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What will I study?
Overview
Your course structure
The Bachelor of Arts requires the successful completion of 24 subjects (300-points), including at least one major. Most students study eight subjects each year (usually four subjects in each semester) for three years full-time, or the part-time equivalent.
Most Arts majors require 100 points of study (usually eight subjects) for attainment. This means out of your 300-point program, you have the opportunity to achieve two majors in your course.
COMPLETING YOUR MAJOR
Students completing a major or minor in German Studies will need to complete a certain distribution of compulsory and elective subjects based on their entry point. German language subjects are organised in a progressive sequence of units from German 1 through to German 10 and has four entry points (German Studies 1, 3, 5 and 7). Placement in the correct entry point is determined by the German Studies program, based on the results of the online placement test. Hence all students who enrol in German at The University of Melbourne for the first time need to undertake the placement test. Thereafter students normally progress through the sequence in consecutive order. Accelerated progression is possible with the permission of the course convenor. For more information on required subjects, view the Handbook entry for this course.
BREADTH STUDIES
Breadth is a unique feature of the Melbourne Model. It gives you the chance to explore subjects outside of arts, developing new perspectives and learning to collaborate with others who have different strengths and interests — just as you will in your future career.
Some of our students use breadth to explore creative interests or topics they have always been curious about. Others used breadth to improve their career prospects by complementing their major with a language, communication skills or business expertise.
Explore this major
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this major.
Compulsory
- German 1 12.5 pts
This is an introductory subject for students with little or no knowledge of German. Its goal is to generate a firm grounding in the basics of German grammar and language structure in conjunction with the development of cultural literacy (including a sensitivity to the social contexts of communication). Students acquire a basic vocabulary, learn to discern and employ the structures, patterns and grammatical features of a foreign language, and develop the ability to engage with simple texts. Students reach a level of simple text production (eg. letters, emails, personal résumés or family backgrounds). Students will learn how to converse in a number of different informal communicative situations and begin to use language in limited formal settings. The study of culture is integrated into language acquisition and is designed to develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. This engagement with a range of different authentic texts and media will be embedded in the learning about key aspects of German, Austrian and Swiss culture.
- German 2 12.5 pts
This subject consolidates and builds upon the basic skills and knowledge acquired in German 1. It continues to provide a firm grounding in the fundamentals of German grammar, the tense system and language structure in conjunction with the development of cultural literacy, focussing on regional cultural and linguistic diversity in the German-speaking world. Through cultural components, which include architecture, music and literature, students enhance their vocabulary and engage with more complex grammatical and syntactic structures to enable them to understand more sophisticated texts drawn from a variety of sources – such as biographical, journalistic, popular media and literary texts – and expand their appreciation of texts in context. Emphasis is placed on increased oral proficiency, enhanced communicative skills and the ability to initiate and sustain conversation in a greater range of informal and formal settings. Students also improve their written proficiency in German through writing short narratives, i.e. news reports and biographies, and engage in guided creative writing.
Compulsory
- German 3 12.5 pts
This subject is for students who have completed German 1 and 2. It may also be taken by students who have been placed into this subject by the German Placement Test and who need to enrol at level 2. In this subject students extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations, rather than those generated with the language learner in mind. Students will learn the skills to deal with the complexity of authentic texts such as feature films, poetry, song lyrics and opinion articles, and to source information in German on the internet. Students also learn to communicate at a more sophisticated level, going beyond utterances focused exclusively on the self, and developing structures and vocabulary that enable them to express themselves in the context of broader social and cultural themes such as music and popular culture and notions of ethnicity, nationalism and belonging. Students begin to produce texts and utterances of a more critical nature such as film reviews and formal debates. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
- German 4 12.5 pts
In this subject, students further extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations.
Students will engage with authentic texts that deal with past and present themes of increasing complexity and that are of significance in German-speaking Europe. Feature and documentary film, opinion writing, pop songs and interviews are some of the genres students will encounter and that will provide the inspiration for personal expression of a moderate level of sophistication. The acquisition of advanced linguistic structures such as the subjunctive and passive will enable students to begin to express with more complexity their own experiences, wishes and views. They will begin to understand written German at a more formal level (such as newspaper reports). Students will make first attempts to deploy these structures in written form and verbal utterances that engage with personal and political themes in the context of 20th and 21st century historical, social and cultural developments in German-speaking countries. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
- German Cultural Studies A 12.5 pts
This subject consists of a 1-hour research skills tutorial and a 2-hour cultural studies seminar. Students will acquire fundamental research skills needed to complete a German major including the use of the library, online research resources and relevant bibliographical software. Students will learn to synthesise information from a range of scholarly sources. In the seminar, students will begin to engage with important cultural and linguistic aspects of German and acquire a broader genre literacy. Students will also engage with key cultural organisations and undertake site visits and interviews with employees of these organisations. They will become aware of some of the formal properties of discourse in German on cultural and historical issues. In their written and spoken German they will begin the transition to higher-level output such as the presentation of different points of view, and will be introduced to academic genres such as the analytical essay and the literature review (in English). This subject will equip German major students from the German 1 entry point with the language and research skills needed for admittance into German Cultural Studies B with its greater emphasis on cultural, historical and social themes and their related linguistic forms.
Compulsory
- German 5 12.5 pts
Students will consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as the German concept of "Heimat". Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types and learn how to discuss contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. Through the cultural studies seminars students will be introduced to central aspects of the literature, culture and linguistics of German-speaking countries. Students will become familiar with specialized terminology and will develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German 6 12.5 pts
Students will further consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as: e.g. relationships and individualism vs. community. Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types (eg. argumentative essays, reviews) and learn how to debate contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. The Cultural Studies seminars give students the opportunity to develop topics of interest within the general areas of German literature, linguistics and culture. Students will be introduced to a variety of specialized terminology and should develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German Cultural Studies B 12.5 pts
This subject consists of area studies relating to aspects of modern German literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. Students will do intensive studies, including a range of representative texts, authors or approaches in a key area of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies from the Enlightenment to the present. Students should gain an introduction to a specialised field in one of these areas. The subject aims to provide a broad understanding of the wider social literary or linguistic issues, concepts or methods involved in the respective field. On completion of the subject students should demonstrate a critical appreciation of the material covered as well as an appreciation of specialist language through the use of sophisticated oral and written German.
Compulsory
- German 3 12.5 pts
Students who have completed German 2 should enrol in GERM20004. Students who have been placed in German 3 after taking the German Placement Test may enrol in GERM10001. In this subject students extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations, rather than those generated with the language learner in mind. Students will learn the skills to deal with the complexity of authentic texts such as feature films, poetry, song lyrics and opinion articles, and to source information in German on the internet. Students also learn to communicate at a more sophisticated level, going beyond utterances focused exclusively on the self, and developing structures and vocabulary that enable them to express themselves in the context of broader social and cultural themes such as music and popular culture and notions of ethnicity, nationalism and belonging. Students begin to produce texts and utterances of a more critical nature such as film reviews and formal debates. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
- German 4 12.5 pts
In this subject, students further extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations.
Students will engage with authentic texts that deal with past and present themes of increasing complexity and that are of significance in German-speaking Europe. Feature and documentary film, opinion writing, pop songs and interviews are some of the genres students will encounter and that will provide the inspiration for personal expression of a moderate level of sophistication. The acquisition of advanced linguistic structures such as the subjunctive and passive will enable students to begin to express with more complexity their own experiences, wishes and views. They will begin to understand written German at a more formal level (such as newspaper reports). Students will make first attempts to deploy these structures in written form and verbal utterances that engage with personal and political themes in the context of 20th and 21st century historical, social and cultural developments in German-speaking countries. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
Compulsory
- German 5 12.5 pts
Students will consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as the German concept of "Heimat". Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types and learn how to discuss contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. Through the cultural studies seminars students will be introduced to central aspects of the literature, culture and linguistics of German-speaking countries. Students will become familiar with specialized terminology and will develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German 6 12.5 pts
Students will further consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as: e.g. relationships and individualism vs. community. Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types (eg. argumentative essays, reviews) and learn how to debate contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. The Cultural Studies seminars give students the opportunity to develop topics of interest within the general areas of German literature, linguistics and culture. Students will be introduced to a variety of specialized terminology and should develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German Cultural Studies B 12.5 pts
This subject consists of area studies relating to aspects of modern German literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. Students will do intensive studies, including a range of representative texts, authors or approaches in a key area of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies from the Enlightenment to the present. Students should gain an introduction to a specialised field in one of these areas. The subject aims to provide a broad understanding of the wider social literary or linguistic issues, concepts or methods involved in the respective field. On completion of the subject students should demonstrate a developing understanding of the material covered as well as an appreciation of specialist language through the use of sophisticated oral and written German.
Compulsory
Complete these subjects.
- German 7 12.5 pts
This subject aims to consolidate and expand students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: communications media and consumer culture. It builds on the development of communicative skills in informal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to interviews and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and consolidate their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- German 8 12.5 pts
This subject aims to extend students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to further develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: affluence and education in the developed world. It builds on the development of communicative skills in more formal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to lectures and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and advance their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
Electives
Complete one of these subjects.
- Europe and its Others 12.5 pts
This subject explores portrayals and perceptions of perceived “Others” in Europe – such as Jews, Muslims, “gypsies” and refugees - and how they have contributed to European identities in the past and today. Looking at literature, film, philosophy, music, food and popular culture, the subject will seek to understand how Europe’s Others are essential to the formation and maintenance of national, ethnic and religious identities in many European countries. It will examine the role of Others “within” (such as the Jews) and Others “without” (such as colonial subjects) and consider kinds of European “Othering” that position the Other as either appealing and attractive or threatening and repulsive. From colonial-era exoticisation to present day xenophobia, European views of the Other have been central to definitions of the self and shaped the continent’s history, politics, culture and languages. Students will gain an appreciation of nation and national identity in Europe as a discursive and comparative process, and an understanding of the distinct national stories of a number of European countries.
- European Modernism 12.5 pts
European modernism refers to a wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in literature and arts at the end of the 19th and early 20th century and has proven a major influence on current (Western) literature, film and the arts. This course introduces students to key themes of modernist literature, theatre, and film in Europe. The course familiarizes students with key writers and thinkers of this period and will address the ways in which they provoked their readers/viewers through new and complex forms and styles. Major themes comprise the crisis of representation, the representation of cosmopolitanism and urban cultural dislocation, consciousness and memory, and sexuality. (Students undertaking this subject will be expected to regularly access an internet-enabled computer).
