GER 356: Advanced Conversation and Composition [Lit]
Germany in 1914
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Syllabus (in German)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Course Title
- Course Objectives
- Meeting Time and Location
- Instructor
- Required Textbooks
- Homework Assignments
- Testing
- Grading System
- Attendance Policy
- Hints for Success
- German Resources on the World Wide Web
Course Number:356
Unique Number:32405
German 356 uses high and low culture materials from various media (books, comics, videos, movies, WWW, email) as the basis for conversation and compositions about timely topics (romance, feminism, ecology, space exploration, and the practices and morality of twentieth century warfare). Students will use texts read or viewed to recreate scenes from videos, describe the action in a book chapter or assume the role of a figure in a story (e.g., in diary entries or plot variations). In short essays based on WWW and on-line discussions using the DAEDALUS program, students will compare factual and fictional accounts.
A listserver has been set up for this course so that students can communicate with each other and with the instructor on an informal basis throughout the semester. The listserv address is class@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu. All subscribers receive email from the listserver as items are posted; the instructor will respond to questions or observations. She will also check for electronic mail messages during her office hours so that students may contact her without coming to her office. See the
Listproc User's Guide
or receive an FAQ subscriber info file
by email using the command get doc subscriber-info.
Days: T Th
Time: 2-3:30PM
Place:WEL 3.260 (and Batts 12 or 230 as noted on syllabus)
Name: Janet Swaffar
Office: E. P. Schoch 3.166
Office Hours: MW 3-4, TTh 8:30-9:00 and by appointment
Phone: 471-4123
E-mail: jswaffar@mail.utexas.edu
- Goethe--Die Leiden des jungen Werther; Remarque--Im Westen nichts Neues.
- Xerox packet (syllabus, readings, weekly assignments) available at ITCOPY.
Since your grade depends largely on oral reports and written composition, you have no major exams only 10 short in-class quizzes on reading or viewing (announced and described in the syllabus).
- 10 Quizzes (6): 20%
- 5 Computer Lab participations: 10%
- 10 reading or viewing assignments: 20%
- 5 short essays: 20%
- 2 WWW reports (as group participant) 4%
- 2 oral reports (individual) 6%
- 2 written WWW (basis for oral report) 8%
- 6 listener notes (taken from reports) 12%
Germany in 1939
Daily preparation is essential to your success in this course. The homework to be prepared for any given class day is indexed by week in your ITCOPY packet. The grading system is described in the packet under "Massstaebe der Bewertung." Plan to spend at least three hours of study time for each day of class time.
Regular class attendance is extremely important. Missed classes will result in a lower class grade because I do not accept late work, assignments submitted when class is not attended, or allow make up quizzes unless students have a medical or religious excuse. Thus missing more than two classes during the semester without an excuse will probably cost you a letter grade.
Germany between 1939 and 1942
- It is obviously best to read assignments or view video tapes before each class. However, should you be unable to complete assignments, please come to class anyway. Just let me know before class and I won't call on you. You may check out video tapes from Batts 234 to view them there. Since lab hours are longer in the AC (where you can also do viewing together in a conference room), copies will be available there as well.
- Translation copies of Werther and Im Westen nichts Neues are available on reserve in PCL. It is sometimes useful to read a chapter or two in English before turning to the German .
- Please speak up in class, especially in small group work and participate in DAEDALUS discussions. Most of your grade depends on making the effort to understand the work assigned and express that understanding as best you can in a foreign language. I value effective communication of your ideas and believe accuracy will result if you practice getting those ideas across to others. The course format is designed to reward practice and improvement rather than an absolute norm for accuracy.
- I will be happy to help you. Appropriate strategies will save you time and effort so please check with me if you find yourself spending MORE than 3 hours in preparation for class. If you cannot come see me during regularly scheduled office hours, do not hesitate to ask for a special appointment. You'll learn more German if you are clear about what I expect of you and you find those expectations reasonable--so please check in if you have problems on either count.
The two Germanies between 1949 and 1989
Send comments to jswaffar@mail.utexas.edu
Last updated August 21, 1996