GENERAL INFORMATION

The Department of Germanic Studies, along with other departments of modern and classical languages, the Centre for Language and Communication Studies (CLCS) and the School of Drama, is part of the Faculty of Arts (Letters). Since 1989 the Department has had the title Germanic Studies in recognition of its function as an umbrella for three related languages, German, Dutch and Swedish.

The Department is involved in six undergraduate (B.A.) and one graduate (M. Phil.) degree programmes:

* In these three cases the official title of the degree programme includes the words ‘and a language’ in place of ‘and German’. The abbreviations BSL and CSLL are found as well as the forms given above, but rarely LL.

A separate course-handbook exists for each of these degree programmes. These handbooks are intended to provide information on the Department of Germanic Studies, its structures, procedures and requirements, and to offer a comprehensive guide to the individual degree courses. The information in this handbook is as current as possible at the time of going to press. Up-to-date information for students (including time-tabling) is displayed on the departmental noticeboards, which are organised by years, in the corridor beside room 5065. Some of this information will also be found in the Department’s page on the World Wide Web. It has the following location:

Please note that these web pages may not always be up-to-date.

German and, as appropriate, Dutch and Swedish, are normally the languages of instruction and communication in the Department. Much of the information on the noticeboards is in German. back to top

STAFF

Professor Moray McGowan* 5066 (608-)2415 germanic@tcd.ie

Dr Jürgen Barkhoff 5069 (608-)1210 jbrkhoff@tcd.ie

Dr Gilbert Carr 5068 (608-)1935 gcarr@tcd.ie

Dr Timothy Jackson 5071 (608-)1501 tjackson@tcd.ie

Dr Gillian Martin 5089 (608-)2329 gsmartin@tcd.ie

Dr Nicola McLelland on sabbatical leave 2003-04

Ms Caitríona Leahy 5070 (608-)1107 cleahy@tcd.ie

Mr Martin Haiden 5072 (608-)1894 haidenm@tcd.ie

Ms Katrin Eberbach 5090 (608-)3469 eberback@tcd.ie

Ms Brigitte Morrogh 3141 (608-)3188 morroghb@tcd.ie

Prof Eda Sagarra 25.1 College (608-)1589 esagarra@tcd.ie

Mr Thomas Müller 5090 (608-)3469 tmuller@tcd.ie

Dr Herwig Hofmann Law School (608-)1997 hofmannh@tcd.ie

Hse 39

Dutch Lector:

Ms Saskia Hutten 5054A (608-)1862 huttens@tcd.ie

Ms Regina Harkin 5054A (608-)1862 rharkin@tcd.ie

Ms Layla Eberle 4078 (608-)1247 eberlel@tcd.ie

Ms Marjan Hartsuiker 5054A (608-)1862 hartsuim@tcd.ie

Anne Masselink 5054A (608-)1862

Ms Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill nidhubhc@tcd.ie

Melita Kulenovic hmelita@yahoo.com

* On sabbatical leave Michaelmas Term 2003 back to top

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The following abbreviations are commonly found on noticeboards in College. Please note carefully which abbreviations apply to your year and course, as this will make it easier to read your timetable.

Junior Freshman (1st year) JF

Senior Freshman (2nd year) SF

Junior Sophister (3rd year) JS

Senior Sophister (4th year) SS

Terms & Semesters

Michaelmas Term MT

Hilary Term HT

Trinity Term TT

In addition to the traditional division of the Academic Year into terms, the Department of Germanic Studies divides the year into two semesters for most language courses. But students should note that this system does not necessarily coincide with arrangements in other departments and faculties.

On the master timetables the terms are indicated by week numbers, counting from the first week of statutory term in September. Statutory terms are longer than teaching terms, and are generally not of relevance to students. The week numbers are given in brackets after the term name.

Michaelmas Term (5 - 13) 6 October to 5 December

Hilary Term (18 - 26) 5 January to 5 March

Trinity Term (30 - 35) 29 March to 7 May

In Trinity, the following system is used in marking exams and assessed work. The words in brackets indicate how each grade is pronounced when said aloud.

I (first) 70 - 100

II.1 (two-one or upper second) 60 - 79

II.2 (two-two or lower second) 50 - 59

III (third) 40 - 49

F1 30 - 39

F2 0 - 29

The letter F in the last two marks stands for fail. back to top

The overall performance of a candidate will be taken into account when awarding a mark for the year’s work. The criteria will be modified by the different expectations appropriate to the various years of the course. Overall evidence that the student is fit and equipped to proceed to the next year of the course (or in the case of Moderatorship that the student will be a credible graduate of the College) is the defining criterion for the award of a passing grade.

