German 3060
Presentation Assignments
Fall 2009
To promote advanced level skills in speaking German and in understanding
principles of German grammar, you will be making a total of three (individual
and/or group [partnered]) presentations on some of
the key semester themes in this course. Note that each of these topics (below)
is accompanied by some brief notes outlining the substance of each of the topics so that
you can better make decisions about which topic to present on. Remember that the
notes provided for each topic below also constitute some of the substantive
points to include in your presentation (outline), so some of the work is already
prepared here. Feel free to amend these points as required, based on what your
presentation team wishes to emphasize. The main thing is to learn to speak about
the German language using German!
Presentation days are planned well in advance so all can participate, and presentations should be
designed by the team presenter(s) so that the substance of the topic is
sufficiently covered in its key points within the 15 minute time-frame.
NOTE: Presentations by teams of 2 and 3 are multiplied in length by a factor
of 2 x 15 min. for 2 presenters = 30 minutes; and 3 x 15 min. for 3 presenters =
45 minutes.
Don't
hesitate to make this presentation fun and engaging: consider integrating role
plays and innovative dialogues that illustrate, for example, some of the
misunderstandings that arise between Germans and Austrians (or the Swiss) when
these nationalities meet to speak "German"! Or consider demonstrating
how foreigners (mis)apprehend various aspects of the German language and
customs.
You are
encouraged to make use of visual and audiovisual aids, including overheads,
graphics, and
videotapes. In addition to presenting on the topic in German, each group
is to provide the class with a handout in German, covering the topic in
outline format,
designed so that primary ideas are highlighted (points I, II, III, etc.) and
supporting concepts and ideas are appropriately subordinated (A, B, C, .... 1,
2, 3,....a, b, c, ...., etc).
Assessment of the presentations
Assessment will be based on:
a) quality of the handout;
b) bringing sufficient quantity of handout-copies to class
in advance for
all participants and course professor;
c) demonstrated ability
to present in comprehensible language the key points of the topic within the alotted time, and
d) the degree to which the presenters engage the audience in
the topic (e.g., through select questions, thought-provoking statements,
critical debate, etc).
PRESENTATION TOPICS
Presentation Topics are listed below, followed by the date on
which the presentation is held. The Roman Numeral-designated domains (I, II,
III, and IV) indicate the main themes, followed in each case by the actual
sub-topics on which
the group presentations are based.
I. German as a Pluricentric Language: Weeks 3-5: Monday, September 7 - Friday,
September 25, 2009
TOPIC 1. The Current Status of German in Europe (Monday, September 14,
2009)
Presenter(s): _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- contradictory linguistic tendencies of "massification"
and "diversification"
-- ethnolinguistic tensions (due to the emergence of
language-based nation-states)
-- varieties of Standard German/Grammar
-- German as "link language" between East and West;
as regional lingua franca in parts of Central Europe, and; as
"asymmetrically dominant language" (e.g., when non-native speakers of
German are compelled to use German, and Germans do not use the language of other
speakers)
-- factors for the emergence of German's dominance in the
European Union
TOPIC 2. Austria: Caught between "Linguistic Cringe" and Linguistic
Imperialism: On Language and Austrian National Identity
(Wednesday, September 16, 2009)
Presenter(s): _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- variations between Austrian and German national varieties
of Standard German
-- Austrian "linguistic cringe" in evidence as
early as 1914, in Arthur Schnitzler's notion of "echt Österreichisch"
and "echt Deutsch"
-- Standard High German and the "Austrian Standard"
-- transference of certain words into Austrian Standard
German (ASG) from German Standard (GSG) as "prestige forms," e.g.
Mädchen
(Mädel),
nachhause (heim),
guten Tag (Grüss
Gott).
-- attitude of North Germans to ASG as
"non-standard"
TOPIC 3. Special Features of Austrian Standard German (Friday,
September 18, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- phonology: how is ASG distinguished from Standard German?
-- the distinctive Austrian vocabulary:
Jause, Kasten,
Steige, Flugpost, Trafik, usw.
