GERMAN 101 (4168) – Elementary German
MWF 9:10-10:00
(Plus a required one hour per week tutorial with the German Native Speaker Teaching Assistant).
Vulgamore 304
Fulfills the Global Studies category requirement
Dr. Catherine Grimm
Office: Vulgamore 107
Office hours: MWF 1:00-2:00 and by appointment
Tel.: 629- 0269
Course webpage:
Instructor’s Homepage: http://people.albion.edu/cgrimm/ cgrimm@albion.edu
Welcome to German 101!
Course description:
Note: Students who have taken more than one year of German in high school must take the placement test before enrolling in this course.
Introduction to German language and culture through the contextualized study of grammatical concepts and vocabulary. Study and practice in the four language skills--listening, reading, writing and speaking--necessary for the interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication. Conducted primarily in German. Tutorials with native speakers are required.
This is the first semester of a year-long beginning German course. The main goal of this class is for you to gain basic proficiency skills in the German language. We will therefore concentrate on improving your understanding of basic German language structures as well as your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in German. You will also learn more about German culture and society by exploring different themes and topics. The more enthusiastic and committed you are about German language studies the more you will "get out of" this class.
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the class, students will be able to read, write and converse in German about a number of different basic topics. (Hobbies, family, daily routines, life as a college student). Students will be ready to proceed to the next higher level of German instruction at Albion or elsewhere.
My hope is that many, if not all of you, will all decide to continue your German language and culture studies here at Albion College, either as a major or minor or with our new track: German Language & Culture Studies for Special Purposes. Studying a foreign language and culture has many benefits, especially in our increasingly globalized environment. If you would like to find out more about what opportunities you will have if you continue your German studies, including the many options for study abroad in a German-speaking country, please come and see me during my office hours, MWF from 2-3:00 p.m. or by appointment.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS COURSE HAS A REQUIRED ONE-HOUR PER WEEK TUTORIAL SESSION WITH OUR GERMAN NATIVE SPEAKER TEACHING ASSISTANT (SCHEDULE TO BE DETERMINED DURING FIRST WEEK OF CLASS)
Required Books:
- Di Donato, Clyde, Vansant. Deutsch: Na klar! 5th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.
(ISBN-13: 978-0-07-353532-6)
- Deutsch: Na klar! Workbook (ISBN: 978-0-07327809-4)
Class procedures
In this class you will be introduced to basic German grammar topics, as well as different vocabulary and culture components of several different chapters of our introductory German textbook Deutsch: Na klar! We will devote about six classes to each chapter after which there will be an exam on the material from that chapter. Class time is valuable (and limited) and so we need to make the most of it. Consequently we will spend most of our class time on tasks that emphasize interaction, communication, and supervised language practice as opposed to tasks that can be as effectively accomplished individually such as learning grammar rules, memorizing vocabulary, and doing practice exercises. We will speak as much German in class as possible. In class you will probably not understand every single word being said but I want you to realize that that is perfectly ok-gradually you will get used to hearing German and this will enhance your learning experience. On occasion we may have brief time-outs in English to address specific issues.
Tutorials: In addition to our MWF lessons you will meet with Catherine Ehm our German Language Teaching Assistant to work on additional exercises and texts. Please bring your schedules with you to the next class, so we can find a time that fits everybody’s schedule. Attendance at the tutorial is mandatory!
Course Requirements:
Class participation
Class participation (which includes tutorials) is a crucial component of this course. It incorporates attendance, engagement in the classroom, and preparedness. This portion of the grade includes attending 2 German cultural events and 2 times at Sprachtisch. Engagement and preparedness go hand in hand. If you have done the reading and prepared daily assignments you should be able to participate and contribute to every class discussion. Everything said here regarding participation is also valid for the tutorial. The tutorial is a regular part of the class and absences from it will affect your grade in exactly the same was as they do for the regular class.
Statement on class attendance:
Regular attendance at every class is expected. Every absence from class is inevitably a loss —usually one which can never be made up. A student has the responsibility to inform his or her faculty member, whenever possible in advance, of an absence due to serious or prolonged illness, and verification of absences due to emergency reasons, may be obtained from the Office of Residential Life. If a student misses more than three classes his or her grade for the class will be negatively affected. In this class after the 3rd unexcused absence the participation portion of the grade will be reduced by 10 % per absence. Engagement and preparedness go hand in hand. If you have done the reading and prepared daily assignments you should be able to participate and contribute to every class discussion. Daily multi-sentence and/or conversational exchanges will earn an A, single sentence contributions a B, irregular oral contributions a C, and anything less than this is unsatisfactory.
Homework
In this class you will be assigned homework on a regular basis. This has to do with the nature of the language learning at the college level— because our actual “face-to-face” time is limited, (and will be used for the introduction of new vocabulary and grammar concepts) the reviewing and further practicing of new vocabulary grammar and topics need to be accomplished outside of the classroom in the form of homework. Meticulous completion of each and every homework assignment is the key to success in this class. Late homework will not be accepted. Exceptions will be made in the case of serious illness.
Your workbook will be where you will complete most of your homework. It has the answers in the back so you should attempt each exercise on your own in one pen color and then go and neatly self-correct the exercise in a different color. Only homework that has been completed in this fashion (i.e. it is clear what you did before you looked at the answers) will receive a good grade. If I see a lot of self-corrections I know that that is something we need to go over again. Beginning next Monday I will collect 5 workbooks randomly at almost every class session for which I will grade the homework for that day. So please always bring your workbook with you!
