the
foreign language.
The ability to complete a dossier of material in the target language.
Broad reflection on the learning and teaching process.
Extension of knowledge and skills in the chosen language.
Transferable Skills:
 An ability to work in pairs.
 An ability to take charge of one's own learning.
 IT skills.
 (2nd semester) – analysis and interpretation of raw data.
Teaching and Learning Methods:
Students mentor their partner on at least one occasion per week. 3 workshops per
semester.
Assessment:
Oral and written tests (40%), dossier/learning diary (60%)
Convenor:
Maria Kluczek (276 1624) maria.kluczek@manchester.ac.uk
Dr. John Morley (275 3428) john.morley@manchester.ac.uk
Taught By:
No seminars
Maximum entry:
10 UK students, 10 non-UK students per semester
Set Texts:
None
Recommended Texts:
None
ULTD20011
TESOL 1- An introduction to TESOL
Credits: 10
Level: 2
Pre-requisite: IELTS 7.0 (or equivalent) for those who do not have English as a first
language.

Co-requisite: Priority is given to 2nd year students of the School of Languages,
Linguistics and Cultures going abroad as English Language Assistants and 1st
year BA English Language students.

Taught during: Semester one.

Timetable

Description: This course can be taken as part one of two courses providing a
basic preparation in classroom language teaching, suiting 2nd year SLLC students
going abroad in their third year. It can also be taken as the first of a possible six
courses in TESOL, suiting students wanting a more thorough grounding in the
subject. Taken by itself, it provides the background to this preparation in the form
of language awareness and classroom management. It is suitable for anyone
considering temporary work or a career in teaching English as a foreign language
or voluntary EFL teaching work overseas.
Main areas covered: Introduction to grammar; approaches to grammar; introduction to
phonology; classroom management; learner differences; classroom observation; lesson planning;
giving instructions.

Learning outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course, students should
be able to: a) be able to understand and identify selected features of the English
language; b) be able to understand and identify selected features of English
phonology; c) have an initial awareness of theories of second language
acquisition; d) be able to recognise learner differences/needs; e) be able to
recognise features of good classroom management; f) be able to critically evaluate
an observed lesson; g) be able to plan a lesson; be able to give effective
instructions;.

Transferable skills: On successful completion of the course unit, students will
have developed further their ability to: a) assess their own learning needs and
identify the resources necessary to meet these; b) contribute to a collaborative
learning environment; c) write effective essays according to standard academic
conventions; d) operate within constraints of time and resources.

Teaching and learning methods: A one-hour weekly lecture (10 lectures over
the semester); two-hour fortnightly workshop. Maximum workshop group size:
15. Participants will also be required to undertake a total of 1.5 hours' classroom
observation (within EFL Programmes at the University of Manchester). Language
of teaching: English.

Assessment: One 1,500 word reflective essay on the classroom observation
(50%); one one-hour language awareness test/exam (40%); contribution to
collaborative working environment in workshops (10%).
Deadlines for assessed coursework: To be established. Exceptions to wordprocessed assignments: None.

Convenor: Rob Drummond

Taught by: Rob Drummond et al

Maximum entry: 120

Set texts: Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, 3rd edn.
(Harlow: Longman, 2001).

Recommended texts: Penny Ur, A Course in Language Teaching (Cambridge:
CUP 1996). Students are encouraged to use the Language Centre for material in
English language teaching.

Pathway: ULTD20022, An Introduction to TESOL - Part 2
ULTD20022
TESOL 2 - An introduction to TESOL
Part 2
Credits: 10
Level: 2

Pre-requisite: IELTS 7.0 (or equivalent) for those who do not have English as a
first language. Students must have sucessfully completed TESOL 1.

Co-requisite: Priority is given to 2nd year students of the School of Languages,
Linguistics and Cultures going abroad as English Language Assistants and 1st
year BA English Language students.

Taught during: Semester two.

Timetable

Description: This course unit builds on the background knowledge gained in
TESOL 1 to provide further basic preparation in classroom language teaching. It
constitutes part 2 of the two courses for 2nd year SLLC students going abroad in
their third year, or the second of six courses in TESOL available for students
wanting a more thorough grounding in the subject. It is suitable for anyone
considering temporary work or a career in theaching English as a foreing
language or voluntary EFL teaching work overseas.
Main areas covered: Introduction to grammar; approaches to grammar; introduction to
phonology; classroom management; learner differences; classroom observation; lesson
planning; giving instructions.

Learning outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course, students should
be able to:
1) have an initial understanding of different language teaching methodologies; 2)
be able to understand how we learn and teach the four language skills; 3) be able
to recognise features of good classroom management; 4) be able to plan and teach
a short lesson; 5) be able to select and exploit materials in the classroom;
be able to teach the different language skills at an initial level;

Transferable skills: On successful completion of the course unit, students will
have developed further their ability to: a) assess their own learning needs and
identify the resources necessary to meet these; b) contribute to a collaborative
learrning environment; c) give feedback on the performance of others; e) write
effective essays according to standard academic conventions; f) operate within
constraints of time and resources.

Teaching and learning methods: one-hour weekly lecture (10 lectures over the
semester); two-hour fortnightly workshop. Maximum workshop group size: 15.
Language of teaching: English.

Assessment: One 1,500 word essay on methodology (50%); one session of peer
teaching (40%); contribution to collaborative working environment in workshops
10%).

Deadlines for assessed coursework: To be established.

Convenor: Rob Drummond

Taught by: Rob Drummond et al

Maximum entry: 120

Set texts: Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, 3rd edn.
(Harlow: Longman, 2001).

Recommended texts: Penny Ur, A Course in Language Teaching (Cambridge:
CUP 1996). Students are also encouraged to use the Language Centre for material
in English language teaching.

