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German, Russian, and Classical Studies
Professor Pelzer, Chair
On Special Appointment: Adjunct Assistant Professors Puckett-Stroh, Richmond, Schorlemmer
The study of a culture through its language offers insights into unfamiliar worlds which cannot be realized in any other way; such study is one of the distinguishing features of a liberal arts education. Moreover, competence in a language other than English can provide a decided advantage for any post-graduate education or career objective. In addition to literature courses, various culture courses (some taught in the language of study, others in English) make aspects of this cultural tradition available to all students.
The Department also strongly encourages all students to investigate Occidental’s opportunities for study abroad. In recent years, students from a wide variety of departments, including the sciences, have taken advantage of these programs, greatly enhancing their education and future opportunities. These programs exemplify Occidental’s ideal of a liberal education that increases sensitivity to and appreciation of other cultures.
GERMAN
MINOR: Five courses (20 units) numbered German 202 and above. Three of the five courses must be completed as Occidental courses.
GROUP LANGUAGE MAJOR: Students may combine German with another language (Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish) into a Group Language major by taking at least five courses (20 units) numbered 202 and above in German (two of which can be taken, upon faculty approval, in related areas such as history, art history, politics, language learning/linguistics), and five courses (20 units) in the other language. Students planning a Group Language major are encouraged to participate in Occidental’s abroad programs as part of their plan of study. Interested students should consult with faculty in both languages before entering the group program.
WRITING REQUIREMENT AND COMPREHENSIVE REQUIREMENT: The specifics of the writing requirement and the comprehensive requirement will be determined by the advisors of the student’s two languages at the time the student declares the Group Language major. See the Writing Program for more information about the College’s writing requirement.
101. ELEMENTARY GERMAN.
Introduces basic language skills, grammar, pronunciation, oral communication, and reading simple prose. Culture taught through readings, videos, and discussions.
102. ELEMENTARY GERMAN.
Continuation of German 101.
151. BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE CONVERSATION I.
Oral practice based on articles in current periodicals and other subjects of general interest. Taught by a German language assistant from the University of the Saarland, under the supervision of a German instructor. Designed primarily for students who have completed German 102. Graded on Credit/No Credit basis; attendance is mandatory. Approximately two hours of work outside of class time required each week. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: German 102 or permission of instructor.
1 unit
152. BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE CONVERSATION II.
Continuation of 151. Designed primarily for students who have completed German 102. Graded on Credit/No Credit basis; attendance is mandatory. Approximately two hours of work outside of class time required each week. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: German 102, German 151, or permission of instructor.
1 unit
201. INTERMEDIATE GERMAN.
An advanced course to build up comprehension as well as oral and writing skills. Reading and discussion of literary and cultural texts, supplemented with video films and T.V. news on current events in Germany. Practice in essay writing. Prerequisite: German 102 or equivalent.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
202. GERMAN STYLISTICS.
Continuation of German 201 on an advanced level. Review of advanced German grammar and exercises in stylistics and essay writing. Prerequisite: German 201 or permission of instructor.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
232. CONTEMPORARY GERMANY: CULTURE AND SOCIETY AFTER 1945.
This course covers major trends and developments of the cultural history of post-war Germany. Topics include the reconstruction of culture after 1945, the makeup of cultural institutions, the mass media, popular culture vs. traditional culture, the counter culture of the sixties and early seventies, and the problems of unification after 1989. Taught in German, with emphasis on oral presentations and essay writing. Readings include literary texts and documentary material, newspaper and magazine articles. Prerequisite: German 201 or permission of instructor.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
251. ADVANCED CONVERSATION I.
Open to all qualified students, but designed primarily for students preparing for Occidental-in-Germany program. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: German 152 or permission of instructor.
1 unit
252. ADVANCED CONVERSATION II.
Continuation of 251. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: German 251 or permission of instructor.
1 unit
273. THE CULTURE OF WEIMAR.
This course will analyze the political, social and cultural changes in German history after 1918 and will provide an introduction to the wealth of the innovative literary and artistic production of the so-called Twenties. We will focus on the difficult transition from the old monarchy to a parliamentary democracy, the economic and political challenges of the new republic and its slow demise in the early thirties. Some lead topics will be: the rise of film and other forms of popular culture, the styles of Expressionism and Neue Sachlichkeit, the experience of the city, the emancipation of women, and the fight against the onslaught of fascist tendencies. We will read texts by Bertolt Brecht, Ernst Toller, Erich Kästner, Irmgard Keun, Marieluise Fleisser, Kurt Tucholsky, see films (such as Nosferatu, Metropolis, Kuhle Wampe and others) and study the new trends in architecture (Bauhaus), the arts (Beckmann, Kirchner, Heartfield), photography, music and the media. The course is taught in English. German minors and group majors will read some of the texts in the German original. Prerequisite for German minors and group majors: German 201 or permission of instructor.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
370. SEMINAR ON A SELECTED TOPIC.
The Fall of the Wall. Anatomy of a Peaceful Revolution. Twenty years after the world historical events of the fall of 1989, the seminar will set out to analyze the multiple factors which led to the opening of the wall which had separated East and West Berlin for 28 years which ultimately caused the end of the German Democratic Republic. On a political level, we’ll deal with the specific situation of the GDR, the role of the opposition and the dynamics of the newly formed civil rights movement between September and December of 1989. On a cultural level, the role of artists and other members of the East German intelligentsia who participated in the movement will be examined. Finally, we will discuss the rapidly diminishing role of the civil rights movement after December of 1989, its legacy, and, more generally, the process of the German unification and its aftermath. The material we will study includes documents, speeches, articles, graffiti, slogans, manifestoes, memoires, plays, and other texts; accompanying events will be a special film series, the visit of a guest speaker and prominent writer from former East Germany, and a panel discussion with other experts in the field. Students minoring in German, or majoring in Group Languages or IPS will read most of the original texts in the original. Prerequisite for German minor and Group Language majors: German 202 or 232. Open to all other non-first year students. The course is taught in English, no knowledge of German is required.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL
397. INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Individual study of a major author, movement, genre, or translation techniques. For students with advanced competence who seek study in an area not included in the department’s curriculum. Prerequisite: permission of department.
