General provisions

The course is an independent course. The course syllabus was adopted by the Board of the Faculty of Languages on 16 November 2006.

Entry requirements

Satisfied requirements for a Degree of Bachelor with German as main field of study, or 120 credits, 90 credits of which are in German, including a degree project.

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide an advanced knowledge of German language and literature.

Upon completing the course, students should:

• be able to give an account of the development of the German language in a political, theological, media-historical and general cultural-historical context

• have an ability to read Middle High German texts and New High German texts from the 16th and 17th centuries

• be able to give an account of and apply central concepts, current theories and methods in modern linguistic research

• have a good understanding of modern linguistic research and be familiar with important results in modern linguistic research

• have a basic understanding of the history of German literary criticism and literary studies

• have an advanced understanding of the history of German literature and a basic knowledge of the relationship between literature and the public sphere

• have an increased knowledge of literary-critical concepts and of literary theory

Content

The course consists of the following four modules:

Module 1. Thematic course in German linguistics - historical aspects (7.5 credits)

Central texts from various historical epochs are discussed in a series of seminars to illustrate linguistic, political, theological and media-historical development processes.

Written and/or oral test.

Upon completing the module, students will

• be able to give an account of language-internal and language-external causes of linguistic changes

• have a certain understanding of the cultural, political, religious and literary situation in the Middle Ages and the Reformation era

• be familiar with basic features of the linguistic structure of Middle High German and Early New High German

• have an understanding of the rhetorical function of texts in different historical contexts

Module 2. Thematic course in German linguistics - current aspects (7.5 credits)

The course is given as a thematic course, i.e. with a focus on a specific thematic area that varies. The course aims to expand students' knowledge of modern German linguistics.

Written and/or oral test.

Upon completing the module, students should:

• be able to give an account of central concepts, current theories and methods, as well as important results in the thematic field of research

• be able to apply these concepts, theories and methods to the texts addressed in the course in an independent and reflecting way

• be able to cogently discuss the theories and methods, and their application to the texts addressed

Module 3. Literature and the public sphere (7.5 credits)

The history of German literature is discussed in a series of seminars focusing on various aspects of the dissemination of literature, such as publishing systems, bookstores, literary criticism in magazines and other media, as well as the role of literature within the scope of cultural transfer processes

Continuous assessment in connection with the teaching and a final written assignment.

Upon completing the module, students will

• have an extensive knowledge of the history of German literature from the Enlightenment onwards, with a particular focus on contemporary literature

• have an understanding of how literature and cultural-historical views are connected with different aspects of dissemination

• be able to give an account of the development of German literary criticism and the relationship between literature and the public sphere

• have a good knowledge of literary-critical concepts and an understanding of modern literary theory

Module 4. German-language literature and culture after 2000 (7.5 credits)

Contemporary German-language literature after 2000 is discussed in a series of seminars.

Continuous assessment in connection with the teaching and a final written assignment.

Upon completing the module, students will

• have a good knowledge of German-language literature from 2000 onwards

• be familiar with current developments in literature theory

• have a good knowledge of the literary system in the German-speaking countries (publishing systems, bookstores, literary prizes, literary criticism etc.)

• have an understanding of Swedish-German cultural contacts (translations, reception of literature)

Instruction

See above under Content.

Assessment

The following grades may be awarded: Pass with Distinction, Pass or Fail. To obtain the final grade Pass with distinction for the whole course, the grade Pass with distinction is required in modules worth a total of at least 22.5 credits.

Students who do not achieve a passing grade on the regular examination will have another opportunity to take the examination within a reasonable period of time after the first examination.