Pathway: ULTD20031, TESOL 3, starting academic year 2008/09.
2.3
FINAL YEAR
2.3.1 Structure of Degree Programmes: Final Year
In each year of study students normally take course units with a total credit rating of 120.
Students registered for degree programmes with a German component take the following
from the Level 3 course units listed below. Attention is drawn to the prerequisites
prescribed for each course unit. Please note that '20-credit course unit' in the present
section means 'any 20-credit course unit listed in §2.3.2, EXCEPT GERM30510 and
GERM30710'.
Single Honours German Studies:
German course units totalling 120 credits, namely GERM30510 (20 credits) and
GERM30710 (20 credits), plus FOUR 20-credit course units.
Up to 20 credits may be replaced by course unit(s) in a subject other than German.
The following joint honours programmes with German as a named Honours
subject:
A Modern Language and Business and Management
English and German
German and Linguistics
Middle Eastern and Modern European Languages
Modern Languages
German course units totalling a minimum of 40 credits and a maximum of 80
credits, made up as follows:
80 credits: GERM30510 (20 credits) plus THREE 20-credit course units.
60 credits: GERM30510 (20 credits), plus TWO 20-credit course units.
40 credits: GERM30510 (20 credits), plus ONE 20-credit course unit.
Up to 20 credits out of the total 120 may be taken in a subject other than German
or the second subject of study, provided there is a minimum of 40 credits in each
of these two.
Master of Modern Languages (MML) Study Period 3, German as L1:
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM30510 (20 credits), plus
TWO 20-credit level-3 course units. Note: the MML dissertation (L1)
(LALC40300) will be on a topic related to one of these two optional course units
and agreed with a supervisor in German Studies.
Master of Modern Languages (MML) Study Period 3, German as L2:
German non-language course units totalling 20 credits, that is ONE 20-credit level3 course unit other than GERM30510.
Master of Modern Languages (MML) Study Period 4, German as L2:
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM30510 (20 credits), plus
TWO 20-credit level-3 course units. Note: the MML dissertation (L2)
(LALC40100) will be on a topic related to one of these two optional course units
and agreed with a supervisor in German Studies.
Joint Honours Biological Sciences / Mathematics with German:
German course units totalling 40 credits, namely GERM30510 (20 credits), plus
ONE 20-credit course unit.
Honours Combined Studies:
The permitted number of course units in German is prescribed by the Board of
Combined Studies. All candidates take GERM30510 (20 credits); further course
units may be chosen from the list of 20-credit course units at Level 3.
Joint Honours European Studies and Modern Languages (German):
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM30510 (20 credits), plus
EITHER GERM30710 (20 credits) and ONE 20-credit course unit, OR TWO 20credit course units.
The chosen combination of course units in German and Social Sciences MUST be
such as to include ONE Dissertation, EITHER in German Studies, OR in Social
Sciences, but not both.
Joint Honours History and German
German course units totalling a minimum of 40 credits and a maximum of 80
credits, made up as follows:
80 credits: GERM30510 (20 credits) and GERM30710 (20 credits), plus TWO 20
credit course units.
60 credits: GERM30510 (20 credits), plus EITHER GERM30710 (20 credits) and
ONE 20-credit course unit, OR TWO 20-credit course units.
40 credits: GERM30510 (20 credits), plus ONE 20-credit course unit.
The chosen combination of course units in German and History MUST be such as
to include EITHER a dissertation in German, OR a dissertation in History, but not
both.
Joint Honours History of Art and German:
German course units totalling 60 credits, namely GERM30510 (20 credits), plus
EITHER GERM30710 (20 credits) and ONE 20-credit course unit, OR TWO 20credit course units.
Note: A dissertation in History of Art is compulsory even if one is also chosen in
German.
2.3.2 Level 3 Course Units
Students taking course units at Level 3 are expected to have READ all the set texts
prior to the beginning of the semester in which the relevant course unit is taught.
This is essential for making informed choices about seminar presentations and for
building the foundation for successful course unit participation. Remember that it is
necessary to have read a text at least twice in order to contribute fruitfully to discussions
and to write an essay or examination answer on it.
All Level 3 content course units develop and/or assess a range of transferable skills. On
successful completion of one of these course units, students will have improved their
ability to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
manage time, and work to deadlines
use information and communications technology (ICT)
undertake independent learning and reflect upon their achievements
participate constructively in group/team work and group discussions (except
GERM30710)
assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others
present information, ideas and arguments orally with due regard to the target
audience
demonstrate powers of analysis
present a structured, coherent and convincing argument
display good literacy skills in English and German
show an awareness of, and a responsiveness to, the nature and extent of
intercultural diversity (except GERM30372 and GERM30562)
GERM30510
Pre-requisite:
German Language Skills III
GERM20210
The course unit is available only as part of a degree programme where
German is taken as a named Honours subject.
Taught during: Both semesters
Timetable:
Credits: 20
Level: 3
1) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
2) Multiple groups, times to be arranged
3) Group A Mo 12.00
Group B Tu 16.00
Group C Th 14.00
Description:
This core language course unit consists of the following three elements:
1)
TRANSLATION FROM AND INTO GERMAN (seminar: one hour per week)
Through its focus on translation skills (English-German and German-English) this
element of the course unit aims to develop students' abilities to write accurate and
idiomatic German and their sensitivity to different registers of written German.
2)
SPRACHPRAKTISCHE ÜBUNG (tutorial: one hour per week)
This element of the course unit focuses on the development of oral communication and
essay writing skills.
Students of International Management and a Modern Language will be allocated
to one or more groups where the thematic focus is on business and management issues
(rather than contemporary life in German-speaking countries), although the skills
acquired will be the same for all students.
3)
GRAMMATIK UND AUSDRUCK (seminar: one hour per week)
This hour aims, on the basis of the textbook, to improve students' competence in German
grammar and their expression in written German.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
• demonstrate mastery of a large range of grammar topics
• demonstrate a high level of competence in translating from German into
English, with an excellent understanding of stylistic considerations
• demonstrate a good level of competence in translating from English into
German, with a high level of understanding of stylistic considerations
• understand virtually any speech, TV news and current affairs programmes as
well as films
• read and analyse articles and reports concerned with contemporary issues
• speak with a high degree of fluency and accuracy, and take an active part in
discussion covering a large range of contexts, including academic issues
• orally present clear descriptions on a considerable range of subjects
(including those of an academic nature), and discuss and evaluate conflicting
viewpoints, spelling out in detail the advantages and disadvantages of various
options
• write clear and linguistically sophisticated text (including essays and reports)
on a range of subjects, giving reasons in support of or against a particular
point of view
Learning and teaching methods: Two 1-hour seminars and one 1-hour tutorial per week
Language of teaching: Predominantly German
Assessment:
a) 2-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2, comprising:
i) Translation from German into English (25%)
ii) Translation from English into German (25%)
Candidates will be allowed to use a bilingual dictionary such as Collins or
equivalent.
b) 3-hour invigilated coursework assignment at the end of Semester 1, consisting
of an essay in German of 500-600 words (25%).
Candidates will be allowed to use ONE copy of a dictionary, i.e. EITHER a
monolingual dictionary (German-German) OR a bilingual dictionary such as
Collins or equivalent.
c) Oral examination at the end of Semester 2
This examination is of about 20 minutes' duration and is conducted by
lecturing staff in German Studies in collaboration with the external
examiners. It consists primarily of a discussion on matters relating to the
candidate's studies, although it may range more widely across the candidate's
interests and experience of German-speaking countries, their culture,
language and/or history. Details are contained in Appendix 3 of this Directory
of Course Units. (25%)
A first-class mark in the oral exam leads to the award of a Distinction in
the Spoken Language with the degree classification.
Languages of assessment: German and English
Convenor: Mr Thomas Despositos
Taught by: Mr Thomas Despositos and others
Max. entry: n/a
Set texts:
Collins German Dictionary, 5th edn. 2004. Glasgow: HarperCollins.
Durrell, Martin. 2002. Hammer's German Grammar and Usage. 4th edn. London:
Arnold.
Turneaure, Brigitte M. 1996. Der treffende Ausdruck. 2nd edn. New York: Norton.
EITHER: Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate (ed.). 1997. Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 2nd
edn. Munich: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.
OR: Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Neubearbeitung. 2006.
Berlin: Langenscheidt.
Further reading:
Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 2002. Essential German Grammar.
London: Arnold; Durrell, Martin, Katrin Kohl and Gudrun Loftus. 1996. Practising
German Grammar: A Workbook. 2nd edn. London: Arnold; Fernández-Toro, María &
Francis R. Jones. 2001. DIY techniques for language learners. London: Centre for
Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT)
20-credit course units
GERM30012
The Search for Normality: German
National Identity after the Holocaust,
1945 to the Present
Pre-requisite:
None
Taught during:
Semester 2
Timetable:
Tu, 15.00-17.00 We, 11.00
Credits: 20
Level: 3
Description:
Germany's past has been more discontinuous and problematic than that of most other
European countries. After 1945 two German states emerged out of the smouldering ruins
of Nazi Germany: the “Communist” German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the
capitalist Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Both constructed very different notions of
their respective pasts. After the unexpected collapse of the GDR in 1989, Germany was
reunified in 1990 and had the massive task of constructing a new national identity in a
new post-Cold War Europe. Germany's 'shattered pasts' (Konrad Jarausch) meant that the
construction of German national identity was a complex and always contested process.
After 1945 the holocaust and the efforts to come to terms with the Nazi dictatorship were
central to attempts to rebuild German identities. This module will examine the diverse
discursive constructions of Germanness from the post-Second World War period to the
present drawing on political debates, newspapers, journals, histories, literature, film,
theatre, architecture and other media/ genres in which the discursive construction of
national identity found expression. It will raise the question of how successful the
democratic re-invention of Germany in the West was and it will also attempt to provide
perspectives on the failure of socialist identities in East Germany. Particular attention will
be paid to the nation as a 'community of memory'. The gendering of the national
discourse, the federal nature of German nationalism and the impact of war (both the
Second World War and the Cold War) on the diverse manifestations of German national
identity will be considered.
Learning outcomes:
• By the end of the module, in their assessed work, students should be able to:
• explain and interpret the main lines of identity construction in Germany between
1945 and the present;
• evaluate forces of change and continuity within the period;
• think critically and imaginatively about the subject matter;
• identify and address the key problems relevant to it;
• interpret secondary sources upon it and be aware of differing historical
interpretations of the subject matter;
• construct coherent and independent historical arguments of their own;
•
•
•
select, sift and synthesise information from a range of primary and secondary
sources;
identify and compare key arguments in those materials;
demonstrate appropriate footnoting and bibliographical skills;
Teaching & Learning Methods: Three 1-hour seminars per week
Language of Teaching: German
Assessment: coursework: two essays of 3000 words (50% each)
Deadlines for assessed coursework: essay 1: Friday, 14 March 2008
essay 2: Friday, 9 May 2008
Language of assessment: German
Convenor:
Professor Stefan Berger
Taught by:
Professor Stefan Berger
Max. entry: 20
Set texts:
Stefan Berger, Inventing the Nation: Germany (London: Edward Arnold, 2004).
Stefan Berger, The Search for Normality: National Identity and Historical Consciousness
in Germany since 1800 (Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2nd edn, 2003)
Recommended Texts:
Konrad Jarausch and Michael Geyer, Shattered Pasts. Reconstructing German Histories
(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003).
Etienne François and Hagen Schulze (eds), Deutsche Erinnerungsorte, 3 volumes
(Munich: C.H. Beck, 2001).
Edgar Wolfrum, Geschichte als Waffe. Vom Kaiserreich bis zur Wiedervereinigung
(Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2001).
Reinhard Alter and Peter Monteath (eds), Rewriting the German Past. History and
Identity in the New Germany (Atlantic Highlands: Humanities Press, 1997).
Peter Alter, The German Question and Europe. A History (London: Edward Arnold,
2000).
Mary Fulbrook, German National Identity after the Holocaust (Cambridge: Polity Press,
1999).
Bill Niven, Facing the Nazi Past: United Germany and the Legacy of the Third Reich
(London: Routledge, 2002).
Pathway:
n/a (M.A)
GERM30341
Pre-requisite:
German Dialects
Credits: 20
Level: 3
GM1221 (= GERM10221)
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Mo 11.00, We 10.00, Th 14.00
Description:
This course unit explores the nature and extent of regional variation in German. In doing
so, it provides a survey of German dialectology (in the sense of dialect geography). We
begin with a general introduction to dialect geography (covering its purpose, history,
techniques of data collection and presentation, and the most important theoretical
concepts). This is followed by a brief revision of some basic phonetics (as first
introduced in GERM10221, which will be essential for the second part of the course. This
part starts out with a general overview of the main German dialect areas (e.g. High
German vs. Low German) and continues with detailed discussion of some individual