Work that is poorly presented or inadequately referenced is unlikely to be awarded a II.1 or I

mark unless there is outstanding quality.

Excellent knowledge

Exemplary structure & presentation

Critical use of secondary material

Independence of mind/imagination

Consistent performance

Aware of full implications of question

Thorough knowledge of subject/text

Analytical ability

Good structure and presentation

Good use of secondary sources

Aware of implications of question

Effective structure and presentation

Solid and reliable/Sound knowledge

Understands the question

Satisfactory engagement with question

Relevant knowledge

Adequate presentation and capacity to articulate

Serious misunderstanding of question

Minimal knowledge

Incoherence

The potential of the candidate to proceed to the next year is an important consideration in this grade.

Written work in the F2 range will reveal some or all of the weaknesses noted under F1, but to a greater, perhaps extreme, extent.

1. Language competence is judged by criteria specific to individual languages, degree combinations and Departments.

2. Ability to progress to the following year is the defining criterion for the award of a passing grade. back to top

FACILITIES

The College Library is the premier source for books and journals for your studies. Tours of the Library are provided in Freshers’ Week and at the beginning of each academic year, and you are strongly advised to participate in a tour which is geared towards your own course.

Besides the College Library, there are some other sources for relevant materials with which you should acquaint yourself:

The Goethe-Institut (German Cultural Institute), 37 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, has a public library of around 10 000 books, and numerous audio- and video-cassettes, including many well-known German films. The Goethe Institute holdings are especially strong on Landeskunde issues and contemporary literature. Students are strongly encouraged to make use of this excellent facility, which is free of charge. The staff of the Goethe Institute library are also willing to assist in the identification and collection of suitable material for projects and essays. Opening hours: Tu-Th 12-20, Fr 10-14.30, Sa 10-13.30.

A collection of books can also be found in the departmental seminar room (5086). A catalogue of these holdings will be available in the office (5065). These books can either be read in the seminar room or can be borrowed through the Secretary.

Prescribed texts can be ordered and bought through the Secretary. A selection of paperback editions of German literature is also available for purchase there.

All students are required to own a dictionary and a grammar of German, which they will need to use on a daily basis. A German-German dictionary such as Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache and a large German-English/English-German dictionary such as The Collins German Dictionary are recommended. The recommended grammar for Junior Freshmen is Martin Durrell et al: Essential German Grammar, publ. by Arnold, and for all subsequent years Hammer´s German Grammar and Usage, 3rd ed. by Martin Durrell, publ. by Arnold. Students will be expected to use these grammars in some specified courses. These books are available from International Books, 18 Sth. Frederick Street, Dublin 2.

Since a great deal of the learning material for Germanic Studies takes the form of readers/ handouts, as against costly set texts, a charge is levied on incoming JF students to cover the costs of photocopies made for them during their four year degree programme. For TSM and GL students this charge is € 65, for BSG and LG € 62, for ES € 55 and for CSLG € 45.

The Department subscribes to the German weeklies Der Spiegel and Die Zeit. Current and back issues can be found in the office. Dutch and Swedish periodicals to which we subscribe regularly are kept in 5054A and can be accessed through the Dutch and Swedish lektors.

A large number of back issues of German language newspapers and magazines can be found in the cupboard opposite the offices 5069 and 5070.

The Goethe Institute, 37 Merrion Square, has a large selection from the German daily and weekly press available to the public in its reading room.

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The Centre for Language and Communication Studies (CLCS) provides centralised language learning facilities for a wide range of languages including German, Dutch and Swedish. The office of the Centre is located in room 4091, adjacent to a large language laboratory and computer room which students can use for private study. The CLCS has large holdings of audio and video cassettes, a growing collection of CD-ROMs and other computer-based materials. A catalogue can be consulted in the office, and CLCS staff can also give advice about suitable materials. The CLCS has published a comprehensive guide for the users of these facilities which can be obtained from the Secretary: tours of the facilities will be organised at the start of each academic year, and students are encouraged to participate.

The Department of Germanic Studies also has its own video collection, housed in room 5090. For further information see Herr Müller.

Tours of the computer facilities which are available for student use will be organised in the first weeks of the academic year. The most important computer rooms in the Arts Building are the Beckett rooms (Apple Macs and PCs) on Level 1 and Room 4066 (Apple Macs). All students should be set up with an e-mail account and receive some instruction in the use of electronic mail during their first term. Courses are organised by Information Systems Services (ISS).

