Department of German Language and Literature

Duration

The program normally lasts eight semesters (four years), starting in the fall semester, and ends with the completion of a thesis in the final term. An academic calender and semester dates can be found online at http://www.deanphil.uoa.gr.

Courses

Students are required to complete a course load of 44 courses (40 at the Department of German Language and Literature, and 4 courses offered by other Departments within the School of Philosophy). All classes meet three hours a week for 13 weeks per semester. The thesis also counts as a class.

Courses fall into two categories. Type A courses are compulsory and have to be completed within the first four semesters. Type B courses are elective classes that students enroll in during the final four semesters of their studies.

 Type A courses (1^st -4^th exam)

(22 obligatory classes)

There are 22 obligatory type A courses which are introductory in nature and are addressed towards students of the first four semesters.

I. Linguistics

1. DGY 10 Introduction to Linguistics
2. DGY 11 Morphology
3. DGY 12 Phonetics/Phonology
4. DGY 13 Syntax
5. DGY 14 Lexikology
6. DGY 15 Semantics
7. DGY 16 Contrastrive Linguistics
8. DGY 17 Pragmatics
9. DGY 18 Introduction to Teaching German as a Foreign Language I
10. DGY 19 Introduction to Teaching German as a Foreign Language II

II. Literature

1. DLY 20 Introduction to Literature I
2. DLY 21 Introduction to Literature II
3. DLY 22 Literature of the 18^th century
4. DLY 23 Literature of the 19^th century
5. DLY 24 Literature of the 20^th century
6. DLY 25 Contemporary Literature
7. DLY 26 Literary Theory
8. DLY 27 Comparative Philology
9. DLY 28 Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Translation
10. DLY 29 German Culture 

III. Language

Goal of the intense German Language Program is the gradual development of the active and passive linguistic abilities of the participants. The four language classes, to be completed within the first four semesters, systematically lead students to the C1 level of proficiency in German. The German Language Program is organized as follows. 

1. The program comprises four language classes (Language I – IV), each of which is completed by an exam.

2. These four classes gradually lead students up to C1 level proficiency in German, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language:

            Language I       B1+

            Language II      B2

            Language III     B2+

            Language IV     C1

These classes are specifically designed to prepare students for the linguistic requirements of their further studies.

3. All students are required to complete all four language classes in order to be admitted to classes of the 5^th semester.

4. Language I & III are offered in Fall semesters, while Language II & IV are offered in Spring semesters only.

5. Classes meet six hours per week.

6. There are no exemptions or waivers. It is not possible to have classes recognized that have been taken at another institution. All students must take part in all exams.

7. Class attendance is obligatory. Under certain cirumstances, the attendance requirement can be waived (these exemptions do not pertain to class registration and participation in the exams).

The criteria for attendance waiver are as follows.     

• Students with language diploma level C, graduates from the German School, students with German Abitur, and students who passed the placement test can be granted an attendance waiver for all language classes.
• Students with language diploma level B2 can be granted an attendance waiver for Language I & II.
• Students with language diploma level B1 or A have to attend all four classes.

8. During the enrollment period of the first semester, students submit their language diploma at the main office (3^rd floor), which prepares for each student a record of his/her language proficiency that is also distributed to the language instructors. Up to the fourth semester, students can submit additional language diplomas at the office, in order to potentially gain admission waivers for the language program.

9. The maximum number of classes that students are allowed to miss each semester is five. Students who miss more than five classes per semester are not admitted to the exams and need to re-enroll the course.

10. All four language classes are accompanied by class-specific learning material (books, exercise sheets, notes) that is available in electronic form and is provided by the instructors. Students are required to prepare for classes at home in order to be able to pass the exams.

Exams

All fours languages classes are completed by a written two-hour exam and an oral part. The exam for Language IV is offered during each exam periode and consists both of a written (60%) and an oral part (40%). To pass language classes exam, students must score at least 5 in both parts.