dialect groups (Bairisch, Rheinfränkisch, Westfälisch, Alemannisch). We investigate how
these dialects differ from each other, and from the Standardsprache, primarily in terms of
phonetic and phonological properties, and, to a more limited extent, morphological,
syntactic and lexical characteristics. Our study of these dialects will involve the use of
written material as well as listening to recordings of dialect speakers.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 discuss the problems of defining the term 'dialect'
 describe in detail the aims and methods of dialect geography
 draw and interpret dialect maps
 discuss the distinguishing linguistic features of the main German dialect areas
 describe the phonetic and phonological, as well as some morphological,
syntactic and lexical, properties of certain German dialects/dialect groups
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 3,000 words (50%)
b) 1.5-hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (50%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Max. entry:
20
Set text:
Chambers, J.K. & Peter Trudgill. 1998. Dialectology. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press
Further reading: Barbour, Stephen & Patrick Stevenson. 1990. Variation in German: a
critical approach to German sociolinguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press;
Besch, Werner, Ulrich Knoop, Wolfgang Putschke & Herbert Ernst Wiegand (eds.).
1982. Dialektologie: ein Handbuch zur deutschen und allgemeinen Dialektforschung.
(Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft 1.1) Berlin: de Gruyter;
Besch, Werner, Ulrich Knoop, Wolfgang Putschke & Herbert Ernst Wiegand (eds.).
1983. Dialektologie: ein Handbuch zur deutschen und allgemeinen Dialektforschung.
(Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft 1.2) Berlin: de Gruyter;
Goossens, Jan. 1977. Deutsche Dialektologie. Berlin: de Gruyter; Keller, R.E. 1961.
German dialects: phonology and morphology. Manchester: Manchester University Press;
König, Werner. 1994. dtv-Atlas zur deutschen Sprache. 11th edn. Munich: Deutscher
Taschenbuch Verlag; Löffler, Heinrich. 1990. Probleme der Dialektologie: eine
Einführung. 3rd edn. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft; Mattheier, Klaus J.
& Peter Wiesinger (eds.). 1994. Dialektologie des Deutschen: Forschungsstand und
Entwicklungstendenzen. Tübingen: Niemeyer; Niebaum, Hermann & Jürgen Macha.
1999. Einführung in die Dialektologie des Deutschen. Tübingen: Niemeyer; Russ,
Charles V.J. 1990. The dialects of Modern German: a linguistic survey. London:
Routledge.
Pathway: n/a
GERM30392
Pre-requisite:
Contemporary German
GERM10221, or GERM10292 or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Description:
Mo 10.00, Tu 10.00, We 9.00
Credits: 20
Level: 3
This course unit deals with selected sociolinguistic issues in respect of modern German.
In the first part of the course unit we shall consider in particular the nature and role of
linguistic variation in German, looking in detail at the difficulty of defining what is a
‘variety of German’, ‘standard German’ (or Hochdeutsch) and ‘the German language’,
considering the relationship between standard and non-standard varieties and attitudes
towards them. We shall also look at the status of German in a number of countries where
it is spoken as a ‘national’, ‘official’ and ‘minority’ language (Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy) with particular reference to the
problem of language and national identity. In this context we shall also be concerned with
the linguistic situation of recent incomers and the response to the influence of English on
modern German. Finally, we shall consider the language of the former GDR with
particular reference to the question whether there really was a linguistic division of
Germany during the Cold War and whether this linguistic ‘Berlin Wall’ has persisted
since the ‘Wende’.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to discuss:
• the concepts of dialect, standard language, variety, Umgangssprache,
Regiolekt, diglossia and register and apply them to the German speech-area
• the relationship between language, nation and state in countries where
German is spoken, and the relationship between the German language and
German identity
• the linguistic situation which existed during the political division of Germany,
and the linguistic relationship between former ‘East’ and ‘West’ Germans
since unification
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 3,000 words (50%)
b) 1.5-hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (50%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday at the end of Semester 1 (50%)
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Jannis Androutsopoulos
Taught by: tba
Max. entry:
Set texts:
20
Stevenson, P. (1997), The German-speaking World. A Practical Introduction to
Sociolinguistic Issues. Routledge: London & New York
Further reading:
Barbour, S. and Stevenson, P. (1990), Variation in German. A Critical Approach to
German Sociolinguistics. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge; Braun, P. (1998),
Tendenzen in der deutschen Gegenwartssprache. Sprachvarietäten. 4th ed. Kohlhammer:
Stuttgart, etc; Clyne, M. (1995), The German Language in a Changing Europe.
Cambridge University Press: Cambridge; Dittmar, N. (1997), Grundlagen der
Soziolinguistik - Ein Arbeitsbuch mit Aufgaben. Niemeyer: Tübingen; Durrell, M. (2003).
Using German. A Guide to Contemporary Usage. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press:
Cambridge; Löffler, H. (1994), Germanistische Soziolinguistik. Erich Schmidt Verlag:
Berlin.
Pathway: n/a
GERM30422
Pre-requisite:
Goethe
Credits: 20
Level: 3
Any course unit with a literary component, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Tu 14.00, Th 9.00, Fr 12.00
Description:
Goethe's pre-eminence in German literature may perhaps not go unchallenged, but his
work, by virtue of its unparalleled range and compelling power, offers extensive scope
for specialist study. His fascinating genius is manifested in literary works spanning six
decades. These will naturally form the major subject for intensive study, but so vast is
Goethe's output that it would be impossible to aim for comprehensiveness. The course
will therefore examine in detail a number of works which are selected as representative
examples of his achievements. These will range from his lyric poetry, spanning, with its
unique voice, all his creative life, to Hermann und Dorothea, an epic poem in a
contemporary setting; from plays, displaying different facets of his approach to drama, to
prose works in the form of both novel and Novelle. The aim is thereby to present a broad
and varied, if selective, picture of Goethe and his achievement.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
• demonstrate a broad and in-depth understanding of Goethe’s literary work, set
in the intellectual context of his age
• form a considered judgement on the nature, qualities and relevance of
Goethe’s achievement and legacy
•
apply literary, critical, intellectual and historical concepts to explore further
the work of Goethe
Learning and teaching methods:
Three 1-hour sessions per week (roughly one half
lectures and one half seminars)
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 3,500 words (60%)
b) 1¼-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2 (40%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 2
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr David Bell
Taught by: Dr David Bell
Max. entry:
20
Set texts:
Faust I (Stuttgart: Reclam UB1); Götz von Berlichingen (Stuttgart: Reclam UB71);
Poetry [e.g. Reclam edition (Stuttgart UB6782-84) of the Gedichte, but further specific
poems may be prescribed]; Iphigenie auf Tauris (Stuttgart: Reclam UB83); Hermann und
Dorothea (Stuttgart: Reclam UB55); Die Wahlverwandtschaften (Stuttgart: Reclam
UB7835-37); Novelle (Stuttgart: Reclam UB7621)
Further reading:
T. J. Reed, Goethe (Past Masters) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984); L. Sharpe
(ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Goethe (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2002); M. & E. Swales, Reading Goethe: A Critical Introduction to the Literary Work
(Rochester, N.Y.: Camden House, 2001)
Pathway: ELAN70201/2 Goethe, ELAN70071/2 German Literature and Ideas in the
18th Century, ELAN70161/2 German Women's Writing of the Classical and
Romantic Period
GERM30432
Pre-requisite:
Taught during:
Ost-West-Geschichten
Credits: 20
level: 3
Any level 1 or 2 course with a literary, historical or film
component
semester 2
Timetable:
Description:
Mo 14.00-1600 Thu. 11.00
This course unit looks at films and literary texts dealing with the
division of Germany after 1945 and its recent unification. In
particular Berlin, the city divided by the Wall since 1961, spawned
artistic reworkings of real-life stories under partition and fantasies of
political, cultural and sexual boundary crossings that we will
examine in historical context. We will consider the history of the
German division and the Cold War, the artistic reworking of the
Nazi past on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and more specific
questions such as the role of women’s emancipation, and the
construction of ethnic and sexual minorities on both sides of the
Wall. Our treatment of film will be supplemented by theoretical
readings on gender, sexuality and race/ethnicity in cinema.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will have
a)
a broad understanding of key themes and dates related to postwar history and culture in Germany
b) knowledge of important films and literary texts produced on the
German division
c) a good grasp on questions of literary genre, as well as key
concepts in cinema studies.
Transferable skills:
On successful completion of the course unit, students will have developed further their
ability to
a) work independently
b) argue critically and coherently
c) present information in a convincing and accessible manner
Teaching & Learning Methods: 3 hours per week lectures/seminars, 1 weekly
screening generally of 2 hours
Language of Teaching: English
Assessment:
a)
one 7 min presentation including two copies of a written
abstract thereof, to be handed in to the course tutor and at LLC
reception on the day of the presentation (20%)
b) one coursework essay of 5,500 words (80%)
Deadlines for assessed coursework: End of week 11, semester 2.
Language of assessment: English
Convenor:
Dr Cathy Gelbin
Taught by: Dr Cathy Gelbin
Max. entry: 25
Set texts and films: tba.
Recommended Texts:
Tim Bergfelder, Erica Carter and Deniz Göktürk, eds., The German Cinema Book
(London: British Film Institute, 2002); R.G Grant, The Berlin Wall (Hove: Wayland,
1998); Susan Hayward, Key Concepts in Cinema Studies (London: Routledge, 1996);
Jeffrey Herf, Divided Memory. The Nazi Past in the Two Germanies (Cambridge,
Mass/London: Harvard University Press, 1997); Joan Hollows et al., eds. The Film
Studies Reader (London: Arnold, 2000); Konrad H. Jarausch, ed., After Unity.
Reconfiguring German Identities (Providence/Oxford: Berghahn Books, 1997); Graham
Roberts and Heather Wallis, Introducing Film (London: Arnold, 2001); Ann Tusa, The
Last Division: A History of Berlin, 1945-1989 (Oxford: Perseus Publishing, 1997).
GERM30371
Pre-requisite:
Germanic Languages
Credits: 20
Level: 3
GERM10221, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Mo 10.00, Tu 10.00, We 9.00
Description:
This is in essence an introductory course on the principles of historical linguistics using
material from the earliest stages of the Germanic languages. Since the realisation by
Rasmus Rask and Jakob Grimm that the phonological distinctions which set German
apart from other related languages were not arbitrary, accidental or the product of
‘decay’, but resulted from regular ‘sound shifts’ (‘Grimm's Law’) – a discovery which
marked the beginning of modern philology and linguistics – the older Germanic
languages have remained central in all subsequent investigations into the nature and
cause of change in language.
The aim of this course unit is to introduce students to the early stages of the
Germanic language family and to investigate the structures common to the members of
this family as they were inherited from Indo-European and the forces which underlay the
divergent developments as individual languages and dialects emerge from the common
ancestor.
There is thus a double focus to the course unit. On the one hand we shall be
looking at short texts in each of the major attested languages (Gothic, Old Norse, Old
Saxon, Old English, Old High German) to gain a knowledge of their structures and the
differences between them. On the other, we shall use these data as the basis for a more
general study of historical linguistics, investigating how languages develop over time and
looking at and comparing the various theories which have been put forward since Jacob
Grimm’s pioneering work to explain how and why language changes.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
• explain the principles of the comparative method and how proto-languages
can be reconstructed
• understand how the Germanic languages developed from Indo-European
• compare a number of theoretical approaches to phonological change,
especially in respect of the First Germanic consonant shift
• understand what is meant by the ‘Neogrammarian hypothesis’ and the
problem of assuming regularity in phonological change
• describe and analyse the major phonological, morphological and syntactic
features of the early Germanic dialects
• explain how older texts can be used as the data for establishing the sound
systems of historically attested languages
• establish and apply the criteria by which the relationships between the early
Germanic languages may be determined
• understand the role of analogy in linguistic change
• explain and exemplify various types of phonological change, in particular the
distinction between conditioned and unconditioned changes
• understand the problems associated with the origin and diffusion of linguistic
changes
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 3,000 words (50%)
b) 1.5-hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (50%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday at the end of Semester 1 (50%)
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Professor Martin Durrell
Taught by: Professor Martin Durrell
Max. entry: 20
Set text:
Robinson, Orrin W. (1992), Old English and its Closest Relatives. London: Routledge.
Further reading:
Aitchison, Jean (2001), Language Change: Progress or Decay? (3rd edn). Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press; Green, Dennis H. (1998), Language and History in the
Early Germanic World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Hock, Hans H. (1991),
Principles of Historical Linguistics (2nd edn). Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter;
Hock, Hans H. & Joseph, Brian D. (1996), Language History, Language Change and
Language Relationship. An Introduction to Historical and Comparative Linguistics.
Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter; Joseph, Brian D. & Janda, Richard D. (eds.)
(2003), The Handbook of Historical Linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell; Keller, Rudolf Ernst
(1978), The German Language. London: Faber; McMahon, April M. S. (1994),
Understanding Language Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Nielsen,