-- Austrian Standard Grammar:
differences with the auxilliary
sein
in using liegen, sitzen, stehen, knien, hocken
preference of the weak forms of verbs
(senden:
sendete;
wenden:
wendete)
past participles of modal verbs
replaced with haben + infinitives (hat dürfen,
hat können,
hat
mögen)
replacement of the preterite (simple
past) and pluperfect with the perfect
TOPIC 4. __________________________________________
(Friday, September 18, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 5. Switzerland: A Multilingual Nation (Monday,
September 21, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- Contrast Swiss Standard German (SSG) and the
"national dialect" Swiss German (Schwyzertütsch)
-- Swiss German's status as pluricentric national dialect,
and not an independent language
-- the Schriftdeutsch of the
Schwyzertütsch
-- special features of Standard Swiss German:
differences in pronunciation
lexical variations; special features
of written Standard German
words specific to Swiss Standard
German: e.g., Nachtessen, förscheln, Göttie, Gotte
TOPIC 5, Part II. Switzerland: A Multilingual Nation (Wednesday,
September 23, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- Contrast Swiss Standard German (SSG) and the
"national dialect" Swiss German (Schwyzertütsch)
-- Swiss German's status as pluricentric national dialect,
and not an independent language
-- the Schriftdeutsch of the
Schwyzertütsch
-- special features of Standard Swiss German:
differences in pronunciation
lexical variations; special features
of written Standard German
words specific to Swiss Standard
German: e.g., Nachtessen, förscheln, Göttie, Gotte
TOPIC 6. __________________________________________
(Friday, September 25, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 7. __________________________________________
(Monday, September 28, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
II. German in a Divided and Unified Germany: Weeks 6-9: Monday,
September 28 - Friday, October 23, 2009
TOPIC 1. Linguistic variation between the German of the GDR and that of the
Federal Republic (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- despite little or no phonological and syntactic differences
between the Standard German of the two German states, minor exceptions include
1) the more frequent occurrence of the genitive in the former GDR public
register, and 2) the transitivization of a number of intransitive verbs in the
Federal Republic, but not in the GDR
-- creation of new vocabulary in both Germanies, particularly in
the GDR with respect to certain social institutions: for example, in the GDR,
Erweiterte
Oberschule (extended upper level/secondary school),
Elternaktiv
(elected representatives of parents of children in a particular class in
school), Kombinat (big state-run company or agricultural concern). In the
Federal Republic, some examples include Alternativbewegung (movement
whose impetus rests with out-of-the-mainstream groups),
Gastarbeiter
(guest worker), Mitbestimmung (co-determination in the workplace), and
Vergangenheitsbewältigung
(coming to terms with the past, often referencing the past of National
Socialism).
NOTE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2009: G.S.A. Conference: KEINE
VORLESUNG!
TOPIC 2. Language of the Wende
/ The Wende
(Monday, October
6, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- New vocabulary of the Wende:
Freiheit, Demokratie,
Deutschland; Wir sind das Volk;
Deutschland einig Vaterland;
Auferstanden
aus den Ruinen
-- the semantic "re-education" and the didactic role
of private enterprises and the media in preparing East Germans for reunification
-- redefinition of negatively imbued terms, which are given
new, positive connotations: Profit, Management, Konkurrenz
and Team
-- the three stages of linguistically overcoming the past: 1)
dropping propaganda slogans, 2) removal of negative weighting of words such as
Pluralismus
and Marktwirtschaft, and 3) the dropping of typical Socialist/Communist
terms such as Genosse
TOPIC 3. __________________________________________
(Monday, October 5, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 4. Linguistic Convergence of East and West? (Wednesday, October 7, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- Abwicklung: the process of dismantling the old system
prior to reunification
-- the special vocabulary indicating tendencies to convergence or
divergence in the (former) two Germanies
-- the significance of switching between public and private
registers in the former GDR
-- East German words too well established to yield to West German
equivalents: andenken (to plan),
abnicken (to give something the
nod), Kollektiv, Datsche
(country cottage),
Broiler (Grillhähnchen),
Grilleta (Hamburger), Ketwurst
(Hot Dog), Plaste
and
Zielstellung.
-- differences in newspaper advertising in the East and West: the
West German advertisements emphasize the image of the product, whereas the East
German advertising emphasizes the product's function and use, moreover,
additional information is often provided in the East German ads.
-- the increasing influence and prevalence of English
words/Americanisms
-- generation gap emerging in the use of these
Anglicisms; younger
generation much more likely to adopt terms like Highlights,
Know-how,
Marketing,
Safe-sex, and
Star.
-- the use of certain words to distance East Germans / West
Germans from their "other" half; words used to legitimate the older
way of life in a divided Germany: e.g., Republik,
Fakt (Tatsache),
Objekt (building), and
Brigade (small collective).
TOPIC 4, Part II. Linguistic Convergence of East and West? (Friday, October 9.
2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- Abwicklung: the process of dismantling the old system
prior to reunification
-- the special vocabulary indicating tendencies to convergence or
divergence in the (former) two Germanies
-- the significance of switching between public and private
registers in the former GDR
-- East German words too well established to yield to West German
equivalents: andenken (to plan),
abnicken (to give something the
nod), Kollektiv, Datsche
(country cottage),
Broiler (Grillhähnchen),
Grilleta (Hamburger), Ketwurst
(Hot Dog), Plaste
and
Zielstellung.