Records

Each of the four language classes comes with its own code. Students enroll for each class within a specific time frame that is announced by the main office. (If a student fails to enroll a class, it is not possible to process a grade, even if the student has passed an exam.) Once all the requisite information has been processed, the grades are announced electronically at my studies. Upon successful completion of all four classes, a combined grade is calculated and transferred to the central record (code DAY 01). This final grade is assigned the weighting factor 3 (i.e. it is multiplied by 3) and corresponds to 10 ECTS points.

Date of effectivity

The German Language Program has been operative since the academic year 2016/17. All students in their 5^th semester or above who have not completed the German Language Program yet need to enroll either in Language III or Language IV and take the exam for Language IV.

IV. Preparatory Course

DAY 02: Introduction into Academic Practice

The preparatory course Introduction into Academic Practice is required for students to continue their studies in the 5^th semester. The class is offered in the 3^rd and 4^th semester.

Sample course plan for Type A classes (1st – 4th semester)

1^st Semester

2^nd Semester

3^rd Semester

4^th Semester

Type B courses (5^th – 8^th semester)

Type B courses for undergraduate students in their third and fourth year of study (5^th – 8^th semester) serve to deepen the participant’s understanding of a particular field and are often taught as seminars. Class B courses fall into two groups: compulsory elective courses (‘Wahlpflichtveranstaltungen‘), and elective courses (‘Wahlveranstaltungen’). 

Compυlsory elective courses

(12 courses)

Students have to choose six classes in linguistics and six classes from literature according to the following key:

            Ι. Linguistics (3 categories)

• Category A: two classes
• Category B: two classes
• Category C: two classes

            IΙ. Literature (4 categories)

• Category A: two classes
• Category B: two classes
• Category C: one class
• Category D: one class

I. Linguistics

Category A (two courses)

1.         DGA 30: Phonetics/Phonology

2.         DGA 31: Morphology

3.         DGA 32: Theory of syntax

4.         DGA 33: Topics in German syntax

5.         DGA 34: Lexicology

6.         DGA 36: Contrastive linguistics

7.         DGA 38: Phraseology

8.         DGB 38: Semantics

9.         DGB 40: Interfaces

10.       DGB 41: Theories of language acquisition

11.       DGB 45: Language varieties

12.       DGC 46: Linguistic Theories

13.       DGC 47: Philosophy of Language

14.       DGC 50: Language change / historical linguistics

Category B (two courses)

1.         DGA 35: Text linguistics

2.         DGA 37: Analysis of spoken language

3.         DGB 39: Pragmatics

4.         DGB 42: Second/foreign language acquisition, bilingualism

5.         DGB 43: Sociolinguistics

6.         DGB 44: Empirical linguistics

7.         DGB 46: Linguistic analysis of written language

8.         DGB 47: Teaching second/foreign languages

9.         DGC 48: Theory and practice of translation

10.       DGC 49: Computer linguistics

11.       DGC 51: Theory of reading

Category C (two courses)

1.         DGD 50: Theories and methods of teaching German as a foreign language

2.         DGD 51: Analyzing and structuring course material

3.         DGD 52: Structuring and organizing classes

4.         DGD 53: Evaluating language proficiency and language teaching

5.         DGD 54: New technologies in foreign language teaching

6.         DGD 55: German as a second foreign language

7.         DGD 56: Teaching German in primary school

8.         DGD 57: Developing written language skills for German as a foreign language

9.         DGD 58: Developing spoken language skills for German as a foreign language

10.       DGD 59: Developing teaching skills for German as a foreign language

11.       DGD 60: Developing grammatical competence for German as a foreign

            language

12.       DGD 61: Developing lexical competence for German as a foreign language

13.       DGD 62: Developing phonological competence for German as a foreign     language

14.       DGD 63: Developing pragmatic competence for German as a foreign language

15.       DGD 64: Developing sociolinguistic competence for German as a foreign   language

Ι. Literature

Category A (two courses)