Hans Frede (1989), The Germanic Languages. Origins and Early Dialectal
Interrelations. London & Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press; Todd, Malcolm
(1992), The Early Germans. Oxford: Blackwell; Trask, R. L. (1996), Historical
Linguistics. London: Arnold.
Additional reading will be indicated in the course of the seminars.
Pathway: n/a
GERM30451
Pre-requisite:
German Romanticism
Credits: 20
Level: 3
Any course unit with a literary component, or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Tu 15.00-17.00, We 11.00
Description:
The Romantic period (c. 1796-1830) is one of the richest and most fascinating in German
literary history, and has profoundly influenced German and European culture. It is the
origin of the modern university, the Grimms’ fairy tales, and German Studies itself.
Drawing on traditional elements such as folk-culture, mythology, and older German
literature, the Romantics infused them with new impulses from other countries and
cultures, from the other arts, and from philosophy, mathematics, and the natural sciences,
initiating developments which point forward to the 20th and 21st centuries. Romantic
interest in dreams and the unconscious feeds into modern psychology (Freud, Jung); the
Romantic view of the universe correlates closely with recent findings of modern physics;
Romantic writing inspired major composers; and there are links with linguistics, critical
theory, and later German literature, particularly of the early 20th century and the GDR.
Romanticism has also – unjustly – been blamed for Nazism. It is therefore important to
examine it in its own context, which differs from that of the later uses to which it has
been put.
Bearing this in mind, we shall examine its philosophical, cultural, and historical
origins in the aftermath of the French Revolution and in the Napoleonic period; explore
the seminal ideas of Friedrich Schlegel, Novalis, and Wackenroder; and study in detail
texts by these writers, popular stories by Tieck, Fouqué, Chamisso, Arnim, and Brentano,
and selected poems by Eichendorff. Given the brevity of six of the nine set texts, the
programme combines intellectual depth and scope with a manageable workload. For
those wishing to link a dissertation with this course unit, there will be scope for the
pursuit of a wide variety of special interests in fields such as painting, architecture,
philosophy, the history of music and the history of science, as well as literature.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit students will have acquired
knowledge and understanding of:
• the fundamentals of Romantic thought and the movement in general
• similarities and differences between important texts by key authors of early,
middle, and late Romanticism
• the links between Romantic texts and the era in which they were written
• the relationship between Romantic theory and literary practice
• the Romantic conception of time and history
• enjoyment and sophistication as readers of literary texts
Learning and teaching methods:
Three 1-hour sessions per week (roughly one third
lectures and two thirds seminars)
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 3,500 words (60%)
b) 1¼-hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (40%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Judith Purver
Taught by: Dr Judith Purver
Max. entry:
Set texts
20
Friedrich Schlegel, Kritische und theoretische Schriften (Stuttgart: Reclam UB9880),
especially parts of the ‘Gespräch über die Poesie’ and a selection of the ‘AthenaeumsFragmente'; Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder and Ludwig Tieck, Herzensergießungen
eines kunstliebenden Klosterbruders (Stuttgart: Reclam UB 7732); Ludwig Tieck, Der
blonde Eckbert (Stuttgart: Reclam UB7732); Novalis, Heinrich von Ofterdingen
(Stuttgart: Reclam UB8939); Friedrich Baron de la Motte Fouqué, Undine (Stuttgart:
Reclam UB491); Adelbert von Chamisso, Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte
(Stuttgart: Reclam UB93) Clemens Brentano, Geschichte vom braven Kasperl und dem
schönen Annerl (Stuttgart: Reclam UB411); Achim von Arnim, Der tolle Invalide auf
dem Fort Ratoneau (Stuttgart: Reclam UB197); Joseph von Eichendorff, Fünfzig
Gedichte (Stuttgart: Reclam UB18102)
Further reading:
G. T. Hughes, German Romantic Literature (London: Edward Arnold, 1979); Companion
volumes published by Reclam: Ursula Ritzenhoff, Erläuterungen und Dokumente zu
Novalis: Heinrich von Ofterdingen (Stuttgart: Reclam UB8181); Hanne Castein,
Erläuterungen und Dokumente zu Ludwig Tieck: Der blonde Eckbert, Der Runenberg
(Stuttgart: Reclam UB8178); Dagmar Walach, Erläuterungen und Dokumente zu
Adelbert von Chamisso: Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte (Stuttgart: Reclam
UB8158); Interpretationen: Erzählungen und Novellen des 19. Jahrhunderts (Stuttgart:
Reclam UB8413) (includes interpretations of the stories by Tieck, Chamisso, and
Brentano). Students may find it helpful to have their own copies of these Reclam
volumes.
Pathway: EL7162 German Women's Writing of the Classical and Romantic Period,
EL7061/2 Romanticism, Modernism and Postmodernism
N.B. This course is also available as an enhanced MA course unit, number tbc
GERM30562 Aspects of Modern German Sound Structure
Pre-requisite:
GM2382 (= GERM20381), or by consent of convenor
Taught during:
Semester 2
Timetable:
Mo 11.00, We 10.00, Th 14.00
Credits: 20
Level: 3
Description:
This course unit continues the detailed study of key aspects of the phonology of German,
as begun in GM2382 (= GERM20381), where we explored the linear framework of
classical generative phonology. In this framework, the main focus of research was on the
nature of phonological rules and their modes of application. Since the mid 1970s,
however, more and more attention has been paid to the structure of phonological
representations, and in GERM30562 we shall focus on a theory which takes advantage of
the sophisticated non-linear representations developed over the past thirty years.
The course unit is divided into two parts. The first part (c. 10-12 seminars)
provides an introduction to the central components of most current phonological theories,
viz. multi-dimensional autosegmental representation with a separate skeletal tier, syllabic
constituents, geometric arrangement of features and (some degree of) underspecification.
All of these components play a crucial role in Lexical Phonology, the phonological
theory which will occupy the remainder of the course unit (c. 20-22 seminars). This wellestablished modern framework has been used by several researchers working on German,
and we will critically discuss their proposals for the familiar classical issues in German
phonology (such as the distribution of ich-Laut and ach-Laut, the role of /r/, final
devoicing and the status of the velar nasal).
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will be able to:
 use, with confidence, the scientific method of setting up and testing
hypotheses
 describe and use binary features, with a good understanding of the purpose,
advantages, disadvantages and mechanics of feature geometry and
underspecification
 describe and use multi-tiered phonological representations incorporating
aspects of Autosegmental Phonology, feature geometry and underspecification
 describe and use the derivational mechanisms of Lexical Phonology
 discuss in detail the aims and principles of Lexical Phonology
 describe, in detail and with supporting data, the most important distributional
restrictions and phonological processes of German, and develop, as well as
critically discuss, possible analyses of these processes in the Lexical
Phonology framework
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment: a)
b)
Coursework: one essay of 3,000 words (50%)
1.5-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2(50%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 2
Language of assessment: English
Convenor:
Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Taught by: Dr Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand
Max. entry: 20
Further reading:
Archangeli, Diana. 1988. Aspects of Underspecification Theory. Phonology 5. 183-207;
Carr, Philip. 1993. Phonology. Basingstoke: Macmillan; Davenport, Mike & S.J.
Hannahs. 2005. Introducing phonetics and phonology. 2nd edn. London: Arnold; Durand,
Jacques. 1990. Generative and non-linear phonology. Harlow: Longman; Goldsmith,
John A. 1976. An overview of autosegmental phonology. Linguistic Analysis 2. 23-68;
Goldsmith, John A. 1990. Autosegmental and Metrical Phonology. Oxford: Blackwell;
Gussenhoven, Carlos & Haike Jacobs. 1998. Understanding phonology. London: Arnold;
Hall, Tracy Alan. 1989a. German syllabification, the velar nasal, and the representation
of schwa. Linguistics 27. 807-842; Hall, Tracy Alan. 1989b. Lexical phonology and the
distribution of German [ç] and [x]. Phonology 6. 1-17; Hall, Tracy Alan. 1992. Syllable
structure and syllable-related processes in German. Tübingen: Niemeyer; Kenstowicz,
Michael J. 1994. Phonology in generative grammar. Oxford: Blackwell; McCarthy, John
J. 1988. Feature geometry and dependency: a review. Phonetica 45. 84-108; Roca, Iggy.
1994. Generative phonology. London: Routledge; Roca, Iggy & Wyn Johnson. 1999. A
course in phonology. Oxford: Blackwell; Rubach, Jerzy. 1990. Final devoicing and cyclic
syllabification in German. Linguistic Inquiry 21. 79-94; Wiese, Richard. 2000. The
phonology of German. 2nd edn. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Pathway:
n/a
GERM30631
New German Identities: TurkishGerman Culture
Credits: 20
Level: 3
Pre-requisite: 10 credits of cultural course units at levels 1 or 2 (eg GERM10240,
GERM10312, GERM10301). A knowledge of German is normally required.
By arrangement, this course may be made available to students with no knowledge of
German; selected texts can be studied in English translation.
Taught during: Semester1
Timetable: Th 10.00-12.00; Fr 10.00 (three hours per week of lectures and seminars)
Description:
When the Federal Republic of Germany signed a labour contract with the Turkish
Republic in 1961, a process was set in motion which began with short-term migrant
labour and ended with the establishment of the largest minority population in Germany,
making Berlin one of the largest Turkish cities in the world. This course explores the
cultural consequences of the labour migration, which has been called ‘The Turkish Turn’
in contemporary German literature and film. It focuses exclusively on post-1990 texts, as
a turning point in the emergence of cultural reflections on the labour migration of 195573. The course will begin with the history of labour migration, proceed to discussion of
ethno-culturalist notions of citizenship, and recent reforms to Germany’s citizenship
legislation. It also gives a brief introduction to Turkish history, in particular the 20thcentury history of the Turkish Republic. In texts by Renan Demirkan, Zafer Şenocak,
Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Feridun Zaimoğlu, and films by Kutluğ Ataman and Fatih Akin it
will then explore the rich variety of styles and themes which these authors and
filmmakers contribute to the contemporary German cultural landscape.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the course students will be able to:
1) analyse a range of texts and films by authors/directors of Turkish origin;
2) demonstrate a good level of contextual background knowledge;
3) demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of identity, in its cultural, linguistic,
national, and gendered aspects;
4) through reading, seminar discussion, presentations, and the writing of an essay,
demonstrate the skills of information-gathering, interpretation, and the
construction of a lucid argument.
Transferable Skills:
1) Time management, working to deadlines.
2) Constructive participation in seminar discussion.
3) Assessing the relevance and importance of the ideas of others.
4) Presenting information, ideas and arguments orally and in writing.
5) Demonstrating powers of analysis.
Teaching and Learning Methods:
Each topic and text introduced by a lecture, followed by student-led seminar discussion.
Assessment:
a) One coursework essay of 4,000 words on a comparative topic (80%)
b) One oral presentation (20%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: tba
Language of Teaching and Assessment: English
Convenor: Professor Margaret Littler
Taught by: Professor Margaret Littler
Max. entry: 30
Set texts:
Renan Demirkan, Schwarzer Tee mit drei Stück Zucker (Cologne: Kiepenheuer &
Witsch, 1991)
Zafer Şenocak, Atlas eines tropischen Deutschland (Berlin: Babel Verlag, 1993)
Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Mutterzunge (Berlin: Rotbuch, 1990)
Feridun Zaimoğlu, Kanak Sprak (Hamburg: Rotbuch, 1995)
Films:
Kutluğ Ataman, Lola und Bilidikid (Germany 1999)
Fatih Akin, Gegen die Wand (Germany 2004)
Recommended texts:
Leslie A. Adelson, The Turkish Turn in Contemporary German Literature (New York:
Palgrave/Macmillan, 2005)
Tom Cheesman, ‘Akçam – Zaimoğlu – “Kanak Attak”: Turkish Lives and Letters in
German’, German Life and Letters, 55.2 (2002), 180-195
Eva Kolinsky, Deutsch und türkisch leben. Bild und Selbstbild der türkischen Minderheit
in Deutschland, Berne: Peter Lang, 2000
Annette Wierschke, Schreiben als Selbstbehauptung: Kulturkonflike und Identität in den
Werken von Aysel Özakin, Alev Tekinay and Emine Sevgi Özdamar (Frankfurt am
Main: IKO - Verlag für interkulturelle Kommunikation, 1996
Pathway:
EL6142 Turkish Women’s Writing in German: Emine Sevgi Özdamar
EL6361 Border Crossings: Comparative Cultures of Diaspora
NB this course is also available as an enhanced MA course unit EL7172
GERM30710
German Dissertation
Credits: 20
Level: 3
Co-requisite:
Normally one 20-credit course unit relating to the topic on which the
dissertation is based
Taught during:
Both semesters
Timetable:
By arrangement with the supervisor
Description:
A dissertation of 10,000 words to be written on a topic within the range of the optional
final-year course units in German. The topic of the dissertation must be agreed with the
relevant lecturer, subject to staff availability. Full guidelines are given in Appendix 1 of
this Directory of Course Units.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit students will be able to:
• exploit for a variety of purposes a range of materials written or spoken in
German
• retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources
• make use of the appropriate scholarly conventions for the presentation of
dissertations, including lists of references
• plan, undertake and report a piece of independent research, making use of
library and electronic resources and, where appropriate, conducting fieldwork
or archival work
•
•
•
•
reflect on and critically evaluate evidence and argument
reason in a coherent and self-reflective manner
exercise independence of mind and thought
organise and present ideas orally and/or in writing within the framework of a
structured and reasoned argument, illustrating individual points with
examples where appropriate
Learning and teaching methods:
Assessment:
Independent planning, research and writing, with
support from a supervisor
Dissertation of 10,000 words
Deadline for submission: first Friday in May 2008
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: tbc
GERM30721
Pre-requisite:
Culture and Society in Germany, 1871-1918
Credits: 20
Level: 3
GERM10321, GERM10232 or by consent of Convenor
Taught during: Semester 1
Timetable:
Mo 12.00, Tu 9.00, Th 15.00