- Memory & Memoirs of 20th Century Europe 12.5 pts
The eye-witness account and the personal memoir offer powerful ways of exploring the human legacy of overwhelming historical events on individual lives. But how do literary genres like the memoir and autobiography manage to speak about unspeakable topics, how do they represent the unrepresentable and write about trauma? What is the function, and what the effect, of writing memory for the victim, for the reader, and for the perpetrator? How do the offspring of the victims and perpetrators "remember" their parents" traumas and shape memories of events they have only experienced second-hand? What is the relationship between fiction and memory in memoir writing and how do we read a testimonial of a Holocaust survivor that has been faked? This subject will introduce students to a selection of testimonial writing and films that tell individual stories of a shameful national past. It explores the effect of generic convention on the relation of history and memory, and the need for generic invention to speak trauma and tell the un-tellable. Its focus will be on the Holocaust, the Algerian War, and life under Eastern bloc communist regimes. This subject will focus on writing from France, Germany, and Italy in the first instance, but may from time to time include writing from other parts of Europe.
- Screening Europe: Image and Identity 12.5 pts
A team-taught study of European cinema during a period of intense political and social change. Students who complete this subject should be familiar with some of the major developments in cinematic representation in Europe from the early 20th century to the present. They should be able to relate the films studied to their national and European cultural and historical context.
Note: This subject is taught in English.
- Language and Society in Europe 12.5 pts
This subject examines the relationship between language and society in Europe. It focuses on issues of relevance in an increasingly integrated Europe in which European and other languages are in contact through migration, travel, business, and mass media, and in which English is taking on an important role as a lingua franca. The topics to be covered include: the relationship between majority and minority languages, dialects and the standard language; bilingualism and multilingualism; semi-communication; language planning at state and European levels; politeness and forms of address; and the status and influence of English.
- German Cultural Studies C 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. By choosing one of the seminars, students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- German 10 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
- German Cultural Studies D 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. Students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- Languages at Work 12.5 pts
Learning a language culminates not only in linguistic and cultural proficiency but also in the development of advanced skills in areas valued by industry: intercultural competence, communication and lateral thinking. This subject offers students the opportunity to recognise and extend these skills by engaging with an industry collaborator in target-language communities in Australia. Students will work in teams to develop solutions, either to progress an existing project or to initiate a project, in consultation with the industry partner and in line with the rigour of workplace knowledge and processes. The subject brings together students from a mix of language majors and is taught in English, but will result in assessable outcomes in a target language.
The subject comprises three phases: 1) three initial weeks of seminars (delivered in English to students in all language streams) which introduce students to team- and project-work strategies, workplace culture, career pathways, as well as the industry partner’s multi-dimensional real-world challenge ; 2) eight weeks of collaborative work in a target language in response to a project brief, under close supervision and to a schedule of reporting deadlines; and 3) the presentation of project outcomes in the target language to an audience of industry specialists, community members and peers.
Compulsory
- German 5 12.5 pts
Students will consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as the German concept of "Heimat". Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types and learn how to discuss contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. Through the cultural studies seminars students will be introduced to central aspects of the literature, culture and linguistics of German-speaking countries. Students will become familiar with specialized terminology and will develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German 6 12.5 pts
Students will further consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as: e.g. relationships and individualism vs. community. Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types (eg. argumentative essays, reviews) and learn how to debate contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. The Cultural Studies seminars give students the opportunity to develop topics of interest within the general areas of German literature, linguistics and culture. Students will be introduced to a variety of specialized terminology and should develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
Compulsory
- German 7 12.5 pts
This subject aims to consolidate and expand students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: communications media and consumer culture. It builds on the development of communicative skills in informal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to interviews and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and consolidate their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing more advanced skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- German 8 12.5 pts
This subject aims to extend students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to further develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: affluence and education in the developed world. It builds on the development of communicative skills in more formal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to lectures and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and advance their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing more advanced skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- German Cultural Studies B 12.5 pts
This subject consists of area studies relating to aspects of modern German literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. Students will do intensive studies, including a range of representative texts, authors or approaches in a key area of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies from the Enlightenment to the present. Students should gain an introduction to a specialised field in one of these areas. The subject aims to provide a broad understanding of the wider social literary or linguistic issues, concepts or methods involved in the respective field. On completion of the subject students should demonstrate a developing understanding of the material covered as well as an appreciation of specialist language through the use of sophisticated oral and written German.
Compulsory
Complete this subject.
- German 9 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
Electives
Complete two of these subjects.
- Europe and its Others 12.5 pts
This subject explores portrayals and perceptions of perceived “Others” in Europe – such as Jews, Muslims, “gypsies” and refugees - and how they have contributed to European identities in the past and today. Looking at literature, film, philosophy, music, food and popular culture, the subject will seek to understand how Europe’s Others are essential to the formation and maintenance of national, ethnic and religious identities in many European countries. It will examine the role of Others “within” (such as the Jews) and Others “without” (such as colonial subjects) and consider kinds of European “Othering” that position the Other as either appealing and attractive or threatening and repulsive. From colonial-era exoticisation to present day xenophobia, European views of the Other have been central to definitions of the self and shaped the continent’s history, politics, culture and languages. Students will gain an appreciation of nation and national identity in Europe as a discursive and comparative process, and an understanding of the distinct national stories of a number of European countries.