2 or 4 units
GREEK
101. ELEMENTARY GREEK.
Study of Alphabet, pronunciation, grammar and culture of ancient Greece. Particularly useful for science majors and pre-medical students.
5 units
102. ELEMENTARY GREEK.
Continuation of Greek 101 and reading of adapted Greek texts.
5 units
397. INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Prerequisite: permission of department.
LANGUAGE
260. LANGUAGE LEARNING BY ACTING.
This new interdisciplinary course is an introduction into theater and drama methods in language teaching, such as improvisation (based on Keith Johnston, Augusto Noal, and others), German and Swiss Drama pedagogy (based on Felix Rellstab, Ulrike Hentschel, and others), TPR (Total Physical Response, James J. Asher), Biomechanics (based on Wsewolod Meyerhold), and others. We will begin with practical tryouts and discussions on the methods used. Specific Drama Pedagogy in language learning studies (Elektra Tselikas, Manfred Schewe) will be included in the theoretical reflection part of the class. This teaching approach can be applied to different languages depending on the students’ backgrounds. A practical application, in conjunction with CCBL, is scheduled for the following year. The course is open to all students interested in language learning and teaching, ESL, theatre, education, and CCBL. Prerequisite: one year in Language instruction at Occidental or the equivalent.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: INTERCULTURAL
LATIN
101. ELEMENTARY LATIN.
Introduction to language and culture of ancient Rome. Recommended for students wishing to improve their English vocabulary and grammar.
5 units
102. ELEMENTARY AND INTERMEDIATE LATIN.
Continuation of Latin 101 and reading and interpretation of an original text.
5 units
397. INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Prerequisite: permission of the department.
2 or 4 units
RUSSIAN
MINOR: Five courses (20 units) numbered 202 and above. Three of the five courses must be completed as Occidental courses.
GROUP LANGUAGE MAJOR: Students may combine Russian with another language (Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish) into a Group Language major by taking at least five courses (20 units) numbered 202 and above in Russian (two of which can be in related areas such as history, art history, politics, language learning/linguistics), and five courses (20 units) in the other language. Students planning a Group Language major are encouraged to participate in Occidental’s abroad programs as part of their plan of study. Interested students should consult with faculty in both languages before entering the group program.
101. ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN I.
Introduction to the structure of the Russian Language with an emphasis on reading and verbal communication. Films and laboratory assignments complement in-class work. May not be taken for credit by those with more than one year of high school study (grades 10, 11, 12) or one semester of college study of Russian.
102. ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN II.
Continuation of Russian 101; emphasis on reading and conversation. Prerequisite: Russian 101 or equivalent.
201. INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN I.
Development of reading skills through the use of original texts by Bulgakov, Chekhov, Pushkin and others; improvement of conversation skills accompanied by a review and expansion of grammar. Films and laboratory assignments complement in-class work. Prerequisite: Russian 102 or equivalent.
5 units
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
202. INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN II.
Continuation of Russian 201 with emphasis on reading skills; readings by Gogol, Chukovsky, Shukshin, and others. Prerequisite: Russian 201 or equivalent.
5 units
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
274. WAR AND PEACE.
Using Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace, this class will explore the issues of cultural identity, nationalism, religion, societal norms, and human progress. The class will also examine the novel’s place in the traditions of Russian literature and the historical novel.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
278. SOVIET DISSIDENT CULTURE.
During the Soviet period cultural figures criticized and rebelled against the system through underground movements in literature, art, and music. This course examines those movements through their best exemplars. Novels studied include Bulgakov’s condemnation of Communism The Heart of a Dog, Platonov’s parody of Soviet collectivization The Pit, and Solzhenitsyn’s Nobel Prize winning The First Circle, which caused his expulsion from the Soviet Union. Short stories include the fantastic tales of Abram Terts and Nikolai Arzhak, who were both imprisoned for their writings. Anti-Soviet music is studied through the work of Vladimir Vysotsky and Bulat Okudzhava. The course concludes with a survey of the radical Sotsart artistic movement and particularly its founders, Komar and Melamid. Knowledge of Russian not required.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
282. THE SUPERNATURAL IN SLAVIC CULTURE.
An examination of Slavic myths and their manifestation in folk culture, literature and film. The course will also apply critical theories such as feminist theory, deconstruction and psychoanalytical theory to these myths and their ability to persist to the present. Subjects to be covered include vampires, werewolves, nature spirits, shamanistic beliefs and rituals, and pagan calendar rituals. Readings will include medieval legends, stories by Nikolai Gogol, Mikhail Lermontov, Aleksei Tolstoy, and Mikhail Bulgakov. No knowledge of Russian required.
CORE REQUIREMENT MET: EUROPE
397. INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
2 or 4 units
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