Skip to main content

What is GSLL offering this semester?

Every semester GSLL offers undergraduate students:

  • First-Year Seminars;
  • Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Language Courses;
  • English-Language Seminars and Lectures on Language, Linguistics, Literature, Film, Philosophy, and Culture;
  • Language, Linguistics, Literature, Film, Philosophy, and Culture Seminars taught in the Target Language;
  • Individual Seminars on Independent Readings;
  • Honors Thesis Mentoring.

GSLL also offers every semester for graduate students German- and English-language courses in Literature, Linguistics, Theory, Film & Media Studies.

The following catalogue of current courses is organized according to language and level.

In the event you have questions, contact the director of undergraduate or graduate studies.

 

FALL 2024 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

FALL 2024 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 

 

 

Courses for First-Year Students 

GSLL 51. Stalin and Hitler: Historical Issues in Cultural and Other Perspectives. 

This course deals with critical issues, in the broadest possible context, that dominated the 20th century: the rise of fascism from the carnage of World War One and the Bolshevik revolution to which the war and Czarist Russia’s involvement in it helped contribute. Drawing on a variety of historical and documentary films and literature (memoirs, novels), we will take a comparative look at singular personalities like Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler and examine the role played by such key figures in historical events of this magnitude. Toward the end of the semester, we glance briefly at the situation created in Western and Eastern Europe by the defeat of fascism and contemplate the origins and evolution of the cold war. We conclude with a consideration of the dissolution and democratization of Eastern European countries, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and, against the tragic background of the past, the general outlook for democracy in the future. 

Readings and lectures in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FY-SEMINAR. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: HS, GL. 

Pike. TTH 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM. 

GSLL 80. Not Just Dogs: Animals in Russian Literature. 

This course explores the “question of the animal” in the works of major Russian writers (Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Chekhov, Platonov). Among the topics to be discussed are: The animal as the other; animal and human natures: dominance and submission, ethics of human/animal relations, and the trope of “talking” animals. 

Readings and discussions in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FY-SEMINAR, FC-AESTH or FC-PAST. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Lapushin. TTH 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM. 

GSLL 83. We, Robots: Identifying with our Automated Others in Fiction and Film. 

What do robot fictions reveal about their human authors?. 

The word “robot” was invented by Czech author Karel Capek in 1920. Science fiction has had a long-running obsession with robots. Fiction and film dream up robots who have mastered and often surpassed the strange art that is being human. In this class, we will read and watch stories about robots from East and Central Europe, with occasional detours into American culture. 

Films with English subtitles; readings and discussions in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FY-SEMINAR. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Rose. TTH 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM. 

IDST 114.001 Science Fiction, The Environment, and Vulnerable Communities. 

This course focuses on the question of how the genre of science fiction (film and literature) has been used to address the world’s environmental concerns and how these concerns especially affect vulnerable communities. It will provide an introduction to key concepts across the social sciences, humanities and the natural sciences. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FY-TRIPLE. 

Haskin, Layne, Shields. TTH 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM. 

 

. 

Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Language Courses 

BCS 403. Intermediate Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian Language I. 

The second year of BCS instruction will continue to build grammar and communication skills for intermediate-low and heritage speakers. We will revisit and review many of the grammar concepts from the previous year while gradually incorporating new vocabulary and developing cultural competencies through a variety of authentic sources in the target language (comics, films, music, and others). In addition to in-class presentations, students will frequently work in pairs and collaborate on small projects. 

Prerequisite: BCS 402 or permission of instructor. 

Dzumhur. TTH 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM. 

CZCH 403. Intermediate Czech I. 

Continuation of proficiency-based instruction begun in Elementary Czech. 

Prerequisite: CZCH 402 or permission of instructor. 

Staff. MWF 9:05 AM – 9:55 AM. 

DTCH 402. Elementary Dutch. 

Wees gezellig en leer Nederlands! 

Did you know that UNC is one of only a few universities in the US where you can learn Dutch?  ​DTCH 402 is the place to start. Doe je mee? 

