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Autumn Quarter 2009 Course Descriptions

[ Dutch ]. [ German ]. [ Scandinavian ]. [ Swedish ]. [ Yiddish ].

The class numbers for this quarter can be found on the Registrar's Class Search

Dutch

There are no Dutch courses offered this quarter.

German

Taught at 9:30 / 10:30 / 11:30 / 12:30 / 1:30
Introduction to German; development of listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing skills and cultural knowledge.
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
Please note: Students should attend one of the initial orientation sessions. In this program, students work by appointment with the Center's instructors to set goals and to receive assistance with self-managed learning. Students register for and complete from 1 to 5 credit hours during the quarter. Students who complete 5 hours before the end of the quarter may proceed to 102.51. For the dates of the orientation sessions and for more information about the program, visit the Individualized Instruction Web site at http://germanic.osu.edu/individualized-51/default-simpl.cfm
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
Taught at 9:30 / 10:30 / 2:30
Continued development of listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing skills and cultural knowledge.
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
Please note: Students should attend one of the initial orientation sessions. In this program, students work by appointment with the Center's instructors to set goals and to receive assistance with self-managed learning. Students register for and complete from 1 to 5 credit hours during the quarter. Students who complete 5 hours before the end of the quarter may proceed to 103.51. For the dates of the orientation sessions and for more information about the program, visit the Individualized Instruction Web site at http://germanic.osu.edu/individualized-51/default-simpl.cfm
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
MTWRF 11:30
Intensive review of basic structures, vocabulary and skills needed for entry into German 103.01
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
Taught at 8:30 / 9:30 / 12:30 / 2:30
Continued development of listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing skills and cultural knowledge; grammar review.
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
Please note: Students should attend one of the initial orientation sessions. In this program, students work by appointment with the Center's instructors to set goals and to receive assistance with self-managed learning. Students register for and complete from 1 to 5 credit hours during the quarter. Students who complete 5 hours before the end of the quarter may proceed to 104.51. For the dates of the orientation sessions and for more information about the program, visit the Individualized Instruction Web site at http://germanic.osu.edu/individualized-51/default-simpl.cfm
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
MTWRF 10:30 / 12:30
Intensive review of basic structures, vocabulary and skills needed for entry into German 104.
Text: Deutsch: Na klar! 5th edition (shrink-wrapped pack), Di Donato, et al.
Taught M W F — 8:30 - 9:48 / 10:00 - 11:18 / 11:30 - 12:48 / 1:30 - 2:48
Vocabulary building, reading, listening and written practice; cultural knowledge.
Text: Stationen: Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe
Please note: Students should attend one of the initial orientation sessions. In this program, students work by appointment with the Center's instructors to set goals and to receive assistance with self-managed learning. Students register for and complete from 1 to 5 credit hours during the quarter. For the dates of the orientation sessions and for more information about the program, visit the Individualized Instruction Web site at http://germanic.osu.edu/individualized-51/default-simpl.cfm
Texts: Blickwechsel, German in Review, and the Langenscheidt Standard German Dictionary
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— 5 Credit Hours
B. Heck, email: heck.17@osu.edu
M W F 10:30—11:48
B. Heck, email: heck.17@osu.edu
M W F 1:00—2:18
German 201 is a prerequisite for the German major and minor programs and for semester- or year-long study-abroad programs in Germany. To prepare students for either experience, and to encourage continued study of German for all others, the course covers a wide range of important skills and knowledge areas, with attention being paid both to the language and to "content"—information about Germany, German culture, literature, and socio-political developments in German-speaking countries—a required skill for prospective teachers and for all others who wish to use German in their careers.
Textbooks: Dreyer and Schmitt, Practice Grammar of German; Dreyer and Schmitt, Lösungsschlüssel; Koepke, Die Deutschen; and Brussig, Am kürzeren Ende der Sonnenallee.
Prof. Fischer, email: fischer.5@osu.edu
T R 11:30—1:18
Reading and discussion of German literary texts representing significant prose types, authors, and periods including fairytale, fable, diary, short story, novella, essay, and novel.
T R 11:30—1:18 / Instructor: K. Hetrick
Required textbooks: Patrick Suskind, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer; Bernhard Schlink, The Reader; Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis & Other Stories.
This course will be taught in English. GEC arts and hums lit course
Study of popular culture forms in relation to the artistic, intellectual, historic, and literary traditions of the German-speaking world.