Description:
Building on knowledge acquired in GERM10321/GERM10232, this course unit seeks to
gain a better understanding of Imperial Germany by examining the response of German
artists, writers and thinkers to their rapidly changing social and political environment. It
looks at ways in which the new Empire sought to legitimize its existence through culture
– monuments, paintings, festivals – and asks how successful this was. It then concentrates
on a variety of reform movements, pioneering new approaches in specific areas of high
culture (fine art, design, architecture, music) and alternative lifestyles (vegetarianism,
environmentalism, naturism). The course unit reveals an increasingly pluralistic society,
in which people were already wrestling with some of the twentieth century’s most
enduring problems.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will have a knowledge and
understanding of:
• the official culture of Imperial Germany; its buildings, monuments, festivals
and art
• a variety of cultural and social reform movements in Imperial Germany
• historical methods, particularly with regard to cultural history
They should also be able to:
• undertake a critical and sophisticated review of the historiography, and
develop an independent perspective
• analyse and comment authoritatively on visual sources, such as paintings,
monuments and buildings
Learning and teaching methods: Three 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 3,000 words (50%)
b) 1.5- hour written examination at the end of Semester 1 (50%)
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 12, Semester 1
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Matthew Jefferies
Taught by: Dr Matthew Jefferies
Max. entry:
20
Set text:
Jefferies, Matthew Imperial Culture in Germany 1871-1918 (Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2003)
Further reading:
Behr, S., Fanning, D. & Jarman, D. (eds.) Expressionism Reassessed (Manchester:
M.U.P., 1993) 709.43/B71; Berghahn, Volker Imperial Germany 1871-1914 (Providence
& Oxford: Berghahn, 1994) - especially part III. 943.08/B96; Blackbourn, David &
Evans, Richard (eds.) The German Bourgeoisie (London: Routledge, 1991) 309.43/B51;
Burns, Rob (ed.) German Cultural Studies: An Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1995) - especially chapter one by R. Lenman, J. Osborne and E. Sagarra
901.43/B32; Chickering, Roger (ed.) Imperial Germany: A Historiographical Companion
(Westport, Conn. & London: Greenwood Press, 1996) - especially chapter on ‘Literature
and the Arts’ by Peter Jelavich 943.08/C57; Finke, Ulrich German Painting from
Romanticism to Expressionism. (Boulder: West View Press, 1975) 750.943/F1; Forster-
Hahn, Francoise (ed.) Imagining modern German culture 1889-1910 (Washington D.C.:
National Gallery of Art, 1997) 709.43/F87; Hepp, Corona Avantgarde: Moderne Kunst,
Kulturkritik und Reformbewegungen nach der Jahrhundertwende (Munich: dtv, 1987)
709.43/H56; Kerbs, D. & Reulecke, J. (eds.) Handbuch der deutschen
Reformbewegungen, 1880-1933 (Wuppertal: Hammer, 1998) 309.43/K58; Kolinsky, Eva
& van der Will, Wilfried The Cambridge Companion to Modern German Culture
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998) 901.43/K72; Lenman, Robin Artists and
Society in Germany 1850-1914 (Manchester: M.U.P., 1997) 709.43/L31; Mommsen,
Wolfgang J. Imperial Germany 1867-1918 (London: Arnold, 1995) - especially Chapter
7. 943.08/M29
Pathway: EL7701 Wilhelmine Germany; EL6321 Architecture and Politics in Germany,
1871-1933
GERM30762
Pre-requisite:
Assent and Dissent in the Third Reich
Credits: 20
Level: 3
Any course unit with a literary or historical component, or by consent of
Convenor
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
We 10.00, Th 12.00, Fri 11.00
Description:
In this unit we shall take a fresh look at a range of cultural and literary phenomena
produced in Germany under National Socialism. We shall begin by looking at how we
define and measure ‘resistance’, how the concept has been re-defined by social historians
over the past thirty years, and how such definitions might be applied to art and literature.
We shall then examine the specific cases of five artists/ writers who continued to work in
Germany between 1933 and 1945, assessing the assent and dissent expressed by them to
the Nazi regime.
The course unit is divided into three parts. In Part I we shall consider in detail the
nature of politics and culture in the Third Reich, covering the following topics: the
structure and dynamics of the Nazi regime (Week 1); the nature of Nazi ideology and
aesthetic policies (Week 2); the historiography of ‘resistance’ (Week 3); and the nature of
assent and dissent in the cultural sphere (Week 4). In Part II (Weeks 5-9), one week will
be given over to the careers of each of the following individuals in the Third Reich: the
painter Otto Dix; the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; and the writers Gottfried
Benn, Günter Eich, and Ernst Jünger. In each case we shall seek to describe the relative
levels of assent and dissent expressed by these creative figures through their work, how
their relationship to the National Socialist regime changed over time, and how their work
illustrates the mechanisms by which writers and artists were able to express assent and
dissent. Part III (Weeks 10 & 11) will be devoted to a series of revision and essay-writing
exercises.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of Part I of the course unit, students will be able to:
• describe and explain the nature and dynamics of the Nazi regime, its ideology
and aesthetic policy
• outline and evaluate the principal historiographical approaches to the
structures of Nazi rule, in particular as they relate to cultural policy
• assess the usefulness of a variety of approaches to the notion of ‘resistance’
and weigh competing criteria to determine the political function of individual
actions undertaken in the Third Reich
• evaluate the applicability of such approaches to artistic and literary
production
On successful completion of Part II of the course unit, students will be able to:
• identify the most significant actions and works of art in the careers of
Gottfried Benn, Otto Dix, Ernst Jünger, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and
Günter Eich, and explain their relationship to the Nazi regime
• weigh textual/ artistic evidence and contextual evidence in order to make a
carefully balanced assessment of the extent of assent and/ or dissent expressed
by these artists between 1933 and 1945
• use the concrete examples of these artists to illuminate problematic issues
arising from the historiography of the Third Reich
Learning and teaching methods:
Three 1-hour seminars per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) One coursework essay of 4,500 words (75%)
b) 20-minute viva examination at the end of Semester 2 (25%)
N.B. Assessment subject to confirmation
Deadline for assessed coursework: Friday of Week 11, Semester 2
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Matthew Philpotts
Taught by: Dr Matthew Philpotts
Max. entry:
20
Set texts:
Gottfried Benn - material supplied in photocopied form; Ernst Jünger, Auf den
Marmorklippen (Berlin: Ullstein, 1995); Günter Eich, Rebellion in der Goldstadt
(Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1997)
Further reading:
On all aspects of Third Reich historiography:
Ian Kershaw, The Nazi Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation, 4th
edition (London: Edward Arnold, 2000)
On resistance:
David Clay Large (ed.), Contending with Hitler: Varieties of German Resistance in the
Third Reich (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991); Ian Kershaw, The Nazi
Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation, 4th edition (London: Edward
Arnold, 2000), ch. 8, pp. 183-217; Detlev Peukert, Inside Nazi Germany: Conformity,
Opposition and Racism in Everyday Life, translated by Richard Deveson (London:
Penguin, 1987)
On art and culture in the Third Reich:
Glenn Cuomo (ed.), National Socialist Cultural Policy (London, Macmillan, 1995);
Claus-Dieter Krohn (ed.), Aspekte der künstlerischen inneren Emigration 1933-1945
(Munich: Text und Kritik, 1994); Brandon Taylor and Wilfried van der Will (eds), The
Nazification of Art: Art, Design, Music, Architecture and Film in the Third Reich
(Winchester: Winchester Press, 1991)
On background and methodology:
Matthew Philpotts, The Margins of Dictatorship: Assent and Dissent in the Work of
Günter Eich and Bertolt Brecht (Oxford: Lang, 2003)
Pathway: ELAN7141/2 Cultural Politics and Artistic Practice in Relation to the Third
Reich, ELAN7151/2 Cultural Politics and Artistic Practice in Relation to the
GDR
Please note that it is possible this course unit may not run during 20078.
*HSTM30622
Pre-requisite:
Scholars and Experts
in Nazi Germany
Credits: 20
Level: 3
None
Taught during: Semester 2
Timetable:
Description:
Monday 13.00-14.00 (one one-hour tutorial tba); Registration: No preregistration is necessary; just turn up for the first lecture
Students will acquire a basic familiarity with the major events which occurred during this
brief but catastrophic period in German history. Taking the Nazi period as an example,
they will also develop an understanding of two more general processes: (a) the means by
which totalitarian regimes in the 20th century have tried to harness science, medicine and
technology to their purposes; and (b) the ways in which scientists, doctors and the
scholarly community as a whole have responded to political pressure from such regimes.
Outline Syllabus:
The ideology of the German professoriate during the 19th century
Scholars and science in the First World War
The politics and ideology of the Weimar professoriate
Nazi attempts to harness scholarship
The campaign for an ‘Aryan science’
Putting technology at the service of Nazi imperialism
The academic community’s response to Nazi pressures
Fatal attractions: the medical profession and National Socialism
Racial hygiene in the ‘Third Reich’: sterilisation, ‘euthanasia’ and genocide
The destruction of German scholarship? assessing the consequences of Nazi rule
Conclusion: the legacy of the Nazi period for the English-speaking world
Learning and teaching methods:
One lecture and one seminar per week
Language of teaching: English
Assessment:
a) Coursework: one essay of 1,500 words (25%) and one project of
4,000 words (50%)
b) 2-hour written examination at the end of Semester 2 (25%).
Language of assessment: English
Convenor: Dr Jonathan Harwood, CHSTM (jonathan.harwood@manchester.ac.uk)
Taught by: Dr Jonathan Harwood
Maximum entry: 20
Set texts:
Goetz Aly & Susanne Heim, Auschwitz: Architects of Annihilation (Weidenfeld 2003).
M. Renneberg & M. Walker (eds), Science, Technology & National Socialism.
M. Szoelloesi-Janze (ed), Science in the Third Reich (Berg 2001).
Michael Kater, Doctors under Hitler (North Carolina UP 1989).
M. Proctor, Racial Hygiene: Medicine under the Nazis (Harvard UP 1988).
Mark Walker, Nazi Science: Myth, Truth and the German Atomic Bomb (Plenum 1995).
U. Geuter, The Professionalisation of Psychology in Nazi Germany (Cambridge UP1992)
LALC2002 Trends In European And Postcolonial Cinema Credits: 20
Level: 2
Prerequisite: LALC10001 OR LALC10002 Level 1 `Introduction to European Cinema’
Core course
Taught during:
Semester 2
Timetable: t.b.a.
Description: Since its invention cinema has represented the constant transformation of
European languages and cultures, as well as of the identities of
European men and women, due to major social, economic, and
technological changes continuing to this day. Meanwhile, these
languages, cultures, and identities, as well the national cinemas that
represent them are not neatly contained by the political boundaries of
continental Europe, having been forged in the context of histories of
nationalism, ideological struggle, modernisation, postmodernism,
gender and sexual revolutions, global competition with Hollywood,
regionalism, colonialism, and migration. This course will provide
students with the opportunity to study European and Europeanlanguage Cinema in the context of these phenomena. The course
includes an example each from Australian and Hong Kong cinema
which help us to examine specifically postcolonial and transnational
issues.
Participants are expected to read preparatory texts for each session.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this course unit, students will
 be acquainted with major works of European and Europeanlanguage Cinema since the New Wave cinemas studied in the
Level 1 course, `Introduction to European Cinema’
 have a fundamental grasp of the textual and contextual analysis
of post New Wave cinema
 have a critical understanding of the aesthetic, historical, and
ideological dimensions of European and European-language
Cinema
 begin to engage with a wider context of inter-and transnational
cinema through the study of non-European production
Teaching and learning methods: 1 lecture of 1 hour weekly, 1 seminar of 1 hour
weekly, 1 screening of generally 3 hours weekly
Language of Teaching: English (all films are subtitled)
Assessment: 1 assessed essay of 2,500 words (40%), to be handed in Friday of week 12
of the teaching period
1 2-hour exam requiring two questions to be answered (60%)
Convenor:
Prof Chris Perriam christopher.perriam@manchester.ac.uk
Taught by:
Dr Cathy Gelbin; Dr Núria Triana Toribio; Prof Chris
Perriam; Ms Rachel Ramsay; Dr Darren Waldron
Maximum entry: 100
Set films:
Cheun gwong tsa sit/Happy Together Dir. Wong Kar Wei (Hong Kong). 1997.
El día de la Bestia/ The Day of the Beast. Dir. Alex de la Iglesia. (Spain). 1995.
Fresa y chocolate/Strawberry and Chocolate. Dirs. Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos
Tabio (Cuba). 1994
Gazon maudit/French Twist. Dir. Josiane Balasko. (France). 1995.
La Haine/Hate. Dir. Mathieu Kassovitz. (France). 1995.
Picnic at Hanging Rock. Dir. Peter Weir (Australia). 1975.
Salut cousin/Hey Cousin!. Dir. Merzak Allouache (France). 1996.
Shoah Dir. Claude Lanzmann. (France) 1985.
Tacones lejanos/High Heels]. Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. (Spain). 1991
Y tu mamá también/And Your Mother Too. Dir. Alfonso Cuarón (México). 2001.
LALC30011
TOPICS IN TRANSLATION STUDIES Credits: 10
Level 3
Pre-requisite:
This course is open to final-year post-A level students in the School of Languages
Linguistics and Cultures.
Taught during:
Semester 1
Timetable:
Lecture Tuesday 2-3. Seminars to be arranged.
Description:
This course has been designed to supplement the LALC20302 unit, thus offering
the students the opportunity to pursue their study and practice of translation as a
professional activity across a wide range of media and genres. Students will be
conceptually equipped to translate texts which are sensitive because of artistic,
commercial or religious reasons, and become familiar with the strategies required
to deal with linguistic and cultural transference in these fields. Topics covered
include the translation of promotional texts, screen translation (cinema and
computers, with emphasis on the localization of software and website contents),
translation for the stage, translation of religious texts and the role of
intertextuality in translation. Language-specific seminars will involve the
analysis, discussion and translation of material relevant to the topics listed above.
Learning outcomes: On successful completion of this course unit, students will have:






shown sufficient understanding of the linguistic and cultural
factors which have a bearing on written communication across
sensitive media and genres;
enhanced their capacity to identify difficulties involved in the
translation of such linguistic and cultural issues, as well as their
competence to come up with solutions for such intricacies;
improved translation skills related to specific language pairs;
deepened their understanding of professional translation
practice;
demonstrated an ability to evaluate the work of other
translators on an informed basis;
demonstrated an ability to argue knowledgeably for or against
specific translation choices
Transferable skills: On successful completion of the course unit, students will have
developed further their ability to:




work independently;
think and argue critically and coherently;
present information in a convincing and accessible manner;
write clearly and effectively at a high level of intellectual
competence in English.
Teaching & Learning Methods:
1-hour weekly lecture, 1-hour fortnightly seminar.
Languages of Teaching: English (lectures) and the relevant foreign language to
each specific combination (language-specific seminars).
Assessment: One 2-hour exam consisting of an analysis of translation issues relating to
texts taken from each of the main languages taught in SLLC, as
appropriate.
Languages of Assessment: English and the relevant foreign language to each
specific combination.
Convenor:
TBA
Taught by:
Lecturers
Dr Siobhan Brownlie
Dr Maeve Olohan
Dr Luis Pérez-González
Dr George Taylor, School of Arts, Histories and Cultures
Dr Par Kumaraswami
Dr Alan Williams, School of Arts, Histories and Cultures
Spanish-specific seminars
See relevant section of SPLA30210 Spanish Language 3
Max. entry: 100.
Pathway:
MA in Translation Studies
APPENDIX 1
THE BA DISSERTATION - GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS
Depending on the degree programme being taken, certain students must and other
students may choose to write a dissertation as part of the final assessment for their degree.
Full details in relation to each degree programme are given in §2.3.1 of this Directory of
Course Units.
The dissertation counts for 20 credits and is researched and written, under supervision,
over at least two semesters. It must be on a subject that arises from, or is related to one
(or possibly more than one), of the 20-credit final-year course units selected by the
student.
The dissertation should be 10,000 words in length (excluding title-page, table of contents,
bibliography and footnotes).
A. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The dissertation provides students with an opportunity to engage in a defined research
project and to produce a substantial piece of work with a sustained focus. By being
related to another course unit or course units taken, it aims to enable students to develop
their individual interests by specialising in depth on a specific subject of their own
choosing. The aim of the dissertation is thus to foster independent study through:
•
•
•
the identification of a particular theme or problem
the identification of appropriate sources
the development of a sustained and balanced argument based on those sources,
leading to a conclusion.
In writing the dissertation students will apply, develop and extend the analytical and
critical skills that they have acquired in earlier stages of the programme. As for essays,
students will need to follow the appropriate scholarly conventions in terms of
presentation, bibliography, footnotes and references.
In fulfilling the requirements for a satisfactory dissertation, students will have
demonstrated that they can identify a subject that is worthy of in-depth investigation and
that they can independently master a substantial body of complex material, articulating
their findings by means of a clear, consistent and analytical argument in a manner that is
appropriate to the discipline. They will also have demonstrated high levels of motivation
and discipline, as the student input of 200 hours (10 hours per credit) represents a
substantial commitment of time and energy, equivalent to five 40-hour weeks devoted
solely to the dissertation.
B. CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT
When arriving at an overall mark for a dissertation, examiners take into account a wide
range of factors. Credit will be given for:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the identification of an appropriate theme, the nature of the overall approach to
the subject and the relevance with which it is tackled
clear and coherent overall structure, with appropriate division into chapters which
contribute to the progression of the argument as a whole
an introduction which contextualises the issues and sets down the general line of
the approach which will follow
a clear and convincing line of argument, showing logic, consistency and
intelligent handling of concepts, culminating in a conclusion
exploration and critical analysis of the issues and concepts raised in the
dissertation topic
critical understanding of an appropriate breadth of research
appropriate use of examples, sources (primary and secondary), data, documentary
evidence etc.
evidence of independent thought
good formal presentation (as per guidelines)
clear and appropriate discourse: correct use of language, including grammar,
punctuation, spelling etc.
Note: Good formal presentation is a significant criterion in the assessment of a
dissertation, and marks will be lost for failure to adhere to the guidelines, e.g. with
respect to missing, incomplete or incorrect bibliographies; quotations without references
or with incorrect or incomplete references; incorrect presentation of quotations;
unacknowledged use of sources (plagiarism). See Appendix 2 for details.
C. REGULATIONS
1. SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION
The dissertation must be submitted no later than the first Friday in May.
Only one copy of the dissertation should be submitted. This will not be returned, so
students should ensure that they keep an identical copy for their own purposes.
Dissertations that are submitted after the deadline without good cause will incur a
penalty. Note: The penalty is set by policy determined by the School of Languages,
Linguistics and Cultures. 10 marks will be deducted for the first working day after the
deadline, and a further 5 marks for each working day thereafter INCLUDING weekends.
.
2. STUDENT INABILITY TO MEET THE DEADLINE
If for any reason it is impossible for a student to meet the deadline (e.g. through illness),
s/he is encouraged to submit the dissertation as soon as possible, accompanied (or
preceded) by medical evidence. This evidence will be passed to the School of Languages,
Linguistics and Cultures' Special Circumstances Committee, which will determine
whether any penalties for late submission are to be applied.
3. LENGTH OF DISSERTATION
Dissertations should be 10,000 words in length, excluding title-page, table of
contents, bibliography and footnotes.
Students should not exceed the word limit. Part of the exercise for the student is to learn
to present a case within defined limits. Where a dissertation exceeds the limits by more
than 10%, this will be considered a failure to complete the prescribed task according to
the specified criteria and will be reflected in the mark.
D. PLANNING AND WRITING THE DISSERTATION
1. PROCEDURES AND TIMETABLE
Towards the end of their second year of study, students should be planning what areas
they wish to specialise in during their final year and, more specifically, starting to think
about possibilities for their dissertation. The sooner planning and reading are undertaken,
the better and more fulfilling the dissertation project will be. Although students about to
spend a year abroad will not have details of course units planned for the year after their
return, they can still see the range of course units normally available and can start reading
widely in areas of study that interest them and which will provide them with an important
basis for the course units they eventually opt for in the final year. Students should try to
form an idea for a topic as soon as possible, however rough and undeveloped it may be,
and contact an appropriate member of staff for preliminary advice. This is best done
before students leave Manchester at the end of their second year.
Those students who spend a year abroad will then be able to use this time to work on
their dissertations, while those going straight into their third year of study can at least
take advantage of the summer vacation. Normally, the dissertation will be related to one
of the final-year course units that the student will be taking, and his/her thinking on the
dissertation should therefore inform his/her choice of options and vice versa. Students
should note that the fact that a particular course unit will be taught in Semester 2 as
opposed to Semester 1 is not in any way an obstacle to selecting a dissertation topic in
that area of study. Once the area of study is selected, the supervisor will be able to give
advice, and the actual taking of the Semester 2 course unit is not a prerequisite for work
on the dissertation. By its very nature, it must go beyond the confines of the prescribed
material for any particular course unit.
Students will be asked to return their option forms at the end of the Manchester Easter
break. When indicating their options, students should also give an indication of the
subject on which they wish to write their dissertation and state the course unit(s) to which
it is related. By this stage, students should have been in touch with their proposed
supervisor and decided on a topic area.
Once proposals have been received, students will be formally allocated to supervisors on
the basis of their proposals and interests. A limit may be imposed on the number of
dissertations that can be supervised by any one member of staff. (In some cases joint
supervision may be possible). The decision on approving dissertation topics and
allocating a supervisor will, where selection is required, be based on the quality of the
proposal and evidence of the extent to which preparatory work has been undertaken. In
other words, the earlier a student begins work on the dissertation, the greater the
likelihood that s/he will be allocated the supervisor of his/her choice. With this in mind,
students will also be asked to indicate a second, alternative course unit, taught by a
different member of staff, to which a possible dissertation might be related. In cases
where it is necessary for students to take up this alternative, advice will be given by the
staff member concerned.
When students return to Manchester for the final year, they should make arrangements to
meet with their supervisor during Registration Week or the first teaching week to discuss
progress on the dissertation. By the end of Week 3, at the latest, students will be required
to submit a written statement confirming the nature of the subject and defining it as
precisely as possible.
In the weeks that follow, it is students' responsibility to seek further guidance and advice
from their supervisor. There are no set hours for meetings with supervisors. Individuals'
needs may vary considerably, but the supervisor will make it clear to students how and
when s/he may be consulted. It is the individual student's responsibility to ensure that by
the end of Week 6 s/he can show evidence of making substantial progress on the subject
and is moving towards firming up the dissertation topic and title. By the end of Week 12
(before the Christmas break), at the very latest, the student must have a clear overall plan
with a working title, which should be submitted to the supervisor for advice, approval and
confirmation. Because the Christmas vacation is an important time for the gestation of the
dissertation, it is vital that the student makes a point of consulting the supervisor before
the vacation begins. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that this takes place.
Students are advised to consult supervisors regularly about their progress in Semester 2.
After consulting with the supervisor they may submit partial drafts for comment and
advice, but should note that it is not the supervisor's function to 'pre-mark' the dissertation
before submission. There are no hard and fast requirements, but students are advised that
the Easter break is, in effect, the period when the dissertation must be completed in order
to be produced in time to meet the deadline of the first Friday in May.
2. ADVICE ON PLANNING AND WRITING THE DISSERTATION
In the light of the above timetable, it is clearly important for students to consult with
(potential) supervisors as early as possible. The more work on the dissertation has been
done before the beginning of the final year, the better.
The dissertation is a piece of independent work written under supervision. The
supervisor's role is an advisory one. S/he will give guidance, but the initiative must come
from the student, and the supervisor can give guidance only in response to concrete input
from the student.
It is important to realise that the dissertation is a project that is designed to be carried out
over an extended period, i.e. 12 months or more. It is not something that can be rushed
together at the last minute. It is vital that work on the dissertation begins as soon as
possible and is carried through consistently and steadily throughout. It is advisable to set
aside a regular time for it each week.
Students are advised to start writing as early as possible. This not only helps to maintain
momentum and to keep on top of the subject, it also makes it easier to clarify the analysis
and argument and to identify gaps and areas that need strengthening.
Students should make full use of the extensive resources available to them, not only the