- European Modernism 12.5 pts
European modernism refers to a wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in literature and arts at the end of the 19th and early 20th century and has proven a major influence on current (Western) literature, film and the arts. This course introduces students to key themes of modernist literature, theatre, and film in Europe. The course familiarizes students with key writers and thinkers of this period and will address the ways in which they provoked their readers/viewers through new and complex forms and styles. Major themes comprise the crisis of representation, the representation of cosmopolitanism and urban cultural dislocation, consciousness and memory, and sexuality. (Students undertaking this subject will be expected to regularly access an internet-enabled computer).
- Memory & Memoirs of 20th Century Europe 12.5 pts
The eye-witness account and the personal memoir offer powerful ways of exploring the human legacy of overwhelming historical events on individual lives. But how do literary genres like the memoir and autobiography manage to speak about unspeakable topics, how do they represent the unrepresentable and write about trauma? What is the function, and what the effect, of writing memory for the victim, for the reader, and for the perpetrator? How do the offspring of the victims and perpetrators "remember" their parents" traumas and shape memories of events they have only experienced second-hand? What is the relationship between fiction and memory in memoir writing and how do we read a testimonial of a Holocaust survivor that has been faked? This subject will introduce students to a selection of testimonial writing and films that tell individual stories of a shameful national past. It explores the effect of generic convention on the relation of history and memory, and the need for generic invention to speak trauma and tell the un-tellable. Its focus will be on the Holocaust, the Algerian War, and life under Eastern bloc communist regimes. This subject will focus on writing from France, Germany, and Italy in the first instance, but may from time to time include writing from other parts of Europe.
- Screening Europe: Image and Identity 12.5 pts
A team-taught study of European cinema during a period of intense political and social change. Students who complete this subject should be familiar with some of the major developments in cinematic representation in Europe from the early 20th century to the present. They should be able to relate the films studied to their national and European cultural and historical context.
Note: This subject is taught in English.
- Language and Society in Europe 12.5 pts
This subject examines the relationship between language and society in Europe. It focuses on issues of relevance in an increasingly integrated Europe in which European and other languages are in contact through migration, travel, business, and mass media, and in which English is taking on an important role as a lingua franca. The topics to be covered include: the relationship between majority and minority languages, dialects and the standard language; bilingualism and multilingualism; semi-communication; language planning at state and European levels; politeness and forms of address; and the status and influence of English.
- German Cultural Studies C 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. By choosing one of the seminars, students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- German 10 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
- German Cultural Studies D 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. Students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- Languages at Work 12.5 pts
Learning a language culminates not only in linguistic and cultural proficiency but also in the development of advanced skills in areas valued by industry: intercultural competence, communication and lateral thinking. This subject offers students the opportunity to recognise and extend these skills by engaging with an industry collaborator in target-language communities in Australia. Students will work in teams to develop solutions, either to progress an existing project or to initiate a project, in consultation with the industry partner and in line with the rigour of workplace knowledge and processes. The subject brings together students from a mix of language majors and is taught in English, but will result in assessable outcomes in a target language.
The subject comprises three phases: 1) three initial weeks of seminars (delivered in English to students in all language streams) which introduce students to team- and project-work strategies, workplace culture, career pathways, as well as the industry partner’s multi-dimensional real-world challenge ; 2) eight weeks of collaborative work in a target language in response to a project brief, under close supervision and to a schedule of reporting deadlines; and 3) the presentation of project outcomes in the target language to an audience of industry specialists, community members and peers.
- 12.5 pts
This subject aims to consolidate and expand students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: communications media and consumer culture. It builds on the development of communicative skills in informal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to interviews and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and consolidate their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- 12.5 pts
This subject aims to extend students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to further develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: affluence and education in the developed world. It builds on the development of communicative skills in more formal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to lectures and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and advance their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
- 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
- 12.5 pts
This subject consists of area studies relating to aspects of modern German literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. Students will do intensive studies, including a range of representative texts, authors or approaches in a key area of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies from the Enlightenment to the present. Students should gain an introduction to a specialised field in one of these areas. The subject aims to provide a broad understanding of the wider social literary or linguistic issues, concepts or methods involved in the respective field. On completion of the subject students should demonstrate a developing understanding of the material covered as well as an appreciation of specialist language through the use of sophisticated oral and written German.
Compulsory
Complete these subjects.
- German Cultural Studies C 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. By choosing one of the seminars, students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- German Cultural Studies D 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. Students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
Electives
Complete one of these subjects.
- Europe and its Others 12.5 pts
This subject explores portrayals and perceptions of perceived “Others” in Europe – such as Jews, Muslims, “gypsies” and refugees - and how they have contributed to European identities in the past and today. Looking at literature, film, philosophy, music, food and popular culture, the subject will seek to understand how Europe’s Others are essential to the formation and maintenance of national, ethnic and religious identities in many European countries. It will examine the role of Others “within” (such as the Jews) and Others “without” (such as colonial subjects) and consider kinds of European “Othering” that position the Other as either appealing and attractive or threatening and repulsive. From colonial-era exoticisation to present day xenophobia, European views of the Other have been central to definitions of the self and shaped the continent’s history, politics, culture and languages. Students will gain an appreciation of nation and national identity in Europe as a discursive and comparative process, and an understanding of the distinct national stories of a number of European countries.
