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EN-3060
Philosophy and Literature
Much significant literature of the twentieth and twenty-first century dramatizes ethical and metaphysical questions that are central to the study of philosophy. Plays, novels and poems by writers such as Arthur Schnitzler, George Orwell, Samuel Beckett, Milan Kundera and Ingeborg Bachmann enhance our understanding of ethical plights, moral choices, questions of loyalty, affiliation and commitment, the relationship between art, science, political power and freedom, as well as between self and other, language and gender. Literature makes manifest universal philosophical questions. Nevertheless, these texts are marked by the particular disfigurements of twentieth-century history, and our approach will also reveal how these representations of historical trauma, political oppression and social alienation speak of the immediacy and relevance of both philosophical enquiry and literary interpretation.
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ML-100A
Introduction to Culture and Linguistic Traditions A
A broad knowledge and understanding of culture is an important part of the study of the language. This module aims to introduce students to the cultural background of the different linguistic traditions they study, covering different cultural artefacts and historical periods. It examines important examples of texts against the historical background in which they were produced. We shall study different cultural forms, such as poetry, novels, film, painting, drama and more. Students will be given guidance in doing presentations and writing essays about culture. The module provides students with the analytical skills and basic knowledge which they need to pursue further cultural and historical modules in more detail.
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ML-100B
Introduction to Culture and Linguistic Traditions B
A broad knowledge and understanding of culture is an important part of the study of the language. This module aims to introduce students to the cultural background of the different linguistic traditions they study, covering different cultural artefacts and historical periods. It examines important examples of texts against the historical background in which they were produced. We shall study different cultural forms, such as poetry, novels, film, painting, drama and more. Students will be given guidance in writing essays about culture and doing close textual readings through commentary writing. The module provides students with the analytical skills and knowledge which they need to pursue further cultural and historical modules in more detail.
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ML-321
Modern Languages Dissertation
This module provides students with the opportunity to research one aspect of French, German, Italian or Hispanic culture in detail, and to present the findings of their research in a dissertation of 8000 words.
The module will be taught by means of four practical seminars on research and writing skills, and through three formal supervision sessions with a dissertation supervisor. Your supervisor will help you to find a topic, suggest research strategies, agree a suitable title, discuss the structure of your dissertation, and will read closely and comment on one draft chapter. The topic may relate to a module you are doing at Level 3, provided that this does not involve a duplication of material and is agreed with the module coordinator in advance.
The dissertations may be written in English, in your target language, or in Welsh (where Welsh-medium provision is available).
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MLG200
Twentieth-Century Berlin: Myth and Reality
Berlin has been called `the capital of the twentieth century¿ (Webber, 2008) and was the site of both insurrection and imperial ostentation, siege and invasion, partition, persecution, ideological polarisation, and, finally, the return of democratic normality in the short twentieth century (1914-1989). It was a German capital for nearly ninety years between 1900 and 2000 and for much of that time a magnet for writers and artists and consequently a centre of cultural activity. Iconic images of Berlin were produced especially in film (Ruttmann) but all material studied in the module contributed to constructions of the city¿s identity and character. The key events and themes selected for study in this module are: subservience to authority and mass psychology (Zuckmayer, Lang); the Spartacist Uprising (Brecht); `new woman¿ in the `golden twenties¿ (Keun); unemployment (Dudow); war-time destruction and survival (Anon.); protest in East and West (Heym, Delius, Schnitzler); and division and the walled city (von Trotta). The Expressionist, Neue Sachlichkeit, documentary, neo-realist and noir styles inflected a number of texts and films and will thus be recurrent reference points.
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MLG210
German Translation Workshop 2
The aim of this module is to develop your practical skills in translating from German into English. Seminars will discuss a series of four simulated translation projects dealing with different types of text, from the point of view of the participants (e.g. commissioning agency, client), and comparative analysis of relevant areas of German and English language and culture. You will write up for assessment the second project (after discussion in class) and the fourth project (independently, after receiving feedback on the second).