M W 3:00—4:48 / Instructor: S. Luly
Required textbooks: Zipes, J. The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (3rd Edition); Tully, Carol, ed. Romantic Fairy Tales.
This course will be taught in English. GEC arts and hums lit course
Study of popular culture forms in relation to the artistic, intellectual, historic, and literary traditions of the German-speaking world.
German 293 Individual Studies — 2-5 Credit Hours
Prereq: Written permission of chairperson.
Prof. Davidson, email: davidson.92@osu.edu
T R 6:00—8:18 pm GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course
Taught in English !
This course, taught entirely in English, includes material from the Weimar Republic, the Nazi period, and, the post-WWII era in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). In exploring the literature, films, art, and architecture representative of these periods, we will concentrate on three aspects of National Socialism: its roots in late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Europe; its manifestation in everyday life during the Third Reich; and, its legacy for post-WWII Germans individually and collectively.
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M W F 12:00—1:18
Prof. Byram, email: byram.4@osu.edu
German 301 is the first language and cultural skills course on the advanced level. In addition to printed materials, students will utilize Web-based resources. Students will explore events, accomplishments, shortcomings, trends, and ideas in German culture, science, politics, and society from the Revolution of 1848 to the end of the Third Reich.
Textbooks: Dreyer and Schmitt, Practice Grammar of German; Dreyer and Schmitt, Lösungsschlüssel; Koepke, Die Deutschen; and Richter, Damals war es Friedrich.
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M W F 12:00—1:18
Prof. Spencer, email: spencer.4@osu.edu
German 301 is the first language and cultural skills course on the advanced level. In addition to printed materials, students will utilize Web-based resources. Students will explore events, accomplishments, shortcomings, trends, and ideas in German culture, science, politics, and society from the Revolution of 1848 to the end of the Third Reich.
Textbooks: Dreyer and Schmitt, Practice Grammar of German; Dreyer and Schmitt, Lösungsschlüssel; Koepke, Die Deutschen; and Kästner, Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer.
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T R 1:30—3:18 GEC second writing course
Prof. Ribaj, email: ribaj.1@osu.edu
German perspectives on and in 20th-century American culture. Influence of German thought and writings on American culture; German views of American culture. Taught in English.
Textbooks: Ladd, Ghosts of Berlin; Florida, Who's Your City?. (Chabon's Wonderboys is an optional text.)
Prof. Reitter, email: reitter.4@osu.edu
T R 3:30—5:18 GEC arts and hums lit course
Reading, analysis, and discussion of representative works pertaining to the Holocaust from the perspectives of the German and Ashkenazic traditions.
M W F 9:00—10:18
B. Heck, email: heck.17@osu.edu
German 401 is the second language and cultural skills course on the advanced level and builds upon knowledge acquired in German 301. It is meant for students who have begun to master advanced skills in writing, speaking, reading, and listening and are venturing into the complexities and subtleties of the German language. We will review difficult points of German structure, discuss variations in style and regionalisms and work on building vocabulary and using it correctly. Materials used for analysis will include written texts, images as well as music and performance that represent highlights in German culture and history from the early Middle Ages through the beginning of the Second Empire. The comprehensive goal of the course is to enable students to discuss fundamental aspects of early German history in an informed manner and at an advanced level of speaking and writing.
Textbooks: Dreyer and Schmitt, Practice Grammar of German; Dreyer and Schmitt, Lösungsschlüssel; and Koepke, Die Deutschen. Novel tba.
M W F 2:30—3:18
Prof. Spencer, email: spencer.4@osu.edu
Practice in spoken German on topics of general interest and current events.
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T R 3:30—5:18
Prof. Malkmus, email: malkmus.1@osu.edu
This course introduces students to major intellectual, artistic and social trends in German culture over the past two centuries based on readings and the presentation of music and the visual arts including films. The class format will consist of lectures and class discussion in German. The course is also intended to improve a variety of language skills.
Taught in German.
Prof. Ribaj, email: ribaj.1@osu.edu
M W F 9:30—10:48
The fundamentals of German grammar, as required for the reading of German texts in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
German 572 German for Research I — 3 Credit Hours — G
Prof. Ribaj, email: ribaj.1@osu.edu
ARR
Satisfactory completion of this course (grade of A or B) may be accepted by the student's dept as evidence of a dictionary reading knowledge in fulfillment of PhD language requirement.
German 573 German for Research II — 3 Credit Hours — G
Prof. Ribaj, email: ribaj.1@osu.edu
ARR
Reading of difficult material at a reasonable rate of speed and with only infrequent use of dictionaries. Completion of this course with grade of A or B may be accepted by the student's Dept. as evidence of a thorough reading knowledge of German.