- European Modernism 12.5 pts
European modernism refers to a wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in literature and arts at the end of the 19th and early 20th century and has proven a major influence on current (Western) literature, film and the arts. This course introduces students to key themes of modernist literature, theatre, and film in Europe. The course familiarizes students with key writers and thinkers of this period and will address the ways in which they provoked their readers/viewers through new and complex forms and styles. Major themes comprise the crisis of representation, the representation of cosmopolitanism and urban cultural dislocation, consciousness and memory, and sexuality. (Students undertaking this subject will be expected to regularly access an internet-enabled computer).
- Memory & Memoirs of 20th Century Europe 12.5 pts
The eye-witness account and the personal memoir offer powerful ways of exploring the human legacy of overwhelming historical events on individual lives. But how do literary genres like the memoir and autobiography manage to speak about unspeakable topics, how do they represent the unrepresentable and write about trauma? What is the function, and what the effect, of writing memory for the victim, for the reader, and for the perpetrator? How do the offspring of the victims and perpetrators "remember" their parents" traumas and shape memories of events they have only experienced second-hand? What is the relationship between fiction and memory in memoir writing and how do we read a testimonial of a Holocaust survivor that has been faked? This subject will introduce students to a selection of testimonial writing and films that tell individual stories of a shameful national past. It explores the effect of generic convention on the relation of history and memory, and the need for generic invention to speak trauma and tell the un-tellable. Its focus will be on the Holocaust, the Algerian War, and life under Eastern bloc communist regimes. This subject will focus on writing from France, Germany, and Italy in the first instance, but may from time to time include writing from other parts of Europe.
- Screening Europe: Image and Identity 12.5 pts
A team-taught study of European cinema during a period of intense political and social change. Students who complete this subject should be familiar with some of the major developments in cinematic representation in Europe from the early 20th century to the present. They should be able to relate the films studied to their national and European cultural and historical context.
Note: This subject is taught in English.
- Language and Society in Europe 12.5 pts
This subject examines the relationship between language and society in Europe. It focuses on issues of relevance in an increasingly integrated Europe in which European and other languages are in contact through migration, travel, business, and mass media, and in which English is taking on an important role as a lingua franca. The topics to be covered include: the relationship between majority and minority languages, dialects and the standard language; bilingualism and multilingualism; semi-communication; language planning at state and European levels; politeness and forms of address; and the status and influence of English.
Compulsory
- German 1 12.5 pts
This is an introductory subject for students with little or no knowledge of German. Its goal is to generate a firm grounding in the basics of German grammar and language structure in conjunction with the development of cultural literacy (including a sensitivity to the social contexts of communication). Students acquire a basic vocabulary, learn to discern and employ the structures, patterns and grammatical features of a foreign language, and develop the ability to engage with simple texts. Students reach a level of simple text production (eg. letters, emails, personal résumés or family backgrounds). Students will learn how to converse in a number of different informal communicative situations and begin to use language in limited formal settings. The study of culture is integrated into language acquisition and is designed to develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. This engagement with a range of different authentic texts and media will be embedded in the learning about key aspects of German, Austrian and Swiss culture.
- German 2 12.5 pts
This subject consolidates and builds upon the basic skills and knowledge acquired in German 1. It continues to provide a firm grounding in the fundamentals of German grammar, the tense system and language structure in conjunction with the development of cultural literacy, focussing on regional cultural and linguistic diversity in the German-speaking world. Through cultural components, which include architecture, music and literature, students enhance their vocabulary and engage with more complex grammatical and syntactic structures to enable them to understand more sophisticated texts drawn from a variety of sources – such as biographical, journalistic, popular media and literary texts – and expand their appreciation of texts in context. Emphasis is placed on increased oral proficiency, enhanced communicative skills and the ability to initiate and sustain conversation in a greater range of informal and formal settings. Students also improve their written proficiency in German through writing short narratives, i.e. news reports and biographies, and engage in guided creative writing.
Compulsory
- German 3 12.5 pts
This subject is for students who have completed German 1 and 2. It may also be taken by students who have been placed into this subject by the German Placement Test and who need to enrol at level 2. In this subject students extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations, rather than those generated with the language learner in mind. Students will learn the skills to deal with the complexity of authentic texts such as feature films, poetry, song lyrics and opinion articles, and to source information in German on the internet. Students also learn to communicate at a more sophisticated level, going beyond utterances focused exclusively on the self, and developing structures and vocabulary that enable them to express themselves in the context of broader social and cultural themes such as music and popular culture and notions of ethnicity, nationalism and belonging. Students begin to produce texts and utterances of a more critical nature such as film reviews and formal debates. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
- German 4 12.5 pts
In this subject, students further extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations.