John Rylands Library and other Manchester libraries, but also the inter-library loans
system, and, increasingly, various on-line resources. Care should be taken when
researching and making notes to record all sources as accurately as possible, so that a
proper critical apparatus and bibliography can be compiled easily at the appropriate point.
The time it takes to finalise and check the dissertation should not be underestimated.
Careful recording of information, quotations and references etc. at an early stage will
save considerable time in the final stages of checking for errors of various kinds. Students
are reminded that good formal presentation is one of the criteria for assessment.
Students should avoid potential computer problems by always keeping back-up disks and
by printing the dissertation in good time.
GERM30710 German Dissertation
Dissertation Topic Proposal (Sample Form)
Please fill in the following proposal as precisely as you can, to help staff in German
Studies with the allocation of supervisors for final year diss
ertations. You should indicate clearly the general area which interests you and show
evidence of some preparatory research and thought about more specific aspects of the
subject. Some examples are given as guidelines overleaf. Allocation of supervisors will
depend on 1) the fair distribution of dissertations among staff, and 2) the coherence of the
proposal. This form must be returned to Oliver Pinch, the German Undergraduate
Support Officer (by 31st July).
Name of student:
Description of topic: (no more than 50 words)
Co-requisite course unit(s): (normally one 20-credit Level 3 course unit)
Supervisor: (convenor of co-requisite course unit)
Source materials: (e.g. principal primary sources/literary texts, literary reference works /
historical documents to be consulted, local linguistic data to be collected etc.) N.B.
Valuable resources may be more readily available in a German-speaking country than
after your return to Manchester.
Key issues to be investigated: Please indicate as specifically as possible the issues
which interest you and have informed your choice of topic (see examples overleaf):
Sample Topics (N.B. These are provided only to give an idea of the sort of topics you
might choose, and not all the course units mentioned will necessarily be running in the
2007 -2008 session.)
• GERMAN DIALECTS: a dialect's social status compared with the standard; dialect use
and issues of identity; dialect use and performance at school; teachers' attitudes to
dialect use at school; dialect use and gender; Berlin and its dialect.
• CONTEMPORARY GERMAN: attitudes to the spelling reform; language under totalitarian
regimes; Anglicisms; issues of language and national identity; a historical
investigation of the status of German in Alsace-Lorraine; recent developments in
diglossic Switzerland; Gastarbeiterdeutsch; German before and after the Wende.
• 18TH-CENTURY GERMAN DRAMA: more extensive studies of the work on individual
writers represented on the course unit; concepts and developments in dramatic form;
literary theory and practice; didacticism in drama; relationship between drama and
ideas; religious issues in drama; drama and history; concepts of tragedy.
• GOETHE: moral/philosophical/religious issues; the concept of the tragic in Goethe;
social and political issues; science and nature; Erlebnisdichtung; narrative technique;
concepts of Entsagung, Bildung; change and continuity in Goethe's work; genius and
imagination.
• GERMAN ROMANTICISM: literary theory and narrative structure; the novel; literary
fairy-tales; lyric poetry; drama; the Fragment; individual texts and authors (these do
not have to be on the set texts list); women’s writing; new mythology; art and the
artist; dreams; the supernatural; identity and duality; medievalism; political thought;
popular literature; translation; the visual arts; music; philosophy; Romanticism and
science
• ASPECTS OF MODERN GERMAN SOUND STRUCTURE: a critical account of competing
Lexical Phonology analyses of syllable-related phonological processes in German;
ich-Laut and ach-Laut in generative phonology; approaches to the velar nasal.
• CULTURE AND SOCIETY IN GERMANY, 1871-1918: Working class culture in
the Kaiserreich; associational life; the role of religion; women in the
Arbeiterbewegung; case studies of individual German cities to identify local identity/
peculiarities; the brewing industry in Germany and Britain at the turn of the century
(policies, finance and business attitudes, brewing technology and social aspects etc);
women's fashion in Wilhelmine Germany; football in 1900s Germany and Britain; the
preservation of nature; prostitution in the Kaiserreich; the portrayal of Kaiser Wilhelm
in British and German cartoons.
• POST-MIGRANT GERMAN CULTURE: issues of identity - race, class, gender; defining
'German' literature; the role of religion in minority culture; literary constructions of
12
multiculturalism; 'orientalism' versus assimilation: German attitudes towards migrant
populations in Germany.
• ASSENT AND DISSENT IN THE THIRD REICH: analysis of the extent of assent and/or
dissent expressed through their work by any individual writer/artist/architect who
remained in Germany during the Third Reich; analysis of individual texts/works of
art/buildings (e.g. local to student's location during year abroad) in terms of the
relationship to official Nazi ideology and/or aesthetics; examination of definitions of
'resistance' using specific phenomena from the Third Reich (e.g. local to student's
location during year abroad).
APPENDIX 2
FORMAL REQUIREMENTS AND ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS FOR ESSAYS
AND DISSERTATIONS
This Appendix gives advice on the presentation of essays and dissertations. It covers
only the most important aspects of referencing and the presentation of
bibliographies, and students should consult the Style Guide published by the
Modern Humanities Research Association for further details. It can be accessed at:
http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/download.shtml/.
1. LAYOUT
Essays and dissertations must be typed or word-processed in 12pt. Copy should be typed
in double spacing and on one side of A4 paper only. Margins of at least one inch should
be left on all sides. Pages should be numbered consistently and throughout.
Dissertations should be bound, using e.g. a spiral binding or a spring-back binder. The
left-hand margin should be sufficiently large for the binding not to obscure the text. For
essays, stapling is sufficient.
Dissertations must contain the following:
a) A title-page, giving your full name, the title of the dissertation, the name of the
supervisor, and a statement of the degree for which it is submitted and the date, e.g.:
This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
of BA (Hons) in German Studies/Modern Languages etc. at the University of
Manchester, May 2008.
b) A table of contents, listing, with pagination, the numbered chapters (including any
sub-sections), bibliography, any appendices etc.
Essays, unlike dissertations, are marked anonymously, so your name must not appear
anywhere, but do include your registration (= library card) number at the top of every
page instead. A title page is not required, but the University's assignment submission
form must be stapled to the front of the essay. Unless you have been advised otherwise,
two copies of every essay should be submitted (but one copy of a dissertation is
sufficient).
Both essays and dissertations must contain a list of references (bibliography) at the end,
listing alphabetically (by authors'/editors' surnames) all the sources consulted or referred
to. Primary and secondary sources should be given separately.
A word-count (excluding title-page (if any), table of contents (if any), bibliography and
footnotes) must be given at the end of the conclusion of the dissertation or essay (i.e.
before the bibliography).
12
2. CHAPTERS AND SECTIONS
Dissertations and essays must have a clear structure, usually with an introduction and a
conclusion. Dissertations should be divided into chapters and, where appropriate,
subdivisions should be made visible according to the following example. Linguistics
essays, like dissertations, should contain numbered headings and sub-headings:
1 Introduction
2 Issues in the phonology of German
2.1 Final devoicing
2.1.1 Previous analyses
2.1.2 A new proposal
2.2 Schwa/zero alternations
....
5 Conclusion
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
The list of references is a crucial part of every essay or dissertation and must give all the
bibliographical details of the sources used, to enable an interested reader to gain access to
these sources. There are various formal conventions in use, and Chapter 10 of the MHRA
Style Guide contains most of the relevant information about these. Different subject areas
tend to favour specific conventions for presenting bibliographies, and the three most
important ones are illustrated below. Which of them you choose depends on the subject
area of your essay and on the referencing system you have decided to use in the text.
Under no circumstances should you mix the models. Be consistent and adopt the same
format for all publications listed, which should be ordered alphabetically according to
authors'/editors' surnames. NB: omit 'p.’ or `pp.’ before pagination of periodical
articles.
Model 1 (Literature and History)
MachtSpiele: Literatur und Staatssicherheit im Fokus Prenzlauer Berg, ed. by Peter
Böthig and Klaus Michael (Leipzig: Reclam, 1993).
Emmerich, Wolfgang, Kleine Literaturgeschichte der DDR: 1945-1988, expanded edn.
(Frankfurt/Main: Luchterhand, 1989).
Kaufmann, Eva, 'Der Hölle die Zunge herausstrecken: Der Weg der Erzählerin Irmtraud
Morgner' Weimarer Beiträge, 30 (1984), 1514-1532.
Schmidt, Tanja, 'Beraubung des Eigenen: Zur Darstellung geschichtlicher Erfahrung im
Erzählzyklus Simultan von Ingeborg Bachmann', in Kein objektives Urteil - nur ein
lebendiges: Texte zum Werk von Ingeborg Bachmann, ed. by Christine Koschel and
Inge von Weidenbaum (Munich: Piper, 1989), pp. 479-502.
Model 2 (Literature and History if you have opted for the author-date referencing
system)
Böthig, Peter and Klaus Michael, eds. 1993. MachtSpiele: Literatur und Staatssicherheit
im Fokus Prenzlauer Berg (Leipzig: Reclam).
Emmerich, Wolfgang. 1989. Kleine Literaturgeschichte der DDR: 1945-1988, expanded
edn. (Frankfurt/Main: Luchterhand).
Kaufmann, Eva. 1984. 'Der Hölle die Zunge herausstrecken: Der Weg der Erzählerin
Irmtraud Morgner', Weimarer Beiträge, 30: 1514-1532.
Schmidt, Tanja. 1989. 'Beraubung des Eigenen: Zur Darstellung geschichtlicher
Erfahrung im Erzählzyklus Simultan von Ingeborg Bachmann', in Kein objektives
Urteil - nur ein lebendiges: Texte zum Werk von Ingeborg Bachmann, ed. by Christine
Koschel and Inge von Weidenbaum (Munich: Piper), pp. 479-502.
Model 3 (Linguistics)
Auer, Peter. 1994. Einige Argumente gegen die Silbe als universale prosodische
Hauptkategorie. In Karl Heinz Ramers, Heinz Vater & Henning Wode (eds.),
Universale phonologische Strukturen und Prozesse. 55-78. Tübingen: Niemeyer.
Blevins, Juliette. 2004. Evolutionary phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Durand, Jacques & Francis Katamba (eds.). 1995. Frontiers of phonology: atoms,
structures, derivations. Harlow: Longman.
Durrell, Martin. 2003. Using German.2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hall, Tracy Alan. 1989. German syllabification, the velar nasal, and the representation of
schwa. Linguistics 27. 807-842.
Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edn. 1989. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rissanen, Matti. 1999. Syntax. In Roger Lass (ed.), Cambridge History of the English
Language, vol. 3. 187-331. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.
(For further details on Model 3, see
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/tocs/JournalUnifiedStyleSheet2007.pdf)
If you need to cite electronically published material (e.g. websites or articles from online
journals), follow the conventions described in Section 10.2.10 of the MHRA Style Guide,
which suggests broadly the following format:
Bloggs, Mary, 'How to refer to a website' (2004) <http://www.german.ac.uk/advice.htm>
[accessed 3 March 2004]
Material from classes can also be used, but it should be traced to the original source and
quoted from there. If you can find no such source, give the lecturer's name, the course
unit code and title, and the date of the lecture, seminar or tutorial when the information
was presented.
4. QUOTATIONS AND REFERENCES
Your argument should be supported by quotations from appropriate sources. These
quotations should be
12
EITHER
a)
OR
b)
put in single inverted commas and integrated into your continuous
text if they are shorter than about forty words or two complete lines of
verse. In this case, make sure that quotations fit syntactically into the
surrounding sentence and are correctly punctuated. If necessary, make
minor alterations to endings etc., and mark these by putting them in
square brackets.
indented (i.e. separated from the previous text by a blank line and each
line of typescript set back a uniform distance from the left margin) and
given without quotation marks if they are longer than forty words (or
longer than two lines of verse).
Make sure that you quote accurately (including punctuation and spelling). If you need to
quote only part of a longer paragraph or sentence to support the point you are making,
indicate omissions by [...]. Quotations should always be referenced EXACTLY
(including page number), usually straight after the quotation itself. Please use the
abbreviation ‘p.’ if referring to one page and ‘pp.’ if referring to two or more pages.
Leave one space after these abbreviations. Do NOT use the abbreviation ‘pg.’