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German 693 Individual Studies — 2-5 Credit Hours
Prereq: Signature of undergraduate advisor or Graduate Studies Committee chair as applicable.
Prereq: Written permission of department chairperson.
T R 1:30—3:18
Prof. Fischer, email: fischer.5@osu.edu
This course, required of all M.A. candidates in German, serves as an introduction to the methods and tools of literary research. Students will become familiar with standard bibliographical work, the MLA handbook, and other aids in the preparation of seminar and research papers. The course also serves as an introduction to the professional concerns of Germanistik/Literaturwissenschaft/German Studies, historical developments in and contemporary aspects of literary criticism, as well as basic principles of poetics, rhetoric, editorial practice, and stylistic analysis.
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Prof. Mergenthaler, email: mergenthaler.4@osu.edu
M W 1:30—3:18
This course provides an intensive and selective, problem-oriented introduction to German-language poetry from the Baroque to the present, with an emphasis on both lyric practice and theory. We will proceed chronologically, focusing on prominent authors and pertinent questions of the lyric, including:
  • Spiritual vs. worldly poetry (Gryphius)
  • Language to "Move the Soul" (Klopstock)
  • Classical Greece vs. Modern Germany (Schiller, Goethe)
  • Poetry and Philosophy (Hölderlin)
  • The Politics of Poetry (Heine)
  • Symbols vs. Expressions (George, Hofmannsthal; Trakl, Benn, Lasker-Schüler)
  • Poetry after Auschwitz (Celan, Bachmann)
  • Contemporary reflections on History (Beyer, Grünbein, Scheuermann, Utler)
  • Poetry between cultures (Bodrozic, Şenocak)
Taught in German.
Prof. Corl, email: corl.1@osu.edu
September 8—September 18, 2009: GTA workshops; and
during Autumn Quarter: Thursdays 3:30—6:18
This course is required for new GTAs in German.
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Prof. Byram, email: byram.4@osu.edu
W 3:30—6:18
In European literary studies, the term "realism" is often used to describe the texts of the late nineteenth century. Certainly, many authors of this period conceived of and presented themselves as providing an accurate picture of "reality" in their literature. Yet the German-language texts of this period differ greatly from one another in their subjects and their style, and, at the same time, some of the features of this realism surface again in many authors and literary movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In this course, we will investigate the continuities and differences between various "realist" movements. In doing so, we will consult both fictional texts and the theoretical and secondary writings that have accompanied or analyzed them. As we read, we will investigate how authors and scholars have answered fundamental questions about realistic writing: What constitutes realism? Are there textual characteristics or thematic concerns that can be deemed essential to all realisms? Is there a fundamental difference between realism and other literary movements (e.g. modernism or postmodernism)?
Prof. Mark Conroy
M W 11:30—1:18
Interdisciplinary study of a movement (phenomenology, deconstruction, etc.) or problem (intentionality, evaluation, etc,.) in literary theory.
Prereq: Background in critical theory recommended. Repeatable to a maximum of 10 cr hrs. Cross-listed.
German 893 Individual Studies — 2-5 Credit Hours
Prereq: Permission of chair of Graduate Studies Committee.
ARR
Opportunity for advanced graduate students to plan and teach in conjunction with faculty member a course at 200 or higher level. Prereq: A minimum of one year experience as GTA.
T 3:30—6:18
Prof. Becker-Cantarino, email: becker-cantarino.1@osu.edu
We will start with describing and defining "violence" (Gewalt), its ethical implications and some theoretical as well as historical views on gender and violence. Then we will concentrate on two areas of violence in early modern times: the witch hunts, that were mostly directed against women, and the (religious) wars and conquests.
On the basis of short excerpts from original texts, we will study the debates for and against the witch hunts, the religious concept of "witch," the actual prosecution of women (children and men) believed to be witches, the procedures used in the trials, and the reasons for change during the Enlightenment, and literary reflections of "the witch" in Shakespeare and Faust I. Turning to the religious wars and conquests, we will read closely Grimmelshausen's complex novel Courasche and situate it into the context of the Thirty Years War and early modern occurrences and representations of violence and war. Gryphius' play Catharina von Georgien will serve as an example of a martyr play and of the complex of "suffering." A very brief look at Lessing's Nathan der Weise will illustrate the Enlightenment position. The persecution of "others" (religious, ethnic, and national "others") will be framed by contemporary discussions of violence versus tolerance, of "just war" versus pacifism (Kant, Eternal Peace).Time permitting, the course will conclude with a very brief look at violence in contemporary Germany.—The discussions will be framed by looking at some of the historical and theoretical (psychological and ethical) issues involved in representing, analyzing, understanding, and confronting violence (Arendt, Foucault, Norbert Elias).
Texts are available in English translations; course will be conducted in English.