Students will engage with authentic texts that deal with past and present themes of increasing complexity and that are of significance in German-speaking Europe. Feature and documentary film, opinion writing, pop songs and interviews are some of the genres students will encounter and that will provide the inspiration for personal expression of a moderate level of sophistication. The acquisition of advanced linguistic structures such as the subjunctive and passive will enable students to begin to express with more complexity their own experiences, wishes and views. They will begin to understand written German at a more formal level (such as newspaper reports). Students will make first attempts to deploy these structures in written form and verbal utterances that engage with personal and political themes in the context of 20th and 21st century historical, social and cultural developments in German-speaking countries. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
Compulsory
- German 5 12.5 pts
Students will consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as the German concept of "Heimat". Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types and learn how to discuss contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. Through the cultural studies seminars students will be introduced to central aspects of the literature, culture and linguistics of German-speaking countries. Students will become familiar with specialized terminology and will develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German 6 12.5 pts
Students will further consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as: e.g. relationships and individualism vs. community. Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types (eg. argumentative essays, reviews) and learn how to debate contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. The Cultural Studies seminars give students the opportunity to develop topics of interest within the general areas of German literature, linguistics and culture. Students will be introduced to a variety of specialized terminology and should develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
Compulsory
- German 3 12.5 pts
Students who have completed German 2 should enrol in GERM20004. Students who have been placed in German 3 after taking the German Placement Test may enrol in GERM10001. In this subject students extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations, rather than those generated with the language learner in mind. Students will learn the skills to deal with the complexity of authentic texts such as feature films, poetry, song lyrics and opinion articles, and to source information in German on the internet. Students also learn to communicate at a more sophisticated level, going beyond utterances focused exclusively on the self, and developing structures and vocabulary that enable them to express themselves in the context of broader social and cultural themes such as music and popular culture and notions of ethnicity, nationalism and belonging. Students begin to produce texts and utterances of a more critical nature such as film reviews and formal debates. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
- German 4 12.5 pts
In this subject, students further extend their competencies in writing, reading, speaking and listening by engaging with authentic texts and situations.
Students will engage with authentic texts that deal with past and present themes of increasing complexity and that are of significance in German-speaking Europe. Feature and documentary film, opinion writing, pop songs and interviews are some of the genres students will encounter and that will provide the inspiration for personal expression of a moderate level of sophistication. The acquisition of advanced linguistic structures such as the subjunctive and passive will enable students to begin to express with more complexity their own experiences, wishes and views. They will begin to understand written German at a more formal level (such as newspaper reports). Students will make first attempts to deploy these structures in written form and verbal utterances that engage with personal and political themes in the context of 20th and 21st century historical, social and cultural developments in German-speaking countries. On completion of the subject students should have attained a moderate level of complexity in speaking, aural comprehension, reading and writing of German.
Compulsory
- German 5 12.5 pts
Students will consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as the German concept of "Heimat". Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types and learn how to discuss contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. Through the cultural studies seminars students will be introduced to central aspects of the literature, culture and linguistics of German-speaking countries. Students will become familiar with specialized terminology and will develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German 6 12.5 pts
Students will further consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as: e.g. relationships and individualism vs. community. Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types (eg. argumentative essays, reviews) and learn how to debate contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. The Cultural Studies seminars give students the opportunity to develop topics of interest within the general areas of German literature, linguistics and culture. Students will be introduced to a variety of specialized terminology and should develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
Compulsory
- German 7 12.5 pts
This subject aims to consolidate and expand students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: communications media and consumer culture. It builds on the development of communicative skills in informal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to interviews and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and consolidate their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- German 8 12.5 pts
This subject aims to extend students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to further develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: affluence and education in the developed world. It builds on the development of communicative skills in more formal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to lectures and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and advance their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
Compulsory
- German 5 12.5 pts
Students will consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as the German concept of "Heimat". Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types and learn how to discuss contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. Through the cultural studies seminars students will be introduced to central aspects of the literature, culture and linguistics of German-speaking countries. Students will become familiar with specialized terminology and will develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
- German 6 12.5 pts
Students will further consolidate their ability to communicate in German in oral and written discourse and develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with key themes in modern German-speaking societies such as: e.g. relationships and individualism vs. community. Students will develop more advanced language skills through reading short newspaper and magazine articles and watching film and television clips. They will produce shorter texts of different types (eg. argumentative essays, reviews) and learn how to debate contemporary issues. Students will also gain an understanding of the principles of organizing language as well as developing proficiency in the use of the appropriate linguistic tools for the formation of situation-appropriate vocabulary, sentence and text structures. The Cultural Studies seminars give students the opportunity to develop topics of interest within the general areas of German literature, linguistics and culture. Students will be introduced to a variety of specialized terminology and should develop analytical skills relevant to the topic area.
Compulsory
- German 7 12.5 pts
This subject aims to consolidate and expand students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: communications media and consumer culture. It builds on the development of communicative skills in informal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to interviews and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and consolidate their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing more advanced skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- German 8 12.5 pts
This subject aims to extend students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to further develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: affluence and education in the developed world. It builds on the development of communicative skills in more formal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to lectures and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and advance their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing more advanced skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
Compulsory
Complete this subject.
- German 9 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
Electives
Complete one of these subjects.