The first course in the Dutch language sequence, DTCH 402 is a rapid introduction to modern Dutch with emphasis on all fundamental components of communication. 

Completion of DTCH 402 fulfills level 2 of a foreign language. 

Thornton. MWF 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM. 

 

GERM 101. Elementary German I. 

Develops the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) in a cultural context. In addition to mastering basic vocabulary and grammar, students will communicate in German about everyday topics. 

001: Staff. MW 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM and TTH 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM. 

002: Staff. MW 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM and TTH 11:05 AM – 11:55 AM. 

003: Staff. MW 12:20 PM – 1:10 PM and TTH 12:30 PM – 1:20 PM. 

004: Staff. MW 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM and TTH 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM. 

005: Strietholt. TTH 9:30 AM – 11:25 AM. 

 

GERM 102. Elementary German II. 

This continuation of GERM 101 emphasizes speaking, listening, reading, writing in a cultural context. Students enhance their basic vocabulary and grammar and will regularly communicate in German about everyday topics.  

Prerequisite: GERM 101 or permission of instructor. 

001: Staff. MW 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM and TTH 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM. 

002: Staff. MW 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM and TTH 11:05 AM – 11:55 AM. 

003: Staff. MW 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM and TTH 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM. 

 

GERM 203. Intermediate German I. 

Students acquire necessary materials and opportunities to develop further their language skills in a cultural context. They review and expand upon the basic grammar covered in beginning German.  

Prerequisite: GERM 102 or or permission of instructor. 

001: Staff. MWF 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM. 

002: Staff. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM. 

004: Staff. MWF 12:20 PM – 1:10 PM. 

005: Staff. MWF 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM. 

 

GERM 204. Intermediate German II. 

Emphasizes further development of the four language skills (speaking, reading, writing, listening) within a cultural context. Discussions focus on modern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in literature and film. 

Prerequisite: GERM 203 or permission of instructor. 

FC-AESTH. 

001: Staff. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM. 

002: Staff. MWF 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM. 

GERM 301. Advanced Applied German: Life, Work, Fun. 

Advanced German language and culture course:​ 

  • Improve your discussion and presentation skills in German;​ 
  • Broaden your vocabulary; ​ 
  • Review and practice German grammar; ​ 
  • Read and interpret an array of texts;​ 
  • Practice writing in different genres. 

Introduction to present-day German-speaking societies with an emphasis on practical contexts of everyday life (business, media, culture). The course initiates a sustained reflection on class, gender, race, and political economy and prepares students for studying and interning in German-speaking Europe. Further goals include improvement of pronunciation and the mastery of grammar. 

Prerequisite: GERM 204 or permission of instructor. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-GLOBAL or FC-KNOWING, COMMBEYOND. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: CI, NA. 

Von Bernuth. TTH 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM. 

GERM 302. Advanced Communication in German: Media, Arts, Culture. 

Introduction to contemporary German ​society, emphasizing sustained reflection ​on family structures, class, gender, race, demography, and the political economy of present-day Germany.  ​Emphasis is on advanced communication and writing based on shorter readings from contemporary life and culture in German-speaking societies. The readings provide subject matter for in-class discussion and regular written compositions that explore a variety of practical genres (report, article, essay). 

Prerequisite: GERM 204 or permission of instructor. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-GLOBAL, COMMBEYOND. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: CI, NA, SS. 

Staff. MWF 9:05 AM – 9:55 AM. 

GERM 304. Business German. 

An introduction to the language and culture of German business, commerce, and industry. Special emphasis is given to the acquisition of advanced business-related language skills.  

Prerequisite: GERM 204, or permission of instructor. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-GLOBAL, COMMBEYOND. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: NA. 

Aksin. MW 3:35 PM – 4:50 PM. 

GERM 307: German for Educational and Community Engagement. 

This course aims to enrich students’ knowledge of German by giving them the opportunity to teach beginning German language classes to students at a local partner school. Students will learn current best practices in foreign language pedagogy also gain first-hand experience designing teaching materials and learning about curricular design.  

Readings in English, coursework in German.  

Prerequisite: GERM 204 or permission of instructor. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: HI-SERVICE, COMM BEYOND. 