Texts:
Shakespeare, Macbeth
Grimmelshausen, Courasche, Reclam UB 7998
Gryphius, Catharina von Georgien Reclam UB 9751
Lessing, Nathan der Weise Reclam UB 3
Kant, Zum ewigen Frieden Reclam UB 1501
Goethe, Faust I, Reclam UB 1

Recommended: Foucault, Discipline and Punish, ISBN 0679752552
Arendt, On Violence. Harvest Books, 1970, ISBN 9780156695008

Short selections from among others (depending on student interest, master for copies provided): Erasmus, Luther, Lohenstein, Spee; Arendt; Jessica Benjamin; Walter Benjamin; Foucault; Klaus Theweleit; Norbert Elias; Maria Tartar's Lustmord (1995); perhaps a couple of recent Spiegel pieces on "Gewalt," time permitting.
German 993 Individual Studies — 1-5 Credit Hours
Prereq: Signature of Graduate Studies Committee chair.
Research for master's thesis.
Research for dissertation purposes only.

Scandinavian

Prof. Kaplan, email: kaplan.103@osu.edu
T R 9:30—11:18 GEC arts and hums lit course
What do we know about Thor and Odin, and how do we know it? This course examines the myths of the Old Norse gods and the sources in which those myths are recorded. Students will gain insight into the world view and beliefs of the pagan North by reading (in English translation) the most important textual sources on Scandinavia's pre-Christian mythology. Placename, archaeological, and other evidence will also be discussed. Students intrigued by the Viking Age, medieval Northern Europe, or the interpretation of myth will find much of interest.
Required texts: Carolyn Larrington's edition of The Poetic Edda, Anthony Faulkes' edition of Edda, and John Lindow's Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Tacitus' The Agricola and The Germania is an optional text.