Author-date system: For linguistics essays/dissertations we expect you to use the
author-date system when identifying sources in the text of your essay or dissertation. This
system allows you to keep the number of footnotes/endnotes to a minimum, which is
desirable because they disturb the flow of what you have written and distract the reader.
As the name suggests, the author-date system requires you to give the surname of the
author plus the date of the publication, which must also be accompanied by the page
number in the case of quotations. Try to weave the reference into your continuous text
and avoid repeating the author's surname. Examples:
Smith (2002: 39) points out that X can never be Y
Smith (2002, p. 39) points out that X can never be Y
The observation that X can never be Y (Smith 2002: 39) plays an important role in ...
The observation that X can never be Y (Smith 2002, p. 39) plays an important role in ...
If we accept Smith's claim, 'X can never be Y' (2002: 39), we also accept ...
If we accept Smith's claim, 'X can never be Y' (2002, p. 39), we also accept ...
Only if you need to add some comment to a reference should you use a footnote/endnote.
Remember also that the bibliography at the end of your essay or dissertation must follow
Model 2 or Model 3 if you use the author-date system in the text.
Footnotes/endnotes: Footnotes/endnotes are introduced by superscript numbers,
preferably at the end of the sentence or after the quotation to which they refer. They
should be placed before a dash but after all other punctuation marks. Endnotes appear at
the end of a chapter or an essay. Both are numbered consecutively and should end with a
full stop.
5. USE OF THE LITERATURE
Placing your own argument in the context of what others have written on a particular
topic is an important part of scholarly activity. For example, you may want to contrast
your views with those expressed by one of the critics/other researchers. Alternatively,
you can argue that you want to pursue a perspective further which one critic/researcher
has introduced into the debate or even investigate an area not yet explored by others. As a
result, you will need to make frequent reference to the literature (secondary as well as
primary) when writing an essay or dissertation. This can be done both by quoting and by
summarising in your own words analyses advanced by critics/other researchers.
Quotations are useful where the phrasing of an argument is particularly concise or pithy,
but you may find it preferable to summarise or paraphrase the observations made by
others, so that they fit the shape of your own argumentation better. Whether you quote,
summarise or paraphrase someone else's ideas, you must acknowledge the original
source by giving an appropriate reference (as described in the previous paragraphs).
Failure to do so leaves you open to charges of plagiarism (see below). If you are
thinking of quoting someone "second hand", i.e. if the author of your source has quoted
another author and you would like to use that quotation, the first thing you should do is
check whether you can get hold of that original source yourself. Relying on someone else
to quote accurately is never a good idea. Only if there is absolutely no hope of getting
direct access to the original source should you resort to second-hand quoting. The main
point here is that you need to reference fully both the original source and the source you
yourself are using. (You would do the latter anyway, but the former is also crucial, so that
others can check the quotation for themselves, if they want to.) In the text of your essay
or dissertation (and depending on which referencing style you are using), you could put
something like, 'Jones (1934: 123), quoted in Bloggs (2004: 321)'. You can then give the
full reference (including title, year, place and publisher) to Jones (1934) either in a
footnote (if you want to make it as clear as possible that you have not actually seen this
source yourself) or in your bibliography at the end of the essay or dissertation.
6. PLAGIARISM
The University operates a strict policy on plagiarism (the theft or use of someone else's
work without proper acknowledgement), as stated in its guidelines on plagiarism for
students (quoted here from
http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/staffnet/policies/plagiarismguidencetostudents/
[accessed 10 April 2007]):
a) Coursework, dissertations and essays submitted for assessment must be the student's
own work, unless in the case of group projects a joint effort is expected and is
indicated as such.
b) Unacknowledged direct copying from the work of another person, or the close
paraphrasing of somebody else's work, is called plagiarism and is a serious offence,
equated with cheating in examinations. This applies to copying both from other
students' work or the work of staff and from published sources such as books, reports
or journal articles. Plagiarised material may originate from any source. It is as serious
12
to use material from the World Wide Web or from a computer based encyclopaedia or
literature archive as it is to use material from a printed source if it is not properly
acknowledged.
c) Use of quotations or data from the work of others is entirely acceptable, and is often
very valuable provided that the source of the quotation or data is given. Failure to
provide a source or put quotation marks around material that is taken from elsewhere
gives the appearance that the comments are ostensibly one's own. When quoting
word-for-word from the work of another person quotation marks or indenting (setting
the quotation in from the margin) must be used and the source of the quoted material
must be acknowledged.
d) Paraphrasing, when the original statement is still identifiable and has no
acknowledgement, is plagiarism. Taking a piece of text, from whatever source, and
substituting words or phrases with other words or phrases is plagiarism. Any
paraphrase of another person's work must have an acknowledgement to the source. It
is not acceptable to put together unacknowledged passages from the same or from
different sources linking these together with a few words or sentences of your own
and changing a few words from the original text: this is regarded as over-dependence
on other sources, which is a form of plagiarism.
e) Direct quotations from an earlier piece of the student's own work, if unattributed,
suggests that the work is original, when in fact it is not. The direct copying of one's
own writings qualifies as plagiarism if the fact that the work has been or is to be
presented elsewhere is not acknowledged.
f) Sources of quotations used should be listed in full in a bibliography at the end of the
piece of work and in [the style set out in the MHRA Style Guide VI (London: Modern
Humanities Research Association, 2002), Section 10.6, pp 56-57. The Style Guide can
be downloaded free of charge at http://mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide
g) Plagiarism is a serious offence and will always result in imposition of a penalty. In
deciding upon the penalty the University will take into account factors such as the
year of study, the extent and proportion of the work that has been plagiarised and the
apparent intent of the student. The penalties that can be imposed range from a
minimum of a zero mark for the work (with or without allowing resubmission)
through the down grading of degree class, the award of a lesser qualification (eg a
pass degree rather than honours, a certificate rather than diploma) to disciplinary
measures such as suspension or expulsion.
APPENDIX 3
FINAL-YEAR ORAL EXAMINATION
The oral examination for final-year students will take place in May 2007. Each candidate
will be examined by a team of two examiners consisting either of two members of the
German Studies lecturing staff or one member of lecturing staff and an external
examiner. The examination will be of at most 20 minutes duration.
At the beginning of the examination each candidate will be invited to speak freely
(without notes) for two or three minutes on an academic aspect of their degree
programme which has particularly interested them. This topic is the student's own choice
and may, for example, derive from the candidate's final-year dissertation, if s/he has
undertaken one, or relate to one of the final-year German options taken by the candidate.
The examiners will then discuss the issues raised by the candidate during this initial brief
presentation. At their discretion, they may subsequently extend the discussion to cover
other aspects of the candidate's academic work, or other aspects of their degree
programme, and his/her knowledge and experience of the German-speaking countries,
their language, literature, culture and/or history.
It must be emphasised that the primary aim of the examination is to establish the
candidate's competence in oral production of German and his/her comprehension of the
spoken language, not to assess the academic content of the discussion. Credit will be
given primarily for the ability to talk spontaneously and fluently about topics of
intellectual interest and to sustain an extended discussion in the language. Attention will
be paid in particular to the following points, which will be weighted equally in the
assessment.
1) Pronunciation and delivery
Attention will be paid in particular to accuracy in pronunciation, with correct
stressing of phrase groups and sentences in context. Overall fluency of production
will be evaluated.
2) Grammatical accuracy
Attention will be paid to correct inflections of nouns and verbs, accurate use of
genders, cases, tense and moods, and of word order (especially verb position).
Complete sentences should be used where appropriate.
3) Vocabulary and register
Attention will be paid to whether the candidate commands a wide vocabulary and can
use it accurately, with forms of language appropriate to the topic, context and the
level of discussion, showing an abilty to speak formally or informally as appropriate.
4) Communication skills
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Attention will be paid to the ability to communicate effectively. This includes
understanding questions and comments fully, and responding to them confidently and
naturally, and participating fully in a spoken interchange in German, sustaining an
extended discussion on an intellectually challenging topic.
In preparation for the examination, candidates are advised to consult German-language
publications (including appropriate websites) in order to familiarise themselves with the
relevant vocabulary.
Candidates achieving a first-class mark in the oral examination will be awarded a
'Distinction in Spoken German', which will be recorded on their degree certificate.
GRADE DESCRIPTORS FOR THE FOUR ASPECTS OF ASSESSMENT
Pronunciation and delivery
I
IIi
IIii
III
Fail
Generally fluent delivery with natural intonation and accurate pronunciation.
Some deviations from accuracy in pronunciation, with traces of an English accent
and occasional misplaced stress, possibly with some unnatural hesitation and
intonation.
Consistent inaccuracies in pronunciation (typically an inability to produce ü, ö),
generally jerky and unnatural production.
Quite uncertain, rather stumbling delivery, with strong non-native accent and
consistent inability to produce those sounds not found in English.
Pronunciation barely comprehensible.
Grammatical accuracy
I
IIi
IIii
III
Fail
Near 100% accuracy in morphology and syntax.
Some deviations from accuracy in morphology and syntax, but these are not such
as to be disturbing or hinder communication.
Significant inaccuracies in morphology and syntax (typically numerous case and
gender errors, and verb position in dependent clauses). Not always completing
sentences fully.
Insecure in all grammar, less than 50% accuracy in inflectional forms (or avoiding
all but the most simple forms). Clear difficulty in stringing sentences together.
Serious inaccuracies in morphology and syntax which hamper communication
significantly. Barely able to construct a simple sentence.
Vocabulary and register
I
A wide and well chosen range of accurate vocabulary. Sensitive to register
variation where appropriate.
IIi
IIii
III
Fail
Possibly some inappropriate choice of vocabulary, but in general an adequate
command of lexis.
Adequate vocabulary, but a rather limited range, with a tendency to repetition.
Use of inappropriate register (e.g. colloquialisms in a formal discussion).
Limited vocabulary, which seriously restricts communication at anything but a
relatively basic level.
Severely limited range of vocabulary which makes adequate communication
difficult if not impossible. What vocabulary is known is used inaccurately or
inappropriately.
Communication skills
I
IIi
IIii
III
Fail
12
Can sustain an informed intelligent argument on an academic topic and take the
initiative in the discussion where appropriate. Understands questions and their
implications and reacts to them with coherent argument. Can defend a position
when challenged.
Can sustain a discussion reasonably well, with intelligent responses, but tends to
withdraw from taking the initiative. May occasionally have difficulty in reacting
to a different point of view.
General lack of confidence in using the language, with some difficulty in
sustaining argument, especially on more challenging intellectual topics.
General inability to converse at any length or depth. Typically short, stock
responses, numerous unnatural hedge strategies and hesitation markers. Possibly
not always understanding examiners' questions.
Unable to conduct a conversation adequately. Stumbling delivery, hardly able to
formulate anything but the most simple sentence and quite incapable of sustaining
an argument even on the most basic topics. Significant failure to understand the
examiners' questions.