GERM 3225 - Introduction to German Literature

Introduction to German Literature is a core Topics course of the Department of European Languages, and Linguistics. Taught at a lower-advanced level entirely in the target language, the course introduces students to the study of literature through a focus on canonical and popular literary texts. Although the specific focus of the course will vary from semester to semester, you can expect to encounter a broad range of genres and historical periods. This course is designed to be a forum where students can use their encounter with literature to hone their language skills in the areas of speaking, writing, listening and reading. For students enrolling through German Studies, the course introduces you to German Literature and its cultural contexts. Course readings, presented in the form of short texts or excerpts, gradually increase in linguistic and thematic complexity. They are taken from a range of literary genres, including poetry, the short story and the novel, and cover the major literary periods from the 18th to the 21st centuries. A focus throughout the course: developing language tools to read, understand and critically interpret German literary texts and to effectively communicate ideas about those texts orally and in writing. Taught entirely in German.