APPLES (designation pending). 

Staff. F 12:20 PM – 1:10 PM.

 

 

GERM 426: Playtime Theater in the Medieval and Early Modern World.. 

This course studies the vibrant world of performance and theater from the Middle Ages to the early Enlightenment. It explores how plays were a formative component of marking time, creating community, and participating in political and social discourse.

                                        Readings and course discussions in English.

                                        IDEAS Gen Ed: FC-PAST.

                                        Von Bernuth. TTH 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM.

 

PLSH 401. Elementary Polish I. 

Proficiency-based instruction at the elementary level that develops the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing). In addition to mastering basic vocabulary and grammar, students will communicate in Polish about everyday topics. 

Staff. MWF 9:05 AM – 9:55 AM. 

 

PLSH 403. Intermediate Polish I. 

Continuation of the proficiency-based instruction begun in elementary Polish. 

Prerequisite: PLSH 402 or permission of instructor. 

Staff. MWF 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM. 

RUSS 101. Basic Russian Communication I. 

Essential basics of Russian for everyday conversations. Lays foundation for development of four language skills (speaking, writing, listening, and reading) indispensable for communication on everyday topics in a variety of contexts. Fosters interaction through acquisition of essential communicative and conversational strategies. Introduces learners to structure of contemporary standard Russian through culturally relevant materials. 

001: McGarry. MWF 9:05 AM – 9:55 AM and T 9:00 AM – 9:50 AM. 

002: McGarry. MWF 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM and T 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM. 

004: McGarry. MWF 1:25 PM – 2:15 PM and T 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM. 

RUSS 203. Intermediate Russian Communication I. 

Transitional skills for fluent speaking, writing, listening, and reading for intermediate learners. Furthers learners’ competency for communication on everyday topics. Prepares learners for communication on subjects beyond their immediate needs. Expands interactive skillset necessary to maintain conversations and present individual opinions using complex structures. Employs adapted and non-adapted learning materials to promote mastery of contemporary standard Russian. 

Prerequisite:  RUSS 102 or permission of instructor. 

001: Magomedova. MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM. 

002: Magomedova. MWF 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM. 

RUSS 409. Intermediate-to-Advanced Russian Communication, Conversation, and Composition in Context I. 

Intermediate-to-advanced communication, conversation, composition, phonetics, and grammar in contemporary cultural context. Meets the needs of learners looking to expand their practical knowledge of contemporary standard Russian in the context of present-day culture, while developing active applied skills pertaining to comprehension, production of, and communication in Russian. 

Prerequisite: RUSS 204 or permission of instructor. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: BN. 

001: Chernysheva MWF 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM. 

003: Chernysheva MWF 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM. 

RUSS 411. Advanced Communication, Conversation, and Composition in Contemporary Standard Russian I. 

Develops and maintains advanced skills for speaking, writing, listening, and reading in contemporary standard Russian in a variety of communicative situations. Assists advanced learners in solving a wide range of communicative tasks with the aid of unadapted authentic cultural materials. 

Prerequisite: RUSS 410 or permission of instructor. 

Magomedova. MWF 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM. 

RUSS 515. Advanced Russian Communication, Composition and Grammar in the Professions I. 

RUSS 515 provides advanced learners with opportunities to develop linguo-cultural skills necessary to practice their profession in Russian. While engaged in academic discourse in contemporary standard Russian, learners research topics in their academic majors, prepare and give presentations and lead discussions focusing on their areas of professional competence. In addition to student-centered segments, the course comprises instructor-led discussions of current affairs and academic subjects. Readings, viewing materials, and discussions in Russian. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: RESEARCH, COMMBEYOND 

Making Connections Gen Ed: BN, EE. 

Chernysheva. MW 3:35 PM – 4:50 PM. 

 

 

Undergraduate English-Language Seminars & Lectures 

GERM 281. The German Idea of War: Philosophical Dialogues with the Literary and Visual Arts in WWI. 

