MODL 5301, German for Reading Knowledge

MODL 5301, German for Reading Knowledge

(Summer Semester I, 2010)

UTA Department of Modern Languages

Professor of Record: Lana Rings, Ph.D.

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 3:00 to 3:30 pm and by appointment

Office: Hammond Hall 327, Phone: 817/272-3161, Email:

Class Hours: 1:00 – 3:00 pm Monday through Thursday

Credit Hours: 3. Prerequisite: graduate status

Required Materials: German for Reading Knowledge, Fifth Edition (preferred), by Hubert Jannach and Richard Alan Korb (Boston: Thomson Heinle, 2005).

Gmail account

Access to German google: http://www.google.de/

Access to German online dictionary “Leo:” http://dict.leo.org/ (with access to grammar, pronunciation, corpora [examples of use], and definitions in German)

Recommended: Large English-German, German-English dictionary (Langenscheidt, Cassells, Pons, Collins, etc.)

Course Description: This course is a lecture, discussion, and reading course focusing on learning the basics of the German language in order to read specialized texts in German and understand issues surrounding language texts and their translation.

Course Objectives: Students in the humanities, arts, and social sciences will attain a basic knowledge of German that they can use independently to begin to read specialized literature in their respective fields.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Content: Students will demonstrate reading skill in German by rendering the meaning of texts in English, 1) with the use of a dictionary and 2) with the use of other tools. Students will explain relationships between language and meaning, translation and meaning, and language/meaning and their field of study.

What You Will Do:

Working with the textbook: You’ll work on one or more chapters a day. We’ll do some exploratory preview as time allows before each chapter, and you’ll come to class prepared to state what the German text in the chapter says, as well as what some of the practice sentences say. You will hand in sample translations on a weekly basis on Thursdays, which will be returned the following Monday with comments and suggestions.

Working with your chosen text: During the first week you’ll choose an online text written in German, either a translation of a literary work from English, French, or Spanish, or an academic article about literature or history. You’ll work through understanding what it means and translating it. Helpful links are provided below. You’ll hand in sample translations on Thursdays, beginning with the second Thursday of the session.

Working with your thoughts, on your reflection piece: As you work through the language issues, translation, and meaning issues, I want you to develop your own understanding in answer to the following questions, which you will write up at the end of the session (500-750 words) and bring to the final exam:

What is this course teaching you about your own field?

What is this course teaching you about the specific topic of your chosen text?

What is this course teaching you about the author of your chosen text?

What is this course teaching you about the use of language in your chosen text?

What is this course teaching you about the perspective/point of view of your chosen text and/or its author(s)?

What is this course teaching you about translation, about meaning, about language, about culture, about reading/translating for meaning, about interpretation?

Working toward the Final Exam: During the final exam you will have two hours to work on translation and interpretation. During the first hour you will be given an excerpt from your chosen text, and you will be asked to translate it. You will be allowed to use some tools, which we will discuss in class. During the second hour you will be given the beginning of a text, which you have never seen before. You’ll be asked to translate a short segment and determine the topic and perspective of the text. You will be allowed to use some tools, which we will discuss in class.

Method of Evaluation:

This is a pass-fail course. Students passing the final examination, including the reflection piece, will pass the course. Students who fail it will fail the course.

Students will hand in sample translations on a weekly basis on Thursdays, which will be returned the following Monday with comments and suggestions.

Grade Scale: Pass: 100-60; Fail: 59-0

Methods of Presentation: The instructor may use lectures, debates, group/individual in-class oral or written work, group/individual projects, or Internet projects.

Attendance: Regular, punctual classroom attendance is expected of all students. All classes and exams are based upon that assumption. You are responsible for acquiring class notes if you have to miss.

Language Lab: The Language Acquisition Center (LAC), located on the third floor of Trimble Hall, offers audio, video and computer services. Your instructor will guide you in your use of the "Lab" and its holdings. LAB HOURS: Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Library: Jody Bailey is the Foreign Languages Librarian. She can be reached at 817/272-7516, and by email at . Furthermore, you will find some useful research information at: http://www.uta.edu/library/research/rt-foreign.html.

Withdrawals: Please note the procedures for graduate students to withdraw from class with a "W". Be aware that after this date you will receive an academic grade in the course. Initiating the drop procedure is the student's responsibility. If you have any questions about withdrawals, please see me after class.

Americans With Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 93112--The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As an instructor, I am required by law to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. It is the student’s responsibility to inform faculty at the beginning of the semester and to provide authorized documentation through designated administrative channels.

Academic Dishonesty: It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University.

"Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents' Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3.2, Subdivision 3.22)

English (and American), French, Spanish, Latin American literature: If you find sites that have literary histories, they often have the names of authors and their works, titles of epochs (e.g. Romanticism), and links to more information on the works, authors, etc. Sometimes they even have links to the works in German translation.

English, French, Spanish Literature

To find specific authors whose works are available online in German, search Gutenberg Spiegel. Examples from Spanish, French, and English are:

Cervantes: http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/index.php?id=19&autorid=96&autor_vorname=+Miguel+de&autor_nachname=Cervantes+Saavedra&cHash=b31bbae2c6

Racine:

http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/index.php?id=19&autorid=479&autor_vorname=+Jean&autor_nachname=Racine&cHash=b31bbae2c6

Shakespeare:

http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/index.php?id=19&autorid=548&autor_vorname=+William&autor_nachname=Shakespeare&cHash=b31bbae2c6

Search topics: spanische Literatur or Literaturgeschichte, französische Literatur or Literaturgeschichte, englische Literatur or Literaturgeschichte

AT THE BOTTOM OF WIKIPEDIA ARTICLES YOU CAN SOMETIMES FIND SOME GOOD SOURCES AS WELL.

Lists of English-language authors on Wikipedia (see bottoms of pages for links to sources, works, etc.): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_englischsprachiger_Schriftsteller

Children and Youth Literature in English, links to authors and sources:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_der_englischen_Kinder-_und_Jugendliteratur

French literature and history:

http://www.pinkernell.de/romanistikstudium/

List of French authors with links to other sources:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_franz%C3%B6sischer_Schriftsteller

Spanish author links, etc.:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanische_Literatur

Spanische Literatur: can be compared with more academic texts and ideas that students have already read

http://www.sprachcaffe.de/Sprachreisen/sprachschulen/Spanien/literatur.htm

History of Spanish literature by an academic in German studies who writes literature reviews for name German news magazines and newspapers, works on Kindlers Lexikon

Latin American literature with links to authors:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anf%C3%A4nge_der_lateinamerikanischen_Literatur

Transatlantic History (transatlantische Geschichte)

From Leibniz University

The Transatlantic Slave Trade: The Case of Dahomey:

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Transatlantischer_Sklavenhandel_-_Das_Beispiel_Dahomey

History from Leibniz University

African History:

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Portal:Afrikanische_Geschichte

Agrarian History

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Agrargeschichte

Ancient History:

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Altertumswissenschaften_und_ihre_Teilgebiete

and

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Portal:Alte_Geschichte

Military History:

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Milit%C3%A4rgeschichte200X

and JSTOR articles:

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Einf%C3%BChrungsartikel_Milit%C3%A4rgeschichte

(from: http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Portal:Milit%C3%A4rgeschichte)

Medieval History:

Hildegard of Bingen: http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Hildegard_von_Bingen

Medieval view of history: http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Mittelalterliche_Auffassung_%C3%BCber_den_Ablauf_der_Weltgeschichte

Online Tutorial for medieval history: http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Online-Tutorium_f%C3%BCr_mittelalterliche_Geschichte

Early modern history (University of Münster):

http://www.uni-muenster.de/FNZ-Online/

Early modern from Historicum:

http://www.historicum.net/

Virtual Library on History at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg:

http://www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=66

History of Celle (northern Germany) around 1700:

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Celle_um_1700

Germany’s regional history:

http://www.lwg.uni-hannover.de/wiki/Regionalgeschichte

Various topics on history at the University of Marburg Digital Archives:

http://www.digam.net/

Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Germany History:

Virtual Museums’ Exhibitions:

http://www.dhm.de/lemo/

World War II:

http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/wk2/

At the bottom of the above link: personal memories by individuals

Modern History, Virtual Library at the Historical Center in Hagen:

http://www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=259

WWII: Allied Bombing War: http://www.historicum.net/themen/bombenkrieg

VARIOUS: http://www.historicum.net/themen

AT THE BOTTOM OF WIKIPEDIA ARTICLES YOU CAN SOMETIMES FIND SOME GOOD SOURCES AS WELL.

Timeline. Subject to change:

Each Thursday: hand in translation (to be specified)

Week 1: Chapters 1-5; choose individual translations; write reflection notes as ideas occur to you

Week 2: Chapters 5-10; work on individual translations; write reflection notes

Week 3: Chapters 10-15; work on individual translations; explore translator toolkit; write reflection notes

Week 4: Chapters 15-20; work with gmail account; write reflection notes

Week 5: Chapters 20-25; preparation for exam; write reflection notes

Final Exam: two translations/interpretations of excerpts from 1) your chosen text with which you have been working all session and 2) a text you have never seen before. You will also write a reflection piece based on thoughts you have had all session.