All students are urged to join the Modern Languages Society, a student-run club which has a postal address in Regent’s House. The Society organises language classes, social and academic events and offers an opportunity to meet fellow students, visiting students from other countries and members of staff in an informal setting. back to top

The department has developed a range of activities over the years with the Careers Service, to assist students make the most of their time in College. Some of these are listed below:

For dates of seminars (postgrad study, interviews, etc.), employer presentations and lots more see www.tcd.ie/Careers

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SPOKEN GERMAN

All intermediate students (JF, SF) attend Spoken German classes. Some of these classes are taught by German exchange students recruited by the Department of Germanic Studies for that purpose. Thus students get the opportunity to meet German students and receive first hand information about life as a student in Germany.

Spoken German is designed to help students improve their speaking skills. They meet for one hour per week to talk about and experience different aspects of German life and people: play games, watch German TV, get to know German humour, talk about sports and leisure, etc. Although the material covered in class is provided by the Department, these classes are open to change: if participants take a major interest in certain areas dealt with in class, these issues can receive a special focus.

All advanced (JS, SS) students (including Muttersprachler, if they wish) attend the German evening that will take place fortnightly, beginning in week 2 of Michaelmas term on Wednesday nights.

A series of German films will be shown, beginning at 6 p.m. in room 5086.

Afterwards (from 8 p.m.) staff and students gather in one of the local pubs, where they can speak German in a relaxed atmosphere.

Other activities are envisaged (incl. the infamous intervarsity debate, theatre, events at the Goethe Institute, Christmas Party, etc.).

Michaelmas Term

7 November

19 November

3 December back to top

GOING ABROAD

All students who study modern languages at Trinity are required to spend a period in a country where their chosen language is spoken: the length of time which is required varies from course to course, and students should consult relevant handbooks. In BSG, CSLG, ES, GL and LG a year abroad is organised through the European SOCRATES scheme, and is a compulsory part of the course in the JS year. In TSM, the arrangements are more flexible, but students are required to spend ‘not less than two months in the country of each language’ prior to taking their final exams (University Calendar, p. J 3/4). In practice most students spend very much more time in a German-speaking country during the course of their studies. For the various options for TSM students see the respective section in the TSM handbook.

An important distinction is made between a SOCRATES year, when the student is still registered at Trinity and is required to follow certain courses at a foreign university, and a year ‘off books’, when the student spends a year abroad, not necessarily at a university, while relinquishing their student status at Trinity. Besides the possibility of students’ going off books to pursue their own interests and plans, some organised exchange schemes with German universities exist.

Mainly TSM students, but also students of other degree programmes who take an interest in teaching can apply to work as a foreign language assistant teaching English in a German or Austrian secondary school, while going off books. For further information see Dr Barkhoff.

SF students of all courses, who have obtained at least a 2.1 in German and a 2.1 overall may apply for a DAAD scholarship which entitles and funds them to study at a German university of their choice between their SF and their JS year while going off books. For further information see Dr Barkhoff.

Students who wish to go off books and spend a year working in a German speaking country (i.e. as au-pair) can get assistance from the Department in identifying a suitable placement. For further information see Dr Barkhoff.

Whenever students intend to go off books they have to notify their tutor so that appropriate permission can be obtained, and they must fill in a re-admission form (obtainable from their tutor) before returning to College. back to top

RESEARCH

Members of the Department are all actively involved in research. Their main research areas are as follows:

Many members of the Department also supervise postgraduates in work for masters and doctoral theses. Students in their final year who are interested in studying for a postgraduate qualification in German should in the first instance approach Dr. Barkhoff (MT) or Prof. McGowan (HT/TT) to discuss the various possibilities which exist.

The Department runs a research seminar, which meets about three times a term to discuss current research projects of members of staff and of their postgraduates, of whom there are about a dozen at present. Meetings of the research seminar are announced on the postgraduate section of the Departmental noticeboard, outside 5090. Where undergraduates are particularly interested in topics discussed in the seminar, they are welcome to attend.

