SFT11608 German Literature and Culture (Autumn 2014)
Facts about the course
- ECTS Credits:
- 10
- Responsible department:
- Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages
- Course Leader:
- Edith Wegerle-Johansen
- Teaching language:
- German
- Duration:
- ½ year
The course is connected to the following study programs
Mandatory course in German One-Year Programme.
Included in the 60 ECTS German module that can be part of the Bachelor's Programme in Society, Language, and Culture.
Lecture Semester
German One-Year Programme: 1st semester (autumn)
Bachelor in Society, Language, and Culture: 1st, 3rd or 5th semester (autumn)
The student's learning outcomes after completing the course
Knowledge
Literature:
The students are acquainted with central literary tendencies, genres and authors from the German area in the period from 1945 until today.
Culture:
The students are acquainted with main features of the political and cultural history of the German area from 1945 until today. This includes politics, economic and social structures and conditions, and geography.
Skills
Literature:
The students are able to read, discuss and analyse literary texts using the terminology of literary science.
Culture:
The students are able to handle cultural similarities and differences adequately and have sound intercultural communication skills.
General competence
The students have gained further knowledge of literature and culture in the German area from 1945 until today.
Content
The course introduces specific literary terminology and approaches. It comprises literature from various German-language countries from 1945 until today. The literature is studied from the perspective of political, cultural and literary history. Included in the course is an introduction to using the university college library comprising catalogues, reference works, databases, literature search, and criticism of the sources.
The literature part concentrates on modern German literature including literature for children and adolescents. The role of literary didactics in foreign language teaching is thematised.
The teaching of literature and culture is coordinated chronologically so that it deals with central events or phenomena in the target countries. It deals with the period from 1945 until today in political, cultural and literary history.
Social science topics are also studied (such as geography, political systems, economic and social structures, education).
Forms of teaching and learning
The course is taught in seminars as well as being webbased.
The course material is distributed digitally. Developing reading proficiency and analytical skills is emphasised, as well as sensibilisation to cultural differences and similarities through student-active learning.
Library as well as ICT resources are utilised.
Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam
None.
Examination
Assessment is based on a portfolio with texts written in the course of the semester. The portfolio comprises three texts: two less extensive texts of 1-2 pages each and one more extensive assignment of 4 to 5 text pages.
The portfolio contributions are to be text documents (with 1 ½ line spacing) with correct use of references and notes. They are to be submitted by given deadlines. The students are given individual supervision when writing the assignments. Further information on the assignments is given by the instructor. Assessment of the portfolio takes into account text comprehension, level of independent work, level of knowledge, and ability to formulate. The A-F grading scale is used.
A new portfolio must be submitted in the case of a new exam or re-sit.
In the case of a complaint the entire portfolio is subject to new assessment.
Course evaluation
The course is evaluated by the students twice per semester and the results are processed by the faculty committee for study quality.
Literature
The list was updated 1st September 2014. Should changes be made to the reading list, the students will be notified no later than the beginning of the semester.
BORCHERT, Wolfgang: Nachts schlafen die Ratten doch (K).
DÜRRENMATT, Friedrich: Romulus der Große. Eine ungeschichtliche historische Komödie in vier Akten (Diogenes Taschenbücher Nr. 23042).
EICH, Günter: Inventur (K).
FRIED, Erich: Gespräch über Bäume (K).
HERMANN, Judith: Sommerhaus, später. Erzählungen (Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag Bd. 14770; the following stories: 'Rote Korallen', 'Sonja' and 'Sommerhaus, später').
JANDL, Ernst: ottos mops (K), schtzngrmm (K), falamaleikum (K), auf dem land (K).
KUNERT, Günter: Über einige Davongekommene (K).
HERRNDORF, Wolfgang: Tschick (Rowohlt/rotfuchs).
VESTLI, Elin Nesje/LANGEMEYER, Peter: Deutschsprachige Nachkriegsliteratur von Wolfgang Borchert bis Judith Hermann (either in digital version or to be had at the university college bookshop).
The short texts (K) are collected in a text collection that can be bought with the compendium.
Culture:
LeMO: Lebendiges Museum Online (Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn): http://www.dhm.de/lemo/home.html