-- differences in newspaper advertising in the East and West: the
West German advertisements emphasize the image of the product, whereas the East
German advertising emphasizes the product's function and use, moreover,
additional information is often provided in the East German ads.
-- the increasing influence and prevalence of English
words/Americanisms
-- generation gap emerging in the use of these
Anglicisms; younger
generation much more likely to adopt terms like Highlights,
Know-how,
Marketing,
Safe-sex, and
Star.
-- the use of certain words to distance East Germans / West
Germans from their "other" half; words used to legitimate the older
way of life in a divided Germany: e.g., Republik,
Fakt (Tatsache),
Objekt (building), and
Brigade (small collective).
TOPIC 5. __________________________________________
(Monday, October 12, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 6. __________________________________________
(Wednesday, October 14, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009: FALL BREAK DAY; KEINE VORLESUNG!
TOPIC 7. __________________________________________
(Monday, October 19, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 8. __________________________________________
(Wednesday, October 21, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 9. __________________________________________
(Friday, October 23, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
III. Communication Patterns: Weeks 10-12: Monday, October 26, 2009 -
Friday, November 13, 2009
TOPIC 1. The German address system: Part I (Monday, October 26, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- making fine distinctions among the
du/Sie
dichotomy
-- the meaning of friendship for Germans, as contrasted with the
American notion of friends
-- distinction: Freunde,
Bekannte;
Freundschaft;
Bekanntschaft
TOPIC 1. The German address system: Part II (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- the standard rules for deciding between
du/Sie
-- shifts and new trends in the uses of
du/Sie
-- historical reasons for these changes, including: the student
revolution in 1967/1968; the establishment of "alternative" political
parties, including the Greens; the solidarity-basis of the Social Democrats (SPD)
and Communist Parties; social stratification among difference classes of
workers.
-- regional differences in Germany: distinctions among northern
Germans and southern Germans/Austrians; among urban dwellers and rural
inhabitants; East and West.
TOPIC 2. Austrian Parties and the
Sprache der Partei (Friday, October 30, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- As in Germany, all the main Austrian parties reference
Freiheit, but with different accents and emphases. Although the common features
of Freiheit are human dignity, self determination, and social
responsibility, the Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ)
associates Freiheit more with
Gerechtigkeit (social justice) and
Solidarität,
whereas the Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) focuses on
self-elected development, responsibility, order, authority, and uniformity.
-- the Austrian FPÖ leader, Jörg Haider, has emphasized
Volkstum
and die kleinen Leute, which has led many to criticize Haider for
representing a strongly nationalist right-wing position that some associate
directly with fascism and National Socialism.
-- Are these charges fair and accurate, and can they be
substantiated through a linguistic analysis of Haider's speeches and interviews?
This question requires considerable evaluation, including discussion of Haider's
deployment of controversial terms and language that harkens back to the
leadership under National Socialism in the 1930s and 40s; Haider's choice of
words like totaler Krieg, employed by Nazi Propaanda Chief Goebbels, and
his praise of the orderly employment policies (Beschäftigungspolitik)
adopted during the Third Reich, have lent credence to these charges.
-- Racism and racist discourse are also topics of considerable
debate in Austrian politics: for example, to what extent do the Austria's
attempts to put "Austrians first" (Österreichischer zuerst)
and thereby simultaneously exclude minorities and open themselves to charges of
racism?
TOPIC 3. __________________________________________
(Monday, November 2, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 4. __________________________________________
(Wednesday, November 4, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009: UFLA CONFERENCE; KEINE
VORLESUNG!
TOPIC 5. __________________________________________
(Monday, November 9, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 6. __________________________________________
(Wednesday, November 11, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 7. __________________________________________
(Friday, November 13, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
IV. Variation & Change in Language and Discourse: Weeks 13-14: Monday,
November 16 - Wednesday, November 25, 2009
TOPIC 1. Variation and Change in Political Discourse (Monday, November 16, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- the political persuasion of speakers/writers identifiable
through their language use. For example, middle-of-the-road positions employed
the term Radikalenerlaß (declaration on radicals) to name the barring of
people holding "extremist" political views (of the right and left)
from public office, whereas conservatives employed the term
Extremistenbeschluß
(resolution on extremists) and leftists used Berufsverbot (prohibition on
your desired occupation).
-- words employed during the existence of the two Germanies to
signal distance from the "other Germany." Examples include: the West
Germans' use of Die Bundesrepublik
or simply Deutschland, thereby
disguising the existence of the DDR. Some right-wingers placed the designation
of DDR in quotes ("DDR"), implying a denial of the
sovereign and democratic status of the German Democratic Republic.
