German: Language, Literature, Culture (including courses in English)

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  • CAS LG 111: First-Semester German
    For beginners or according to placement test results. Introduction to grammar, vocabulary, structure of German, emphasizing the four basic skills: speaking, writing, listening, and reading. (If CAS LG 112 or a more advanced college-level course has been completed, this course may not be taken for credit.)
  • CAS LG 112: Second-Semester German
    Continues study and practice of the basic skills of speaking, writing, and reading German. Conversational dialogues, reading of short texts, grammar sessions, compositions. Conducted in German. (If a more advanced college-level course has been completed, this course may not be taken for credit.)
  • CAS LG 211: Third-Semester German
    Further development of communicative skills acquired in the first year, emphasizing both production (speaking, writing) and comprehension (listening, reading). Grammar review. Reading and discussion of selected short stories, poetry, and plays as well as nonliterary texts. Conducted in German.
  • CAS LG 212: Fourth-Semester German
    Continued development of communicative skills and strategies for functioning socially in German-language contexts. Students learn to understand literary and nonliterary texts. Conducted in German. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS LG 250: Masterpieces of German Literature (in English Translation)
    Introduction to the major works of German literature, emphasizing methods of close reading and the art of critical writing. Texts by Johannes von Saaz, J.W. Goethe, Heinrich von Kleist, Georg Bochner, Robert Musil, Ingeborg Bachmann and others. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS LG 283: The Faust Tradition
    Comparative study of the Faust theme, 1500 to present: Marlowe, Goethe, Mann, Gertrude Stein, Jan Svankmajer, others. Transmission and adaptation of literary themes within and between national traditions. Emphasis on close reading and research, use of theory and criticism. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS LG 305: Science and Culture
    How do science, humanities, and arts intersect and influence cultural attitudes towards society, nature, and the environment? Students progress in all language skills and acquire reading and communicative strategies necessary to discuss the sciences in German. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS LG 307: Modern Society and Culture
    Exploration of life and social issues in the German-speaking world through media, press, and a recent novel and film. Students progress in all language skills and acquire reading and communicative strategies necessary to discuss complex cultural topics. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS LG 308: Food Culture in German-Speaking Countries
    What is German food culture? How does regional and global food shape our community, culture and identity? Debates on sustainable food choices and food waste initiatives. In this advanced language course, students progress in all language skills through analyses of media, images, a graphic novel, short stories and film, and acquire reading and communicative strategies necessary to discuss food-related and complex cultural topics. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Creativity/Innovation
  • CAS LG 309: German for the Professions
    Advanced study of German through analysis of materials ranging from expository texts, advertisements, and business case studies to current events. Students acquire professional communication strategies and gain sophistication in written communication, intercultural analysis, interviewing techniques, and presentation skills. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS LG 315: Introduction to German Linguistics
    Introduction to major subfields of German linguistics: phonetics/ phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, historical linguistics, regional variation, and sociolinguistic aspects such as gender and English influence. Course also aims to improve students' German proficiency and pronunciation. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
  • CAS LG 325: Modern German History and Culture through Film
    Feature films about the legacies of World War II in East and West Germany, the effects of reunification, topics in present-day Germany and its multicultural scene. Readings on film art and the different historical contexts involved. Conducted in German. Also offered as CAS CI 390 D1.
  • CAS LG 345: German for Business and Economics
    Introduction to the language of business and to the German economy within the context of European integration and globalization. Includes online research, group projects, skits, and panel discussions.
  • CAS LG 350: Introduction to German Literature
    Masterpieces of German literature representing major eras and genres from the eighteenth century to the present. Practical introduction to methods of close reading and literary interpretation; class discussion. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing- Intensive Course.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS LG 388: World Cities: Berlin
    This course explores Berlin's urban imaginary, investigating cinematic, written and visual texts, architecture and urban planning to witness the complex, exciting, and sometimes tragic history of Berlin and to understand how people make sense of cities in general. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS LG 402: Senior Independent Work
  • CAS LG 450: Origins of German Culture
    Survey of major developments in the cultural history of German-speaking countries, from the Middle Ages through the Enlightenment. Literature, expository texts, music, art and architecture, and their influence on contemporary cultural debates. Course conducted in German. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS LG 453: Romanticism
    Poetry and prose of major authors (Tieck, Novalis, Schlegel, Brentano, Gunderode, Eichendorff, Hoffmann), their connection to music and art and to German Idealism. Emergence of the fairy-tale. Women and the literary salons.
  • CAS LG 456: Twentieth-Century Culture: Since 1945
    Survey of postwar and contemporary German-language literature in its cultural-historical context. The Nazi past and the Holocaust; the economic rise of West Germany and accompanying disillusionment; East Germany's socialist ideal and reality; German reunification; women's voices; migrant and transnational literature. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS LG 461: German Poetry
    Introduction to poetry as the history and science of feeling; major poets and poems of the German language from 1600 to the present. Training in close readings and interpretation. Historical and poetic contexts; musical settings (Lieder). Group work, writing, class discussion.

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