| Unit name | German Literature and Film: Genres, Texts, Contexts |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GERM10035 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. McClelland |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of German |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
What is German-speaking culture? What kinds of texts have German-speaking authors produced? Are German-language films different from others? Since the earliest period of the Middle Ages, German-speaking culture has found expression in writing and, since the dawn of the film industry, on the silver screen. In different literary genres and in films we find German-speakers interrogating their place in the world, questioning the relationship between the individual and the collective, and challenging preconceptions about topics including love, sexuality, death, guilt and belonging.
In this unit, you will explore a broad range of canonical and counter-canonical German-language literary writing and film. You will gain an insight into the importance of these media for German-speaking culture historically and in the present. Through your exploration of these texts in classes with your tutors and with your peers, you will also gain an introduction to your new field of study, German Studies. Together we will interrogate the bigger questions that these texts propose: what is German-speaking culture? Who is included and why? Why should we spend time engaging with these texts? At the same time, you will be introduced to key skills (including literary and filmic analysis, close reading, and critical self-reflection) that will allow you to understand and develop your role as a critic. You will be encouraged to reflect critically on the contexts in which these texts have been produced and which inform our reception of them, and to consider your own role as an active consumer of cultural texts.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit introduces you to multiple areas of German Studies that you might pursue at later stages in your degree at Bristol. You will also begin to develop knowledge and skills that will underpin your studies at university. You will gain an insight into some of the major questions that push German Studies forward through your engagement with a broad and diverse range of texts and begin to understand your own role as a reader and scholar. Through activities in classes and in assessments you will develop a range of critical and analytical skills that you will draw on repeatedly throughout your studies – and beyond.
An overview of content
You will engage with a broad range of German-language literary texts from different historical periods and genres, as well as film.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
This unit will introduce you to your new field of study: German Studies! You will gain an insight into some of the methods and questions that you will draw on in your subsequent studies and begin to develop key skills. These skills include close reading and literary/filmic analysis, as well as how to present your ideas orally in classes and in writing in formative and summative assessments. You will also begin to develop as a self-reflective consumer of cultural texts by considering the factors that influence you as a scholar, and you will be shown how to reflect critically on your own learning and progress.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Each week you will meet as a large group with your tutors for a lecture in which the key themes of that week are outlined and important questions will be posed for the unit as a whole. You will then meet again as a large group for the weekly workshop, in which you will begin to explore these questions in more depth. In workshops you will be introduced to key skills (close reading, literary and filmic analysis, self-reflection) through practical work conducted individually and with your peers. You will also be encouraged to bring your own questions to the workshop. Thirdly you will meet in a smaller group for a weekly seminar, in which you will take a deep dive into the set texts based on the themes outlined in the lecture and the skills introduced in the workshop. In all classes you will be encouraged and supported to develop key skills that will help you to complete your summative assessments. The formative assessment is an opportunity to try out these skills and receive feedback on your work before you complete your summative assessments (as outlined above).
Tasks which help you learn and prepare for summative tasks (formative):
You will work as part of a group on a formative commentary and a short, individual critical self-reflection at the mid-point of the unit. For this you will use skills and knowledge that you have begun to develop in workshops and in seminars. You will receive feedback on this work from your tutor(s) that outlines how you can develop further as a learner and scholar. You will be encouraged to use this feedback when preparing your summative assessments and have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor(s).
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
There are two summative tasks that count towards your mark for this unit.
You will complete a commentary on EITHER an individual poem, an extract from a longer text, OR a sequence from a film. This will build on critical close reading skills developed in classes and in the formative assessment.
You will also complete a critical self-reflection. For this, you will consider your own status as a consumer of cultural texts and the influences that shape your reception of the texts that we have read in this unit. You will also be asked to consider your progress as a learner through the unit.
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GERM10035).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