Swedish

Prof. Blackwell, email:blackwell.4@osu.edu
MTWRF 9:30-
Text: Althén, Anette. Mål 1 Lärobok (textbook with CD); Althén, Anette. Mål Övningsbok (workbook). Both Stockholm: Natur och Kultur (2007 edition).
Prof. Blackwell, email:blackwell.4@osu.edu
M W F 12:30—1:48
Text: Althén, Anette. Mål 2 Lärobok (textbook with CD); Althén, Anette. Mål Övningsbok (workbook). Both Stockholm: Natur och Kultur (2007 edition).
Swedish 293 Individual Studies — 2-5 Credit Hours
Prereq: 104 or equiv or permission of instructor. Taught in Swedish.
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Yiddish

Yiddish is the language of the largest country in Europe; a key to the last thousand years of Jewish life; the language of a great national culture; and the secret of what makes today's Jews the way they are.
Yiddish 101-104 provides a comprehensive foundation in speaking, reading, writing, and comprehending the national language of Ashkenazic Jewry.Yiddish language courses are applicable toward satisfaction of the foreign language requirement.
Cancelled.
Yiddish 241 Yiddish Culture — 5 Credit Hours
Prof. Miller, miller.3@osu.edu
MTWRF 12:30—1:18 GEC arts and hums cultures and ideas course
From Crackow to Columbus, from Brooklyn to Beechwood, the great majority of American Jews are heirs to the thousand-year old culture of Ashkenaz—the largest country in Europe. Yiddish 241 explores the culture of Ashkenaz in its many forms of expression —literature, film, folklore, family life, food, politics, religion, academics, sports, entertainment, immigration, assimilation, self-assertion, marginality, subversion, and the "Jewishing" of the American dream.
Yiddish 293 Individual Studies — 1-5 Credit Hours
Prereq: Written permission of instructor.
CANCELLED!
GEC second writing course
Introduction to Jewish-American literature; development of expository writing and argumentation skills through systematic and critical reflection upon their own country from the perspective of an ethnic community.
Prereq: English 110 or 111 or equiv, and soph standing or above.
Prof. Jacobs, jacobs.8@osu.edu
T R 1:30—3:18 GEC arts and hums lit course
Taught in English . . .
Reading and analysis of texts (primary documents, memoirs, academic works, fictional literature), and presentation and discussion of films and music pertaining to the topic of the Holocaust, the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany against European Jewry. The main focus of this course is internal: on the representation of the experiences, responses, reactions, and impact of the Holocaust within Ashkenazic-Jewish civilization.
Yiddish 641 Places in Ashkenaz — 5 Credit Hours
Prof. Miller, miller.3@osu.edu
T R 3:30—5:18
Jewish society of a specific place (e.g., Vienna; Amsterdam); tradition and modernity; assimilation and continuity; cultural, literary, and linguistic expression; arts and entertainment.
Prereq: Jr standing or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for German 641, without permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 15 cr hrs. Specific topics not repeatable for credit.
Prof. Jacobs, jacobs.8@osu.edu
T R 11:30-1:18
This course covers the entire grammar of Yiddish. By the end of the quarter you should be able to read an academic article in your area of specialization with moderate use of a dictionary. In addition, students will be exposed to all levels of spoken Yiddish, and should be able to follow academic spoken material, such as news broadcasts, monologues, etc. The course also covers issues in Yiddish stylistics, and provides an introduction to bibliographic tools in the field.
This course moves quite rapidly. Knowledge of German helps significantly, as Yiddish and German are very similar—at least on the surface. So, the course is designed for people who have a knowledge equivalent to German 301 or higher. However, if you don't know German, but know a few other languages, and can learn a new language at an exciting pace—you are welcome as well.
Yiddish 693 Individual Studies — 1-5 Credit Hours
Prereq: Written permission of instructor.
Prereq: Written permission of department chairperson.
CANCELLED !
In-depth study of a selected topic or issue in Yiddish literature, linguistics, or intellectual culture.
Yiddish 998 Research in Yiddish — 1-10 Credit Hours
Research for thesis purposes only. Prereq: Permission of instructor.
Information in this course description bulletin is subject to change.

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