German 101A: German Language and Culture I
Course Description: This course offers an introduction to the language and culture of the German-speaking peoples. It combines an overview of German political, economic, social, and aesthetic developments with the acquisition of elementary-level written and spoken German.
Learning Objectives: By the end of the course students will have 1) an active German vocabulary of approximately 500 words, 2) the ability to use these words in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehending simple German using the present and past tenses, nominative, accusative, and dative cases, modal verbs and possessive adjectives, 3) a knowledge of major contemporary political, economic, and social issues, 4) an acquaintance with the works of a variety of German composers, and 5) an appreciation of the qualities that make Faust one of the masterworks of world literature.
Texts:
Terrell, Tracy D. et al., Kontakte. A Communicative Approach. 5th Edition. McGraw Hill, 2004.
[Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von]. Goethe's Faust: Part I. Transl. C. F. MacIntyre. New York: Norton, 1957.
Internet Sources:
The Internet Public Library, Music History 102: A Guide to Western Composers and their Music from the Middle Ages to the Present ( www.ipl.org/exhibit/musichist/) Contains samples to listen to on-line.
Emory University Twentieth-Century Music (www.emory.edu/music/ARNOLD/20thMUS426.526.html)
WEEK 1
- Einführung A: Names, Descriptions, Clothing, Colors, Numbers, Body
Baroque Music, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Introduction, Internet listening samples.
Culture Topic: Important Events in German History to the Weimar Republik
WEEK 2
- Einführung A: Continued; heißen, sein, haben; Sie versus du or ihr; Greetings
- Einführung B: Classroom, Family
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Culture Topic: Important Events in German History to the Weimar Republik
WEEK 3
- Einführung B: Continued; Weather and Seasons; der/ein; mein/dein/Ihr; Woher kommen Sie?
Music in the Classical Period: Franz Josef Haydn (1797-1828)
Culture Topic: National Socialism and the Third Reich
WEEK 4
- Kapitel 1: Free time; Present Tense; gern/nicht gern
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Culture Topic: National Socialism and the Third Reich
WEEK 5
- Kapitel 1: School and University; Telling time; Word order
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Culture Topic: The Post-War Era: Division and Reunification
WEEK 6
- Kapitel 1: Personal Data; Separable-prefix verbs
The Romantic Era: Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Culture Topic: The German States
WEEK 7
- Kapitel 2: Possessions; Accusative Case
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Culture Topic: The German States
WEEK 8
- Kapitel 2: Presents; kein/keine; ich möchte
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Culture Topic: The Political System, Parties, Issues, a United Europe
WEEK 9
- Kapitel 2: Matters of Taste; Fun; Possessive Adjectives; more verbs
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Culture Topic: The Political System, Parties, Issues, a United Europe
WEEK 10
- Kapitel 3: Talents and Plans; Modal Verbs
The Neoclassic Period: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Culture Topic: Religion and Media
WEEK 11
- Kapitel 3: Obligations; More Modal Verbs; More Accusative Case
The Transition to Modern Music: Gustav Mahler (1960-1911)
Introduction to Goethe's Faust. Worksheet 1 (pp. 1-19) and Worksheet 2 (pp. 20-53)
WEEK 12
- Kapitel 3: Physical and Mental Health; Dependent Clauses
Johann Strauss (1825 - 1899) and Richard Strauss (1864-1951)
Faust, Worksheet 3 (pp. 54-91).
WEEK 13
Kapitel 4: Daily Routine; Experiences of Others; Talking abou the Past
Arnold Schönberg (1847-1952)
Faust, Worksheet 4 (pp.92-11).
WEEK 14
- Kapitel 4: Birthdays and Anniversaries; Dates and Ordinal Numbers
Alban Berg (1885-1936)
Faust, Worksheet 5 (pp. 112-132).
WEEK 15
- Kapitel 4: Events; Some Prepositions; Past Participles
The Modern Period: Carl Orff (1895-1982)
Faust, Worksheet 6 (pp. 133-173).