From time to time guest lecturers visit the Department to give papers on their current research, and all students are encouraged to attend these events, which are publicised on the noticeboards. back to top

STUDY SKILLS

This part of the handbook has two separate sections, the first devoted to language learning, the second, to essay writing. We acknowledge with gratitude permission to adapt parts of the section on language learning from the CLCS Language Module Information documents, and parts of the section on essay writing from the handbook of the Department of German at the University of Wales, Swansea. back to top

Many students assume that if they expose themselves to German by reading and by listening to the spoken language, this will go a long way towards ensuring that their German will improve steadily. Unfortunately, the notion of passive exposure as an effective method of language learning is a myth. In order to learn a language, you must practise using it actively. This section of the handbook is intended to give you some ideas about how to increase your knowledge of German and to suggest study skills which will be effective both in the classroom and beyond.

Please note that the advice given in the first section applies equally to Dutch, Swedish, or any other language which you may be studying. Specific reference to German is a matter of convenience only.

ESSAYS AND ASSIGNMENTS

For preparing your essays you will not only have to read and re-read your primary texts, but also a considerable amount of secondary literature on these texts and their contexts. While doing this you should always make notes. Taking notes when you are reading is an essential independent study skill, and one which will be useful to you long after you have left university. Always keep your notes in order, bearing in mind that you may need to refer to them some time in the future. They must be legible, well-organized and fully referenced. Good notes are essential for good presentations and essays. They also forestall any risk of accidental plagiarism.

Whatever you are reading, whether a primary text or secondary literature, take down the full source reference details. Write down the reference details in the standard form used for bibliographies (see following section), preferably at the top of the sheet of paper or index card you are using. This also facilitates efficient filing. If what you are reading is an article in a book or a journal, remember that you must note down both the details of the article (author - title - first and last page) and those of the book (title - editor[s] - place - year) or journal (title - issue number - year). And the title always includes any subtitle. It takes one minute at most to check this information and write it down fully and accurately, but it will save you a lot of time at later stages of your work. It will enable you to compile accurate bibliographies for essays, and make it much easier to find sources again later.

Everybody has a different way of writing essays: this outline need not be followed strictly, but is intended to help you think about the processes involved. Students are permitted to write essays in German, but if they are not native speakers they should consider seriously whether it is wise to do so, as language errors may lead to a lower mark. When writing in German, consult secondary works carefully for formal issues such as referencing, as the conventions are not the same as those set out here.

If, when you have read this section, you feel that you need more detailed advice on the process of putting together an essay, the following works should be helpful. They are given here with their Library catalogue numbers for ease of reference.

If there is a set title, take some time to reflect on it. Remember that the exact wording of the title is usually very important. Consider the meaning of key-terms and their possible ambiguities. Think about what is implied, even what is significantly omitted; and about what alternative arguments might be considered in response to the title.

If you are choosing your own title, make sure to discuss it with the lecturer who is giving the course for which you are writing the essay. Thus you can avoid the pitfalls of choosing too wide a topic or a misleading path of investigation.

Read the primary texts (for literature seminars) and as much as you can on the topic; take detailed notes; read around it; read lecture notes; discuss with your lecturer, discuss it with your class-mates. Use dictionaries and other reference works to find out the meaning (and sometimes the spelling!) of key terms unknown to you. Use secondary literature to find out more about relevant aspects of the topic or about the text, the author, the social and historical context. Use Tables of Contents, Indexes and Annotations to find the information you need.

Plan your main points. What do you want to say? What points should you make, and in what order? Which are the most important, which secondary or even marginal? How can you fit them into the space and time available? Remember that the word limit which you are given is an upper word limit: be realistic about how much material you can deal with in the number of pages allowed, and choose thoroughness over coverage.

You may find the following procedure useful: (i) experiment with ways of reformulating the title in your own words; (ii) ‘brainstorm’, i.e. write down everything that occurs to you in connection with the topic (iii) having done this, try to group related thoughts together and find an order so that these groups follow on from one another; (iv) on this basis, work out a structure for the essay. You may find it helpful to group and label your notes according to which section of the essay the material will be in: coloured highlighters are useful here.

Make a rough first draft or plan in note form, bearing the following structure in mind:

Most of us develop our thoughts as we write, and you should practise using writing as a way of developing your thinking. Even if you have made a good plan, you may well find that by the time you reach the end, you have realised the importance of things you had not thought of at the beginning. To minimize the need for repeated revision, bear the following points in mind.

As you are writing, put yourself in the reader’s place: Why am I being told this? Why in this order? Is the argument relevant, consistent and logical? Does it flow? Keep asking yourself these questions; re-read the essay when it is finished and, if necessary, write out another draft.

In writing up from a first draft, consider:

You must always give a list of the books or articles you consulted when writing an essay, and references in the text of the essay should make it clear that you have actually read those articles and (at least part of) those books.