1.         DLA 60: Enlightenment / Storm and Stress

2.         DLA 61: Classicism

3.         DLA 63: Romanticism

4.         DLA 62: Hölderlin / Kleist / Jean Paul

5.         DLA 69: Vormärz / Biedermeier / Realism

6.         DLA 64: Naturalism / Fin de siècle / Expressionism

7.         DLA 65: 1900 – 1945

8.         DLA 66: Brecht / Kafka / Thomas Mann

9.         DLA 67: Literature after 1945

10.       DLA 68: Contemporary German literature

Category B (two courses)

1.         DLB 68: Literature theory: analytical principles and current trends

2.         DLB 69: Theory of literary genres Ι: prose

3.         DLB 70: Theory of literary genres ΙI: lyric

4.         DLB 76: Theory of literary genres ΙII: drama

5.         DLB 71: Literature and media

6.         DLB 72: Literature and gender

7.         DLB 73: Comparative literature / world literature / European literature

8.         DLB 74: Greek antiquity and German literature

9.         DLB 75: German literature and Modern Greece

10.       DLB 77: Literature and anthropology

Category C (one course)

1.         DLC 76: Translation of literary texts and essays with emphasis on the         historical          context

2.         DLC 77: Translation of literary texts and essays with emphasis on literary   genres

3.         DLC 78: Critique of literary translation

4.         DLC 80: Teaching literary texts I

5.         DLC 79: Teaching literary texts II

Category D (one course)

1.         DLD 80: Aesthetics / art

2.         DLD 81: Intercultural issues

3.         DLD 82: German history

4.         DLD 83: German philosophy

5.         DLD 84: Current German culture

6.         DLD 85: History of ideas 

Please note that not all type B courses are offered every semester, and that the actual content of the courses may vary from year to year. For the current program, consult our website.

Elective courses

(5 courses)

Students are required to select from among all categories in linguistics or literature five courses. The specific choice of courses is free.

Elective courses from other programs of the School of Philosophy

(4 courses)

Students must enroll in four elective courses offered by other Departments of the School of Philosophy. It is recommended that students choose all classes from a single field of studies, in order to be able to deepen their knowledge in one specific area.

A list of available subjects is made available at the beginning of each semester at the secretary’s office. Language courses cannot be used for the fulfillment of this requirement.

Thesis

Students are required to submit a thesis in order to successfully complete their degree. The thesis, which can be either written in linguistics or literature, has to meet certain academic criteria. More specifically, the final version should

• discuss a specific problem pertaining to the topic of the thesis
• include an exhaustive and critical presentation of the present state of research
• make explicit relevant consequences and predictions
• demonstrate a well-articulated ability to use German scientific prose.

Students have to contact the Department member with whom they want to write their thesis no later than two weeks after the beginning of the semester. Application is restricted to students who have already reached their seventh semester of studies, and have successfully completed the courses in language practice as well as the course Introduction to scientific research. The thesis must be handed in by the end of the first week after the beginning of the following exam period. If the thesis is rejected, it can be resubmitted in a revised form once, by the end of the first week of the following exam period. The thesis is assigned 30 ECTS points. 

Exam/reading periods

There are three exam periods, one in January, June and September each. Exams for courses of the winter semester are held in January, and those for the summer semester in June. Students who fail or fail to participate in a particular exam either in the summer or in the winter term, are given the option to take the exam again in September.

Type A courses are usually completed by a written exam. If a student fails a course a second time (i.e. in the September period), s/he must enroll in that course again.

With Τype B courses, which are usually completed by a term paper, students who fail can enroll in another course of their own choosing in the following semester. Term papers must be handed in by the end of the first week of the exam period, and can, if rejected, be resubmitted in a revised version once.

Grading

Participants in seminars at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens receive a grade from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest). Successful completion of a course requires grade 5 or higher. The grade for the thesis is multiplied by five. The final grade for the degree represents the average of all grades. The correlation between courses and credit points is summarized below: