Chapters in Books by Dr. Torsten Schaar
World War II Re-explored. Some New Millennium Studies in the History of the Global Conflict, 2019
Deutsch als Fremdsprache im Spannungsfeld zwischen Globalisierung und Regionalisierung, 2017
Deutsch als Fremdsprache im Spannungsfeld zwischen Globalisierung und Regionalisierung, 2017
Representations of War in Films and Novels, Nov 20, 2015
Representations of War in Films and Novels, Nov 20, 2015
Studien zur Geschichte Mecklenburgs in der ersten Haelfte des 20. Jahrhunderts, 1996
Deutsche Jugend im Zweiten Weltkrieg, 1991
Studies on Foreign Languages and Cultures. Volume 2. UPM Press, 114-138, 2013
We live in a technological and information age which is dominated by information management and d... more We live in a technological and information age which is dominated by information management and dissemination. …most of the world's knowledge is stored in print -either paper print or, increasingly, electronic print -and retrieved through reading. Reading provides us with access to information, and in today's world information is power. (Elizabeth J. Pretorius)
Studies on Foreign Languages and Cultures. Volume 2. UPM Press, 95-113., 2013
Deutsche Jugend zwischen Krieg und Frieden 1944-1946, Rostock, p. 49-59, 1993
Bohl/Keipke/Schröder: Bomben auf Rostock. Krieg und Kriegsende in Berichten, Dokumenten und Fotos 1940-1945, Rostock, Konrad Reich, p.9-13, 1993
Journal Article (Main Author) by Dr. Torsten Schaar
Since its introduction in 2001, 164 Malaysian undergraduates have completed the BA German program... more Since its introduction in 2001, 164 Malaysian undergraduates have completed the BA German programme at Universiti Putra Malaysia(UPM), a combination of German language instruction, philological subjects and market-oriented courses. A survey into the professional development of BA German students since their graduation revealed that the majority of graduates had no problems in finding employment in the corporate or education sector shortly after finishing their studies. Many have changed their career paths several times since securing their first employment in order to gain higher incomes, face greater challenges and enjoy better career opportunities. Some graduates became teachers of German or other languages (Malay language, English, and Mandarin) as well as for science subjects at primary and residential schools, colleges and universities. Furthermore, several opted for Master's degrees and PhD's. A tracer study project aimed to provide comprehensive data on the professional and personal development of BA German graduates from UPM. The 2009, 2010 and 2011 graduates were chosen to provide data via in-depth interviews, questionnaires and social media groups, which allowed the conclusion that studying BA German at UPM combined with a business-related minor subject is a proven formula for a successful and quick entry into the Malaysian job market.
Jugendgeschichte Heft 13, 1990
Global Journal of Business and Social Science Review, 1(2), 499-509., 2015
Objective -An ongoing tracer study project -January 2014 to October 2015aims to provide more comp... more Objective -An ongoing tracer study project -January 2014 to October 2015aims to provide more comprehensive data on the professional development of BA German graduates from UPM. Methodology/Technique -The group of 2008 graduates has been chosen to provide initial data via indepth interviews, questionnaires and social media groups, which allowed the conclusion that studying BA German at UPM combined with a business-related minor subject is a proven formula for a successful and quick entry into the Malaysian job market. Findings -Many have changed their career paths in order to gain higher incomes, face greater challenges and enjoy better career opportunities. Some graduates became language teachers (Mandarin, English, Bahasa Malaysia and German) at primary and residential schools, colleges and universities. Furthermore, several opted for Master's degrees. Novelty -The comprehensive study on the "Future Direction of the Language Education in Malaysia" (2010) concluded that graduates of language majors from Malaysian universities do not have any problem in securing employment either in the public or the private sector. A survey related to the professional development of former Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages (German)-students confirmed that the majority of graduates from University Putra Malaysia found employment in the corporate or education sector shortly after finishing their studies.
Conference Proceedings by Dr. Torsten Schaar
Several Malaysian tertiary institutions offer preparatory A-Level courses to enable students to p... more Several Malaysian tertiary institutions offer preparatory A-Level courses to enable students to pursue their degree in Germany. Studying in a foreign country requires not only excellent academic records, the knowledge of the respective language or well-trained soft skills, but also an intercultural understanding. One element of intercultural training and a supporting means in language acquisition is the didactic usage of feature films. Visual media initiate various impulsive responses in the viewer predominantly the perception of differences and similarities -an essential component for awareness building processes. Further, it provides a detailed and intimate insight in habits, routines, and rules of societies and their interaction patterns. Some of the aspects of culture are easily accessible like their festivals and foods. Others are manifested on a more subconscious level, yet they might play a vital role in defining the identity of interpersonal networks. The study was implemented by conducting a survey to cull movie preferences. Subsequently a selection of feature films was chosen and shown during language classes and intercultural workshops. The movie screenings data were then collected via questionnaires to analyse what aspects of German culture were noticed. Based on the results individual interviews were conducted, that particularly focused on the aspects students perceived as different or remarkablein this case interpersonal relationships.