- Europe and its Others 12.5 pts
This subject explores portrayals and perceptions of perceived “Others” in Europe – such as Jews, Muslims, “gypsies” and refugees - and how they have contributed to European identities in the past and today. Looking at literature, film, philosophy, music, food and popular culture, the subject will seek to understand how Europe’s Others are essential to the formation and maintenance of national, ethnic and religious identities in many European countries. It will examine the role of Others “within” (such as the Jews) and Others “without” (such as colonial subjects) and consider kinds of European “Othering” that position the Other as either appealing and attractive or threatening and repulsive. From colonial-era exoticisation to present day xenophobia, European views of the Other have been central to definitions of the self and shaped the continent’s history, politics, culture and languages. Students will gain an appreciation of nation and national identity in Europe as a discursive and comparative process, and an understanding of the distinct national stories of a number of European countries.
- European Modernism 12.5 pts
European modernism refers to a wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in literature and arts at the end of the 19th and early 20th century and has proven a major influence on current (Western) literature, film and the arts. This course introduces students to key themes of modernist literature, theatre, and film in Europe. The course familiarizes students with key writers and thinkers of this period and will address the ways in which they provoked their readers/viewers through new and complex forms and styles. Major themes comprise the crisis of representation, the representation of cosmopolitanism and urban cultural dislocation, consciousness and memory, and sexuality. (Students undertaking this subject will be expected to regularly access an internet-enabled computer).
- Memory & Memoirs of 20th Century Europe 12.5 pts
The eye-witness account and the personal memoir offer powerful ways of exploring the human legacy of overwhelming historical events on individual lives. But how do literary genres like the memoir and autobiography manage to speak about unspeakable topics, how do they represent the unrepresentable and write about trauma? What is the function, and what the effect, of writing memory for the victim, for the reader, and for the perpetrator? How do the offspring of the victims and perpetrators "remember" their parents" traumas and shape memories of events they have only experienced second-hand? What is the relationship between fiction and memory in memoir writing and how do we read a testimonial of a Holocaust survivor that has been faked? This subject will introduce students to a selection of testimonial writing and films that tell individual stories of a shameful national past. It explores the effect of generic convention on the relation of history and memory, and the need for generic invention to speak trauma and tell the un-tellable. Its focus will be on the Holocaust, the Algerian War, and life under Eastern bloc communist regimes. This subject will focus on writing from France, Germany, and Italy in the first instance, but may from time to time include writing from other parts of Europe.
- Screening Europe: Image and Identity 12.5 pts
A team-taught study of European cinema during a period of intense political and social change. Students who complete this subject should be familiar with some of the major developments in cinematic representation in Europe from the early 20th century to the present. They should be able to relate the films studied to their national and European cultural and historical context.
Note: This subject is taught in English.
- Language and Society in Europe 12.5 pts
This subject examines the relationship between language and society in Europe. It focuses on issues of relevance in an increasingly integrated Europe in which European and other languages are in contact through migration, travel, business, and mass media, and in which English is taking on an important role as a lingua franca. The topics to be covered include: the relationship between majority and minority languages, dialects and the standard language; bilingualism and multilingualism; semi-communication; language planning at state and European levels; politeness and forms of address; and the status and influence of English.
- German Cultural Studies C 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. By choosing one of the seminars, students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- German 10 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
- German Cultural Studies D 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. Students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- Languages at Work 12.5 pts
Learning a language culminates not only in linguistic and cultural proficiency but also in the development of advanced skills in areas valued by industry: intercultural competence, communication and lateral thinking. This subject offers students the opportunity to recognise and extend these skills by engaging with an industry collaborator in target-language communities in Australia. Students will work in teams to develop solutions, either to progress an existing project or to initiate a project, in consultation with the industry partner and in line with the rigour of workplace knowledge and processes. The subject brings together students from a mix of language majors and is taught in English, but will result in assessable outcomes in a target language.
The subject comprises three phases: 1) three initial weeks of seminars (delivered in English to students in all language streams) which introduce students to team- and project-work strategies, workplace culture, career pathways, as well as the industry partner’s multi-dimensional real-world challenge ; 2) eight weeks of collaborative work in a target language in response to a project brief, under close supervision and to a schedule of reporting deadlines; and 3) the presentation of project outcomes in the target language to an audience of industry specialists, community members and peers.
Compulsory
- German 7 12.5 pts
This subject aims to consolidate and expand students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: communications media and consumer culture. It builds on the development of communicative skills in informal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to interviews and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and consolidate their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
- German 8 12.5 pts
This subject aims to extend students' proficiency in both written and spoken language and to further develop cultural literacy in German by engaging with broad themes relevant to modern German-speaking societies such as: affluence and education in the developed world. It builds on the development of communicative skills in more formal settings and expands students’ competence in using more formal registers of contemporary German, demonstrating the differences between colloquial, formal and specialised registers where appropriate, and furthering skills in a greater variety of formal and informal contexts. Students will develop more advanced reading and listening skills through working with newspaper and magazine articles, listening to lectures and watching film and television clips. They will produce more complex texts of different types (eg. expository and argumentative essays, evaluative reviews and summaries) and advance their discussing and debating skills in relation to contemporary and historical issues. Students will also gain a more advanced understanding of grammar and the use of idiomatic expressions and sentence structures. Students will begin to gain proficiency in using specialized terminology and developing analytical skills in relation to specialist texts that will begin to prepare them to undertake studies at a German-speaking university.
Compulsory
- German 9 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
- German 10 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
Compulsory (option 1)
Complete this subject. Note: You may choose to complete option 2 instead.
- German Cultural Studies C 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. By choosing one of the seminars, students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
Compulsory (option 2)
Complete this subject. Note: You may choose to complete option 1 instead.