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MLG260A
German Language 2A
This module builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in the first year of study, and will equip students with the skills needed to use German in more complex social and professional contexts. It concentrates on further developing fluency and accuracy in written and spoken German, enabling students to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. It aims to establish a firm grammatical understanding of the language, and extending students' vocabulary to read, write, interpret and debate issues related to contemporary German society and culture appropriate to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Moreover, the module further enhances students¿ employability by systematically developing a personal professional career planning portfolio, providing a sound insight into the world of work. It is typically taken in conjunction with MLG260B. Classes will be mainly conducted in German.
There is also a Welsh-medium version of this module.
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MLG300
Twentieth-Century Berlin: Myth and Reality
Berlin has been called `the capital of the twentieth century¿ (Webber, 2008) and was the site of both insurrection and imperial ostentation, siege and invasion, partition, persecution, ideological polarisation, and, finally, the return of democratic normality in the short twentieth century (1914-1989). It was a German capital for nearly ninety years between 1900 and 2000 and for much of that time a magnet for writers and artists and consequently a centre of cultural activity. Iconic images of Berlin were produced especially in film (Ruttmann) but all material studied in the module contributed to constructions of the city¿s identity and character. The key events and themes selected for study in this module are: subservience to authority and mass psychology (Zuckmayer, Lang); the Spartacist Uprising (Brecht); `new woman¿ in the `golden twenties¿ (Keun); unemployment (Dudow); war-time destruction and survival (Anon.); protest in East and West (Heym, Delius, Schnitzler); and division and the walled city (von Trotta). The Expressionist, Neue Sachlichkeit, documentary, neo-realist and noir styles inflected a number of texts and films and will thus be recurrent reference points.
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MLG310C
Translation Workshop (German/English)
The aim of this module is to develop your practical skills in translating from German into English to a high level. The module is based on a dossier of textual materials illustrating distinct text types, and distinct aspects of German and British cultures and societies. Each text will be introduced by a brief, which will direct students towards different types of translation (documentary, instrumental and various degrees of abbreviation). As well as the translation of the text, classes and assessments will also deal with the analysis of genre-specific linguistic usage and of translation strategies, decisions and shifts; notes will also be made on specific difficulties encountered during translation. In assessed pieces this ASN (analysis, strategy, notes) will be worth 50% of the overall mark.
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MLG350
German for Professional Purposes 3
Students will be introduced to the skills needed to extend further their written and oral proficiency in specialised business-related areas of the German language. Students will expand their knowledge of business terminology and will familiarise themselves woth the core concepts of selected areas of marketing. Topics include market research, market segmentation and the marketing-mix.
Carrying out a team-work based project they will increase their transferable skills by setting up and presenting a strategic marketing plan for the introduction of a German product into the British market.
With the aim of improving students' linguistic accuracy further they will practice various aspects of German grammar throughout the academic year. The module is taught in German, and classes are conducted in a creative and highly interactive atmosphere.
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MLGM01
Advanced Translation (German - English)
In 17 weekly two hour small-group seminars running through Semester 1 and into Semester 2, students will translate, discuss and annotate both non-technical and technical texts. Practice assignments will grow progressively longer to reflect real-world conditions and students will on occasion be expected to work together, critiquing and editing each other's work to produce a collaborative finished version. Techniques for discovering domain-specific knowledge and translating technical terminology will be explored and developed. Assessment will be by three test translations in different domains done through the year under exam conditions (2 hours with dictionaries and/or electronic resources), each counting for 25% of the marks of the module, plus one Terminology Project or Wikipedia Project counting for the final 25%.
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MLGM60
Advanced English-German Translation for MA Exchange Students
This module is only available to students coming to Swansea on an approved, single-semester M-level exchange from a translation and/or interpreting school in Europe (e.g. from the METS consortium). Teaching and assessment are identical to either the first or the second semester of the existing 20 credit, 2-semester Advanced Translation modules MLgM01 (Germanto English) OR MLGM30 (English to German), OR an approved mixture between them. Students taking MLGM60 will attend the same classes and submit the same two written assessments as those taking the corresponding semester of the longer module(s).
