Description
This course provides an introduction to the cultural aspects of German language variation (spatial, social, and chronological). The course opens with an overview of the history of the German language in order to understand the roots of present-day varieties of German. We will then discuss traditional German dialectology, as well as more sociolinguistically-oriented approaches to language. From there, we will investigate the cultural status of various varieties of German within Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, as well as German language varieties overseas, in North America, Australia, and Africa. In this context, we will also discuss German in contact with other languages, such as French, Danish, Russian, Hungarian, and English; and the cultural and linguistic results thereof; as well as the cultural and political status of German in officially multilingual societies like Switzerland and unofficially multilingual societies like Germany.
We will see how differences in linguistic behavior attain social and cultural significance, how social and political developments (e.g. the division and reunification of Germany) can motivate linguistic and cultural change, and how people change their linguistic and cultural behavior when confronted with a different political or social environment. Most importantly, we will come to understand the role of language in shaping culture and society in the German-speaking world.
This course is taught in German.
Prerequisite: Three semester hours of upper-division course-work in German with a grade of C or better.
Required Text
-Barbour, S. and Stevenson, P. 1998. Variation im Deutschen: Soziolinguistische Perspektiven.
Berlin: de Gruyter.
-Other readings will be posted on Blackboard.
Course requirements and grading
Essays: 30%
Term paper: 40%
Quizzes: 15%
Participation: 15%
Essays:
You will write three brief (3-4 page) essays over the course of the semester. Topics will be distributed at least one week in advance. I will return your essay to you, with corrections and comments; you may then rewrite the essay and give me the final version within one week. Both the original and final versions will be graded (50% for grammar and 50% for content); if you choose to rewrite the paper, the original version will count for 1/3 of the final grade, and the final version for 2/3. You must include a list of sources (Literaturhinweise) at the end of the paper.
Term paper:
You will write an 8-10 page term paper. You will also give a brief (5-10 minutes) in-class presentation on your term paper topic.
Quizzes:
Four quizzes will be given in class over the course of the semester. They will invite your comments on readings and discussions, and will be given at the beginning of class. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. The instructor also reserves the right to give short quizzes, both announced and unannounced, about the material we have read and discussed.
Participation:
Participation includes attendance, asking questions, answering my questions, and taking part in class discussions. Attendance is crucial. Unexcused absences will result in poor grades for participation! Absences will be unexcused except in cases of documented emergency (normally medical or family). You will need to sign in at the beginning of each class. Please notify me as soon as possible by e-mail or phone if it is necessary for you to be absent from class. In accordance with University of Texas policy, you may be excused from class to participate in religious observances and official obligations like club or varsity sports. In such cases, written documentation must be presented to the instructor at least one week before the absence takes place.
Participation grade profiles:
A: volunteers frequently and is well-prepared
B: volunteers several times and is well-prepared
C: does not usually volunteer but is usually well-prepared
D: does not volunteer and is generally poorly prepared
F: consistently unprepared
Language in class
The language of essays, written exercises, and class discussions is German. If you find yourself in a linguistic bind, swamped by German syntax, or at a loss for a German word, feel free to make a temporary switch to English. You will not be penalized for resorting to English, although you should do your best to avoid it.