- German Cultural Studies D 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. Students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
Electives
Complete one of these subjects.
- Europe and its Others 12.5 pts
This subject explores portrayals and perceptions of perceived “Others” in Europe – such as Jews, Muslims, “gypsies” and refugees - and how they have contributed to European identities in the past and today. Looking at literature, film, philosophy, music, food and popular culture, the subject will seek to understand how Europe’s Others are essential to the formation and maintenance of national, ethnic and religious identities in many European countries. It will examine the role of Others “within” (such as the Jews) and Others “without” (such as colonial subjects) and consider kinds of European “Othering” that position the Other as either appealing and attractive or threatening and repulsive. From colonial-era exoticisation to present day xenophobia, European views of the Other have been central to definitions of the self and shaped the continent’s history, politics, culture and languages. Students will gain an appreciation of nation and national identity in Europe as a discursive and comparative process, and an understanding of the distinct national stories of a number of European countries.
- European Modernism 12.5 pts
European modernism refers to a wide range of experimental and avant-garde trends in literature and arts at the end of the 19th and early 20th century and has proven a major influence on current (Western) literature, film and the arts. This course introduces students to key themes of modernist literature, theatre, and film in Europe. The course familiarizes students with key writers and thinkers of this period and will address the ways in which they provoked their readers/viewers through new and complex forms and styles. Major themes comprise the crisis of representation, the representation of cosmopolitanism and urban cultural dislocation, consciousness and memory, and sexuality. (Students undertaking this subject will be expected to regularly access an internet-enabled computer).
- Memory & Memoirs of 20th Century Europe 12.5 pts
The eye-witness account and the personal memoir offer powerful ways of exploring the human legacy of overwhelming historical events on individual lives. But how do literary genres like the memoir and autobiography manage to speak about unspeakable topics, how do they represent the unrepresentable and write about trauma? What is the function, and what the effect, of writing memory for the victim, for the reader, and for the perpetrator? How do the offspring of the victims and perpetrators "remember" their parents" traumas and shape memories of events they have only experienced second-hand? What is the relationship between fiction and memory in memoir writing and how do we read a testimonial of a Holocaust survivor that has been faked? This subject will introduce students to a selection of testimonial writing and films that tell individual stories of a shameful national past. It explores the effect of generic convention on the relation of history and memory, and the need for generic invention to speak trauma and tell the un-tellable. Its focus will be on the Holocaust, the Algerian War, and life under Eastern bloc communist regimes. This subject will focus on writing from France, Germany, and Italy in the first instance, but may from time to time include writing from other parts of Europe.
- Screening Europe: Image and Identity 12.5 pts
A team-taught study of European cinema during a period of intense political and social change. Students who complete this subject should be familiar with some of the major developments in cinematic representation in Europe from the early 20th century to the present. They should be able to relate the films studied to their national and European cultural and historical context.
Note: This subject is taught in English.
- Language and Society in Europe 12.5 pts
This subject examines the relationship between language and society in Europe. It focuses on issues of relevance in an increasingly integrated Europe in which European and other languages are in contact through migration, travel, business, and mass media, and in which English is taking on an important role as a lingua franca. The topics to be covered include: the relationship between majority and minority languages, dialects and the standard language; bilingualism and multilingualism; semi-communication; language planning at state and European levels; politeness and forms of address; and the status and influence of English.
- German Cultural Studies C 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. By choosing one of the seminars, students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- German 10 12.5 pts
This subject is a comprehensive study of both the formal structures and the functional varieties of contemporary German in a wide range of text and discourse forms. Students should develop a refined use of idiomatic and conversational forms and the capacity to use them freely. a level of proficiency in complex written structures and the capacity to command their use freely and confidently. Students should also cultivate the ability to interpret messages independently at all levels of language use, including those occurring in a variety of audio-visual media and individual and group spoken forms.
- German Cultural Studies D 12.5 pts
This subject is offered in the form of a seminar which introduces research methods and materials in different specialised fields within the three core areas of Germanic studies: literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. The topics of the seminars include a range of representative texts, authors and approaches in the key areas of German literature, linguistics and cultural studies. Students will gain both an introduction to research methods and materials in Germanic studies and familiarity with a specialist field. Students should develop the ability to approach specific problems in a chosen area of interest through the critical use of sophisticated oral and written German.
- Languages at Work 12.5 pts
Learning a language culminates not only in linguistic and cultural proficiency but also in the development of advanced skills in areas valued by industry: intercultural competence, communication and lateral thinking. This subject offers students the opportunity to recognise and extend these skills by engaging with an industry collaborator in target-language communities in Australia. Students will work in teams to develop solutions, either to progress an existing project or to initiate a project, in consultation with the industry partner and in line with the rigour of workplace knowledge and processes. The subject brings together students from a mix of language majors and is taught in English, but will result in assessable outcomes in a target language.
The subject comprises three phases: 1) three initial weeks of seminars (delivered in English to students in all language streams) which introduce students to team- and project-work strategies, workplace culture, career pathways, as well as the industry partner’s multi-dimensional real-world challenge ; 2) eight weeks of collaborative work in a target language in response to a project brief, under close supervision and to a schedule of reporting deadlines; and 3) the presentation of project outcomes in the target language to an audience of industry specialists, community members and peers.