Kulturaktivitäten und Sprachtische:
In addition to your class and tutorial requirements, we would like all German students to actively participate in our weekly cultural activities and our always exciting and fun Sprachtische. Our German language table (Sprachtisch) will take place every Wednesday from 12-1:00pm. The weekly cultural activity will take place on a weeknight at a time to be determined shortly. Our native speaker and the students living in the German house will be the ones who will decide the time and what kind of things will be done for these activities.
Expectations of student behavior:
Excessive reoccurring tardiness will affect your participation grade. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Please turn off your cell phones when you are in class. Lack of preparation will also affect your grade negatively.
Summary of how to be a successful German 101 student:
do all the assigned homework carefully and thoroughly
come to class ready and willing to speak German.
come to class punctually and be attentive to what is going on
regularly attend and actively participate in the weekly German tutorial.
find a way to review and practice new vocabulary—flash cards or word lists, whatever works for you is good.
review new material in short daily sessions to make the exam preparation less onerous.
attend two Sprachtische and two German cultural events.
promptly seek the professor’s or the T.A.’s help if you have any questions about anything covered in class or about German in general.Assignments and Grades
- Active participation in class is an important assessment tool, via which I will be able to gauge your progress.
- There will be 5 exams covering the material for each of the first five chapters in our textbook Deutsch Na-Klar.
- You will be asked to go to "Sprachtisch" = the German language lunch table in Upper Baldwin at least two times during the semester.
- You should also be prepared to attend at least two of the German I-House activities during the semester.
- Because I will already have had ample opportunity to gauge your progress in German there is no final exam for this class.
- Grades will be calculated based on
- in-class participation, (which includes at the tutorial)
- homework assignments
- 5 chapter tests, as well as 1 introductory exam
Grade breakdown: Grades
930-1000 4.0
Five major exams 5x125: 625 890-929 3.7
Einführungsprüfung 75 840-889 3.3
Workbook/homework 100 800-839 3.0
Class participation
(Includes attendance, engagement, preparedness) 200 775-799 2.7
____________ 730-774 2.3
1000 700-729 2.0
675-699 1.7
635-674 1.3
600-624 1.0
Statement on academic integrity:
As an academic community, Albion College is firmly committed to honor and integrity in the pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, as a member of this academic community, each student acknowledges responsibility for his or her actions and commits to the highest standards of integrity. In doing so, each student makes a covenant with the college not to engage in any form of academic dishonesty, fraud, cheating, or theft. For the full policy please see the on-line Catalog (under “Academic Regulations” and the on-line Student Handbook.
Disability Statement:
If you have a disability and may require accommodations or modifications in class instruction or course-related activities, please contact the Learning Support Center (LSC) staff who can arrange for reasonable accommodations for students who provide documentation of their disability/condition. If you are presently registered with the LSC and have requested accommodations through the LSC for this semester, please plan to meet with me as early as possible to discuss the best way to implement these accommodations in this class. The LSC is located on the third floor of the Seeley Mudd library or call 517-629-0825.
SEMESTER PLAN
**ASSIGNED PAGES FOR EACH DAY INCLUDE THE CORRESPONDING PAGES IN YOUR WORKBOOK**
You will receive a more detailed syllabus every second week.
This is a tentative schedule, which we may veer off of, depending on how things are going.
24.8 Einführung
26.8 Einführung, 1-7, einschl. Aktivität 8
28.8 Einführung, 7-12
31.8 Einführung, 13-17
2.9. EXAM - Einführung (Arbeitsbuch abgeben)
4.9 K.1, 20-25, einschl. Aktivität 4
7.9. Kein Untericht – Labor Day
9.9. K.1, 25-2
11.9. K.1, 30-35
14.9 K.1, 36-39
16.9 K.1, 40-44
18.9 K.1, 45-4
21.9 EXAM - K.1 (Arbeitsbuch abgeben)
23.9 K.2, 50-55
25.9. K.2, 56-61
28.9. K.2, 62-67, einschl. Übung 5
30.9. K.2, 67-71, einschl. Übung 11
2.10 K.2, 71-75, einschl. Übung 19
5.10 K.2, 75-79
7.10 EXAM - K.2 (Arbeitsbuch abgeben)
9.10 K.3, 82-87
12.10 Kein Unterricht - Herbstferien
14.10 K.3, 88-92
16.10 K.3, 93-97
19.10 K.3, 98-102, einschl. Übung 1
21.10. K.3, 102-04
23.10 K.3, 105-07
26.10 Review
28.10 EXAM, K.3 (Arbeitsbuch abgeben)
30.10 K.4, 112-17
2.11 K.4, 118-23
4.11 K.4, 124-28, einschl. Übung 5
6.11 K.4, 128-33, einschl. Übung 11
9.11 K.4, 133-37, einschl. Übung 18
11.11 K.4, 137-41
13.11 EXAM, K.4 (Arbeitsbuch abgeben)
16.11 K.5, 144-49, einschl. Aktivität 4
18.11 K.5, 149-54
20.11 K.5, 155-59
23.11 K.5, 160-64, einschl. Übung 8
25.11 Kein Unterricht - Erntedankfest
27.11 Kein Unterricht - Erntedankfest
30.11 K.5, 164-67, einschl. Übung 13
2.12. K.5, 167-70 (Teaching Evals)
4.12 EXAM, K.5 (Arbeitsbuch abgeben)