The systematic, bureaucratic, state organized persecution and extermination of Europe's Jews by G... more The systematic, bureaucratic, state organized persecution and extermination of Europe's Jews by German authorities and their European collaborators -known as the Holocaust -has been widely researched, published, narrated and represented in scholarly writings, literature, in documentaries and feature films, in paintings, plays, musical compositions, dance performances, in sculptures and photography since the end of World War II. Holocaust-dramas -the most difficult of film genres according to Steven Spielberg -attempt to depict the persecution, isolation and unspeakable suffering of Jewish men, women and children in ghettos, freight cars, concentration camps and death camps, but also narrate amazing stories of survival against all odds and inspiring tales of help by Gentiles and Jews. In order to install the narration of the Holocaust effectively in the cultural memory the cinematic representation of the unimaginable has to be truthful, authentic as well as entertaining. 1
In today's Germany, film and television have taken over from historians and history books as the ... more In today's Germany, film and television have taken over from historians and history books as the main way in which the history of the Third Reich is transmitted to the public." (Andrew Wormald) The wars of the past, especially the two world wars of the twentieth century have led to the development of commemorative traditions: "customs and narratives by which individuals, groups and nations remember, commemorate and attempt to resolve memories of the traumatic experience that is war." 1 These conventions govern the interpretation of war in literature, feature films, in war-museums and memorials. The war drama as a film genre either depicts land, air and naval battles, or focuses on daily military or civilian life in wartime. It tells true or fictitious stories of combat, of perpetrators and victims, atrocities and death, of sacrifice, survival and escape, of human and inhuman behavior, of moral issues and dilemmas in extreme circumstances. War dramas explore the effects of military conflicts on societies and the radical changes in the lives of the peoplesoldiers and civilianswho have experienced its horrors. Each country involved in World War II pays tribute to events of special significance: the Soviet Union the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk, the siege of Leningrad and the final battle of Berlin; the United States the attack on Pearl Harbor, the D-Day landing in Normandy and the Pacific war; Poland the heroic resistance of its soldiers at Westerplatte and the Warsaw Uprising; Japan the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Germany the Allied bombings of Hamburg and Dresden, the expulsion of millions of Germans from the eastern provinces and the mass rape of German women. The fall of Communism in Eastern Europe has brought forth memories of war, which were publicly commemorated for the first time such as the massacre of Polish officers by the Soviets in Katyn. Literature and feature films often depict such important events and portray individuals, groups of persons or specific military units. "Memory and commemoration are constructed according to the social, cultural and political nature, as well as the needs and 2 experiences, of the society and individuals producing them" 2 , but attitudes to and memories of war as well as traditions of remembrance of a country develop and change over time. They are either accepted or contested and re-evaluated. As Whitmarsh points out: "War is a controversial subject, not only because of the death, destruction and suffering involved. Memory of war often forms part of a nation's self-image. Taking a critical attitude towards past wars may therefore provoke accusations of being unpatriotic." 3 World War II dramas have been produced since its beginning in 1939 and continue to this day to show many facets of the bloodiest conflict in human history. The visual style developed by Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski in Saving Private Ryan (1998) is credited with having set a new standard for depicting the war. The ongoing public interest in Adolf Hitler's Third Reich / World War II and the transition from communicative to cultural memory has resulted in the making of about 50 feature films and mini-series by 15 European countries (often co-produced) between 2010 and 2013 showcasing momentous historical events, extraordinary incidents, untold chapters of the war, the Holocaust, the German occupation regime, the individual and organized resistance, as well as biopics and literary adaptations. Many of the films contribute to ensuing discourses on memory and national identities, on history and values, whose modifications are necessitated and fostered by changed or new political situations in the countries (especially after the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe). Several European film productions have attracted record-breaking viewing figures and have earned numerous national and international awards. They have captured people's imagination, have caused overdue public discussions, soul-searching, debate or uproar, and have even led to political controversies between Poland and Germany over Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter (Germany, 2013) and between Macedonia and Bulgaria over The Third Half (Macedonia, 2012).
Proceedings: 4th Malaysia International Conference on Foreign Languages (MICFL). Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, University Putra Malaysia, Melaka, 3rd-4th July 2013. (pp 75, 1-11), 2013
Conference Presentations by Dr. Torsten Schaar
Since language skills have been recognized as a vital factor for the nation's identity-building a... more Since language skills have been recognized as a vital factor for the nation's identity-building and as a major contributor to the country's economy, the study of languages plays an important role in the Malaysian education system.
Uploads
Chapters in Books by Dr. Torsten Schaar
Journal Article (Main Author) by Dr. Torsten Schaar
Conference Proceedings by Dr. Torsten Schaar
Conference Presentations by Dr. Torsten Schaar
The key benefit resulting from the reintroduction of Industrial Training in the foreign language curriculum (in 2014) will include an improvement in the students’ ability to determine worthwhile employment and to increase their “workplace readiness”. The terms “Industrial Training”, “Practical Training”, and “Internship” will be intermixed in this paper and have the same meaning. Whilst exam orientated students initially perform well within their specialization, after commencing employment they often face challenges and difficulties that they are not fully equipped for, and Industrial Training can help them to be better prepared to face such problems. The “UPM - Department of Communication” has run a successful Industrial Training programme for over five years, and graduate employability has increased significantly, as confirmed by lecturers in other UPM institutes, such as the Food and Sciences Faculty. Such faculties are orientated towards technology and engineering, and they experience few problems in determining appropriate internships. In contrast, this is not the case for most foreign language students in Malaysia, especially for French and German undergraduates. Whilst English undergraduates, (the second language for many Malaysians), may seem to have a natural advantage, it is also not easy for them to find appropriate internships where native English communication is commonly used. Although issues relating to students of Bahasa Melayu who are studying in FBMK are not addressed in this discussion, it is relevant to lecturers who teach and to students who study foreign language minors, e.g. Russian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Turkish, Spanish or Burmese. Without doubt, there are similar opportunities for these students as there are for students of European languages.