Unique: 36920
Semester: Spring 2006
Meeting Time and Room: TTh 10:30-12:15 in RAS 218
Instructor: Prof. Janet Swaffar
Office: EPS 3.166
Office Hours: MM: 10:30-12:00 and by appointment
Phone: 232-6376 (Swaffar office) or 471-4123 (Germanic Studies main office)
Email: jswaffar@mail.utexas.edu
Formerly known as "the country of thinkers and poets", Germany is now a country of television stars, media personalities, and minor celebrities. In this challenging upper-division language course, we will use contemporary German media culture to strengthen students’ linguistic skills primarily in speaking and listening, but also in reading and writing. We will examine specific aspects of daily life in Germany via contemporary print, audio, and video media as well as the internet. We will learn about recent developments in German radio and television, discuss the impact of German media on high culture and national identity, and consider the contribution of modern mass media to youth culture, consumer culture, and the culture of globalization. Class discussions, staged debates, oral reports, and written assignments will be based on a broad range of contemporary sources, including newspapers, magazines, web sites, radio broadcasts, interviews, radio plays, television shows, television advertisements, as well as documentary and feature films.
The course is designed for the student to:
Three courses beyond GER 506 or equivalent credit on the placement test. The entire class will be conducted in German. The expected class size is 15 students. Participation in the weekly Deutschübende Gesellschaft or Stammtisch is highly recommended.
There is no text book for this class; you must have a German-English dictionary and review grammar, preferably the text used by Dr. Donahue in 328. You will receive numerous handouts during the semster. Some required readings and additional references to internet sources will be available on this web site by the end of January. All audio-visual materials will be available in the LAITS Media Lab in Mezes 2.104.