-- the meanings of the catchwords
Frieden (peace),
Freiheit
(freedom), and Sicherheit (security) characterize the radically different
positions of the political parties of the SPD, CDU, and FDP.
-- the tendency towards the "homogenization" of political
discourse since the Wende,
whereby the three parties (SPD, CDU, and FDP)
appear increasingly to converge in terms of their political ideologies.
-- the co-optation of terms associated with one party by another: for
example, words like Reform,
Fortschritt, and
dynamisch,
once used by social justice platforms, are now mainstays among proponents of
economic rationalism (CDU/CSU).
TOPIC 2: __________________________________________
(Monday, November 16, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
TOPIC 1, Part II. Variation and Change in Political Discourse (Wednesday,
November 18, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- the political persuasion of speakers/writers identifiable
through their language use. For example, middle-of-the-road positions employed
the term Radikalenerlaß (declaration on radicals) to name the barring of
people holding "extremist" political views (of the right and left)
from public office, whereas conservatives employed the term
Extremistenbeschluß
(resolution on extremists) and leftists used Berufsverbot (prohibition on
your desired occupation).
-- words employed during the existence of the two Germanies to
signal distance from the "other Germany." Examples include: the West
Germans' use of Die Bundesrepublik
or simply Deutschland, thereby
disguising the existence of the DDR. Some right-wingers placed the designation
of DDR in quotes ("DDR"), implying a denial of the
sovereign and democratic status of the German Democratic Republic.
-- the meanings of the catchwords
Frieden (peace),
Freiheit
(freedom), and Sicherheit (security) characterize the radically different
positions of the political parties of the SPD, CDU, and FDP.
-- the tendency towards the "homogenization" of political
discourse since the Wende,
whereby the three parties (SPD, CDU, and FDP)
appear increasingly to converge in terms of their political ideologies.
-- the co-optation of terms associated with one party by another: for
example, words like Reform,
Fortschritt, and
dynamisch,
once used by social justice platforms, are now mainstays among proponents of
economic rationalism (CDU/CSU).
TOPIC 3. __________________________________________
(Wednesday, November 18, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
--
___________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009: A.C.T.F.L. CONFERENCE;
KEINE VORLESUNG!
TOPIC 4, Part I. Racist Discourse in Germany (Monday, November 23, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- characteristics of recent German and Austrian racist discourse:
1) the number of negative schemata associated with the complex symbol
Ausländer,
including terms and phrases like unkontrolliertes Einströmen,
Fremde
im eigenen Lande;
2) emphasis on the Überfremdung der deutschen Sprache und Kultur;
3) the use of disclaimers that distance speakers from racist statements and
prejudicial positions, statements include wording like "Ich habe nichts
gegen Schwarze, aber...."
4) claims of anti-German/anti-Austrian racism
5) the employment of impersonal or passive constructions, such as the use of
man
in relating (or downplaying) fact, including, for example: "Nur
verhältnismäßig wenige der jüdischen Opfer sind vergast worden" or
"Die anderen sind verhungert oder erschlagen worden," or "...man
hat ihnen ärztliche Hilfe verweigert."
-- the reintroduction of nationalism based on the notion of
Volk into mainstream German/Austrian politics; Volk used to discriminate and
create boundaries between "real Germans/Austrian nationals" and
Ausländer,
migrant workers (including Gastarbeiter), and their descendents and
asylum seekers.
TOPIC 4, Part II. Racist Discourse in Germany (Monday, November 30, 2009)
Presenters: _____________________, ____________________, _______________________
-- characteristics of recent German and Austrian racist discourse:
1) the number of negative schemata associated with the complex symbol
Ausländer,
including terms and phrases like unkontrolliertes Einströmen,
Fremde
im eigenen Lande;
2) emphasis on the Überfremdung der deutschen Sprache und Kultur;
3) the use of disclaimers that distance speakers from racist statements and
prejudicial positions, statements include wording like "Ich habe nichts
gegen Schwarze, aber...."
4) claims of anti-German/anti-Austrian racism
5) the employment of impersonal or passive constructions, such as the use of
man
in relating (or downplaying) fact, including, for example: "Nur
verhältnismäßig wenige der jüdischen Opfer sind vergast worden" or
"Die anderen sind verhungert oder erschlagen worden," or "...man
hat ihnen ärztliche Hilfe verweigert."
-- the reintroduction of nationalism based on the notion of
Volk into mainstream German/Austrian politics; Volk used to discriminate and
create boundaries between "real Germans/Austrian nationals" and
Ausländer,
migrant workers (including Gastarbeiter), and their descendents and
asylum seekers.