There are different conventions of how the entries in your bibliography should look. The examples given below represent one type often used in English language secondary literature. If you are writing in German, different conventions might apply. You can get an idea of them by consulting a scholarly work in German.

Whatever form of referencing you decide upon, always keep in mind that it has to be complete, clear, unambiguous and consistent. back to top

A word on using the Internet: the Internet can be a helpful starting point for your work. Only in rare cases (where a specialist research project regularly publishes their latest work on the web, say) will it provide the specialist knowledge you need. Even if it seems to, you need to be confident that the information is up-to-date and correct - after all, anyone can set up a web-site called "Latest breaking news on the great 17th C grammarian Schottelius" but the contents might be (indeed probably will be) pure fiction. The Internet is perhaps best viewed as a source of raw data to help you get started (and in a linguistics essay, you might be very interested in the use of foreign words in German Internet sites, say) - it is the start of your search, but rarely the end.

On-line encyclopaedias from Microsoft and the like are at this stage never the best resource for specialist information in Germanic Studies, and you would be better advised to cite standard literary histories, language histories or the appropriate general references for your subject area.

There is an excellent Internet tutorial available on the web which will help you learn to evaluate the usefulness and reliability of web-sites for your work:

www.sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html. It takes about two hours to complete and is extremely worthwhile.

If you use a web-site in an essay, dissertation or even for language work, its full address must of course be cited in your list of sources so that readers can follow up the reference if they wish.

In essays on literature it is usual to distinguish between primary literature (the fictitious text(s) you are writing about) and secondary literature (criticism, historical background, biographies etc.). Enter them in your bibliography in different sections, starting with the primary literature. Otherwise, list all the books you have consulted in alphabetical order by author/editor. A general rule is that titles of books are in italics, titles of articles or plays or poems taken from a larger volume are placed in inverted commas. Always give the place and year of publication and the edition for the sake of the greatest possible accuracy.

These are the most common types of entries in a bibliography:

References to texts included in the bibliography, whether to identify a quotation or a paraphrase, can be given in brackets after the quotation/paraphrase, in a footnote at the bottom of the page, or in an endnote at the end of the essay.

In all these cases the reference must include the author, a short title of the book/article or the publication year and the page number. Students often tend not to give the page number, although this is of prime importance. Without it, a reference is almost worthless, as it is difficult to trace it in the original text. Your lecturers might check the context/accuracy of your quotes, so it is imperative that you always give page numbers.

In published scholarly work, you will often find additional material or the discussion of side aspects in the footnotes. This is not a good practice in a student essay, as it is often detrimental to its cohesion and structure. Footnotes in student essays should be restricted to referencing only. back to top

The conventions which linguists use when they write are not always the same as those used by literary scholars. Although much that has been said in preceding sections applies to essays about linguistics, there are some special features which you should bear in mind.

Linguistics generally uses the Harvard or author-date system. Items appear alphabetically by author (or editor), and no distinction is made between primary and secondary literature. Both place of publication and publisher are given.

The format for the most common types of works you’ll want to cite...

- Book:

Clark, J., & C. Yallop. 1990. An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. Oxford: Blackwell.

- Edited book:

Anderson, J.M., & C. Jones (eds.). 1974. Historical Linguistics II. Theory and Description in Phonology. Amsterdam: North-Holland.

- Article in a journal:

Bailey, C.N.J. 1977. "Linguistic change, naturalness, mixture, and structural principles." Papiere zur Linguistik 16, 8-73.

- Article/chapter in an edited book:

Browman, C. 1994. "Lip aperture and consonant releases." In: Phonological Structure and Phonetic Form. Papers in Laboratory Phonology III, ed. P. Keating. Cambridge: CUP, 331-353.

In linguistics it is most common to use the name of the author, date and (if appropriate) the page number of the work in brackets.

You may need to differentiate Pintzuk 1997a, 1997b, etc. if the author has more than one publication from the same year. These works should then also be indicated as such in your bibliography.

Students’ attention is drawn to the entries in the College Calendar which deals with plagiarism:

In accordance with the above the Department regards plagiarism as a serious offence which may lead to a 0 mark for the work submitted and possibly to disciplinary action by College.

Students should note that, in addition to downloading material from the World Wide Web, asking native German speakers to correct work is also defined as plagiarism and will be monitored and penalised.

The above regulations on plagiarism apply in exams, in submitted essays and dissertations, and in assessed language work. Remember that if you fail to give adequate sources, lecturers may ask you to account for the originality of your work. back to top

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