Course: Tendencies in Present-Day German

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Course title Tendencies in Present-Day German
Course code KGER/0855
Organizational form of instruction Seminary
Level of course Master
Year of study 2
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 5
Language of instruction German
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Bergerová Hana, doc. Dr.
Course content
1. Current tendencies in lexical development I (neologisms of the nineties of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century) 2. - 3. Current tendencies in lexical development II (the role od lexical borrowing in present-day German, aspects of the discussions concerning the role of anglicisms in present-day German, and the influence of Anglo-American usage on semantic shifts in certain words 4. - 5. Current tendencies in usage of selected grammar points I (the influence of Anglo-American usage on the morphology of the German language and on the use of specific syntactic structures) 6. Current tendencies in usage of selected grammar points II (the influence of the spoken language on Standard German 7. - 8. Gender issues in language, the influence of feminist linguistics on language use 9. - 11. Institut für deutsche Sprache (German Language Institute) in Mannheim: acquaintance with web pages, selected projects (e.g. GRAMMIS, elexiko, E-VALMU, Lexical innovations, Usual collocations, Proverbs) and the Sprachreport magazine 12. - 13. Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (German Language Society): aims, international activities (with special regard to the Czech Republic) and Der Sprachdienst magazine 14. Closing summary

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The course is based on a reflection, critical analysis and confrontation of current tendencies of development in present-day German from the point of view of grammar, lexis and pragmatics with special regard to lexical innovation in the last 20 years (in comparison to the Czech language), and to aspects of the discourse concerning the role of lexical borrowing (the intercultural dimension in tendencies of development). Apart from this, the aim of the course is to acquaint the students with the activities of important institutions whose concern is research on present-day German, as well as constructive criticism of some of the tendencies of development, along with the propagation and popularisation of the German language in the world. The institutions in question are the Institut für deutsche Sprache (German Language Institute) in Mannheim, and the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (German Language Society) in Wiesbaden. The focus is on selected projects of the German Language Institute and the possibilities of their utilisation for purpuses of study as well as career practice.
Students will gain an overview of development tendencies in current German grammar and lexis, as well as information about important institutions which deal with the research on modern German and aim for popularisation of the German language in the world.
Prerequisites
none

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
Credits: Active participation in seminars, fulfilment of assigned tasks Examination: Oral
Recommended literature
  • Další povinná a doporučená literatura.
  • Dieter Herberg. Neologismen in der deutschen Gegenwartssprache. Probleme ihrer Erfassung und Beschreibung. In: Deutsch als Fremdsprache 4/2002, 125-200.. 2002.
  • Doris Steffens. ): 20 Jahre Mauerfall ? Zur Wortschatzentwicklung seit der Wendezeit. In: Deutsche Sprache 2-3/2009, 148-167.. 2009.
  • Friedhelm Debus. Überfremdung der deutschen Sprache? Zur Frage des englisch-amerikanischen Einflusses. In: Deutsch als Fremdsprache 4/2001, 195-204.. 2001.
  • Christa Dürscheid. Syntaktische Tendenzen im heutigen Deutsch. In: Zeitschrift für Germanistische Linguistik 31, 327-342.. 2003.
  • Maria Thurmair. Standardnorm und Abweichungen. Entwicklungstendenzen unter dem Einfluss der gesprochenen Sprache. In: Deutsch als Fremdsprache 1/2002, 3-8.. 2002.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Arts Study plan (Version): German Philology in the Czech-German Intercultural Context (A12) Category: Philological sciences 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Summer