This larger lecture course explores how the arts – literature, film and painting – shaped the idea of war before, during and after World War I.  Questions this course poses include: 

  • Why and how did the arts praise war before its outbreak? 
  • How did the arts idealize the experience of war? 
  • How did the war push the limits of artistic expression? 
  • What exactly was war supposed to achieve, and how did the brutality of war alter these aspirations? 
  • What lessons did art learn in the shadow of the Great War? 

In addition to literary texts by some of the greatest German-language writers of the early 20th century (Jünger, Kraus, Remarque, Richthofen, Rilke, Schnitzler, Trakl), students will encounter attendant philosophical ideas by such thinkers as Benjamin, Tilthey, Freud, Lukcas, Nietzsche, Witgenstein, as well as screen films (Hofer, Lang, Reinert, Wiene) and view art (Dix, Kandinsky, Marc, Nolde) held in the Ackland Museum collection. 

Readings and discussions in English. 

IDEAs in Action: FC-AESTH, FC-PAST. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: PH, NA. 

Langston. MW 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM. 

Recitation Required: 

601: Staff. 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM 

602: Staff: 11:15 AM – 12:05 PM. 

GSLL 259. Ideology and Aesthetics: Marxism and Literature. 

Examination of the clash between 20th-century writers and the state, in countries where a single political government or party used an exclusive ideology as justification for interference in cultural and literary affairs. 

Readings and class discussions in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-KNOWING. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: HS, GL. 

Pike. TTH 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM. 

GSLL 287. Into the Streets: 1968 and Dissent in Central Europe. 

Dissent and counterculture through the stories of one year. 

Protest movements of 1968 are often remembered as one “planetary event.” In Western Europe, protesters demanded revolution, while in Eastern Europe, protesters living under communism demanded reform. In this course, we will explore dissent and counterculture in Central Europe through the lens of 1968. Through film and fiction from Poland, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, we will investigate the impact of the Central European ’68(s) worldwide.  

Films with English subtitles; readings and discussions in English. 

IDEAS Gen Ed: FC-AESTH, FC-GLOBAL. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN, EE. 

RUSS 278. Russian and Soviet Science Fiction. 

Tales of the future from the land of futurism. 

This course will focus on key works of Russian and Soviet science fiction. Readings and discussions in English. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Shvabrin. TTH 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM. 

 

 

Dual-Level Seminars Taught in English 

GERM 579. What is a Medium? German Media Theory from Aesthetics to Cultural Techniques. 

  • ​What is the German aesthetic tradition of conceiving of the role of the arts, and how to distinguish between them? ​ 
  • ​When and why did the term “medium” begin to describe certain art forms? ​ 
  • ​What is the role of the relationship between media, technology, and cultural practice?​ 
  • ​To what extent did political regimes, such as the Third Reich, produce new forms and theories of media? ​ 
  • ​How do new media such as film, television or digital media produce new theories of media?  

This research seminar provides advanced undergraduates and graduate students in various disciplines across the humanities with an overview of, and a solid foundation in, the historical and critical relevance of German media theories.  

 

Films with English subtitles; readings and discussions in English. 

IDEAS Gen Ed: FC-AESTH, FC-KNOWING. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: VP, CI. 

Pollmann. TTH 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM. 

RUSS 464. Dostoevsky. 

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821—1881) is one of the most innovative, provocative, and influential writers. What makes Dostoevsky so consequential in the history of modern literature and culture? Why are his works even more relevant today than they were during his lifetime? What accounts for their natural adaptability to diverse cultural and social contexts? In this class, we will address these questions through a close reading of Dostoevsky’s signature works.​ 

Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-PAST. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Lapushin. TTH 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM. 

RUSS 486. Exploration of Russian “Women’s Prose” and Svetlana Alexievich (Nobel Prize in Literature 2015). 

Using Alexievich as our beacon, we will explore the writers behind the term “Russian Women’s Prose”: Valeria Narbikova, Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Tatyana Tolstaya, and Lyudmila Ulitskaya. The course will delve into gender identity and body politics as they manifest themselves in the literary texts of lasting aesthetic quality and social relevance.  

Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students. 

IDEAs in Action Gen Ed: FC-AESTH or FC-GLOBAL. 

Making Connections Gen Ed: LA, BN. 

Shvabrin. TTH 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM. 

 

 

Carolina-Duke Graduate Level Courses 

GERM 700. Foreign Language Pedagogy: Theories and Practice. 

Provides students with foundational knowledge for teaching German within a collegiate U.S. educational context. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to engage theoretical knowledge pertaining to language learning, pedagogy, and curriculum with issues from the practical context of the language classroom, e.g., by conducting guided classroom observations, developing extended lesson plans, reflecting on their teaching and students’ learning, creating a teaching philosophy, and carrying out microteaching assignments. Topics covered in the seminar include:  

  • Teaching languages in U.S. higher education, 
  • Language and language learning theories, 
  • Language teaching methods and approaches (e.g., communicative language teaching, task- and content-based instruction, literacy approaches), 
  • Supporting different modalities (writing, speaking, listening, reading) 
  • Teaching for intercultural understanding,  
  • The role of curriculum, and 
  • Professional development and reflective teaching.  

Readings and class discussions in German and English. 

Strietholt. TTH 3:10 PM – 4:25 PM.                                  Carolina Campus 

GERMAN 715. Foundations in German Studies II. 

Immersive exploration of literary, cultural, intellectual, and political developments in German-speaking lands, 1750-1900. Movements include: Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, Romanticism, Weimar Classicism, Biedermeier, Vormärz, and Realism.  

Readings will be in German, discussions in English. 

Engelstein. WF 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM.                                                Duke Campus 

GERMAN 745S. Brutal Humanism in Postwar Austria. 

This course explores the reemergence of humanism in the brutal and transgressive literature of Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek and cinema of Michael Haneke and Ulrich Seidl. We will analyze the philosophical underpinnings of pre-WWII German humanism, the deployment of brutality (as cruelty, disgust, torture, pain, excess, and taboo) and theoretical works from the fields of affect theory, aesthetics, and posthumanism.  

Taught in English. Readings and films in German and English. 

Gellen. W 4:40 PM – 7:10 PM.                                                          Duke Campus 

GERM 760. The Concept of the Symbol. 

There is widespread agreement that symbols are crucial for our understanding of ourselves as humans and as humanists, but there is little agreement about what symbols actually are. This question has acquired new urgency with the development of technologies that allow computers to freely yet mechanically generate symbolic strings. This course provides an introduction to the various concepts of the symbol—from the Eucharist to French and Russian symbolism, from German and English Romanticism to the invention of semiotics, from symbolic logic to the Lacanian symbolic order—that have historically underpinned our western relationships to aesthetic practice and technological innovation.  

Class discussions in English; all readings available in translation. 

Pourciau. F 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM.                                                     Duke Campus

 

GERM 860. Experimental Modernism. 

This explores the development of experimental modernism from the early 20th century to the postwar decades. Starting with historical avant-garde movements like Futurism, Dada, and Surrealism and leading up to various neo-avant-gardes of the 1950’s and 1960’s like Lettrism, Neo-Dada, and the Concrete Poetry movement, we will investigate a host of writing techniques that sought to “test” the foundations, possibilities, and limits of language in unprecedented ways. We will

examine how the aspiration to radically break away from the codes of literary tradition and the system of bourgeois art took shape through manifestoes, sound poetry, “automatic” writing, typographic montages, and early computer-generated texts. We will discuss the role of new media technologies and scientific models of experimentation in these contexts. And we will consider the legacy of experimental modernism through the lens of later critical accounts. Authors include F.T. Marinetti, Gertrude Stein, Raoul Hausmann, Kurt Schwitters, André Breton, Charles Olson, Haroldo de Campos, Eugen Gomringer, Ernst Jandl, Friederike Mayröcker, and Max Bense. Additional critical readings by Peter Bürger, Friedrich Kittler, Hal Foster, Marjorie Perloff, Johanna Drucker, and others. Class discussions in English. Readings will be made available in German and English. Wilke. T, 4:40 – 7:10 pm. Carolina Campus