German 202 (CRN 9066 )

Intermediate German, continued

Course Description

This the second semester of an intermediate German course. We will continue to work together on strengthening and improving your ability to communicate effectively in German. We will also explores areas of cultural knowledge, that will expand your understanding of German history and society. You will be called upon to motivate yourself to do your best work: the harder you work for this class, the more fulfilling it will be and the more you will learn. By making a conscious decision to work hard and be enthusiastic about German I guarantee that you will improve your language skills and you enjoy the class. Deutsch macht Spaß! I hope that many, perhaps ALL of you, will decide to continue your German studies here at Albion, either in the form of a major, a minor or the new minor in Foreign Language and Culture Studies for Special Purposes (FLCP). This course is also an excellent preparation for study abroad in a German speaking country. Most Albion College students go to Germany (Heidelberg, Tübingen, Bonn, Berlin) or to Vienna, Austria for one semester. Please come and see me if you are interested in finding out more about Study Abroad. (Or make an appointment to speak with Lynn Del-Cid Neddo, the Director of the Albion College Center for International Education (cie@albion.edu). This semester we have a student studying in Tübingen, one in Heidelberg and a student who is doing a educational internship in Bonn. We also have 5 students returning from studying and interning in Germany last semester. Successful completion of this course will count towards a German major or minor and also for the Global Studies category. (see p. 49 of the 2005-2006 Academic catalog for a description of this category). back to top

Procedures

In class you will work on exercises that review and enforce grammatical concepts, as well as watch and discuss videos about German history and culture. We will also read, discuss and interpret a number of literary short stories. You will also participate in a mandatory weekly tutorial with our German native speakers where you will mainly work on your conversational abilities. Class time is precious, so the pace might seem fast to you.  If you feel you need to go over a particular concept, please schedule an appointment to come see me during office hours MWF at 8am or by appointment. Also, our two native speaker teaching assistants are a wonderful resource for you: you will have plenty of opportunities to talk to them about any issues pertaining to German. Outside of class an important resource will be the workbook and audio CD's. These provide valuable exercises that will help increase your effectiveness in communicating and understanding German. Please take the work I ask you to do with these materials seriously, since they are an important component of the class. back to top

Texts

• Fokus Deutsch: Intermediate German. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Fritz, Daniela, Stephen Newton, Lida Daves-Schneider,Karl Schneider,and Robert Di Donato.

• Allerlei zum Lesen. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. (Second edition). Teichert, Herman, Lovette Teichert.

• At this stage in your language learning experience you might want to consider investing in a good German/English dictionary. Here is a link to a website that discusses your options in this area: What dictionary should I buy?  back to top

Participation and homework

Class participation (which includes tutorials) is a crucial component of this course. In order to be able to fully participate, you will need to come to class having completed all the homework activities assigned for that particular day. Meticulous completion of homework assignments, is an important step on the way to being a successful participant in class.  Class participation and homework preparation are inextricably linked, which is why late homework will not be accepted. In class you will work with your peers on different exercises, that will review and/or practice grammar-related topics. Attendance is of course the prerequisite for participation, but it is really just the first step: you can't participate if you are not there. More than three unexcused absences (including from tutorials) will affect your grade. An excused absence means bringing me a note from Health Services, or speaking to me BEFORE the absence and clearing it with me. You are responsible for finding out from your classmates what you missed in class. back to top

Assignments

Aside from actively participating in this class, there will be six chapter tests you will take that will evaluate your progress. There will also be homework assignments, taken from the reader (Allerlei zum Lesen) and the workbook. Your weakest test score will be dropped. Also, semester at the beginning of the German section will be conducting a general assessment of all students speaking and writing abilities in German. It is a requirement of the class that students participate in the assessment. You will not be graded on how well you do on the assessment, but you do have to participate in the assessment activities. These will consist of a writing exercise and a brief oral interview with the outside assessor for which you will sign up.    back to top

Other requirements

In order to provide you with an opportunity to practise your German skills in a less formal setting, you will be asked to attend a minimum of 2 German-related cultural activities as well as two German language tables over the course of the semester. You are strongly encouraged to attend as many of these events as you would like. If you are unable to attend an event you have the option of requesting an oral interview with your professor, or asking to have a meal with one of the T.A's at a time that is more convenient to you (and the T.A). If you still find it hard to come to these events, or schedule one on your own please see me promptly. back to top

Grades        

• Six chapter tests (the weakest grade will be dropped):                             50%  
• 5 AzL Interpretationsfragen and one Springbreak diary:                           18%
• Workbook-Übungen:                                                                              13%
• Tutorial and class participation:                                                                19%

back to top

---

Schedule/Stundenplan

back to top

FD=Fokus Deutsch book

FDWB=Fokus Deutsch workbook

AzL=Allerlei zum Lesen.

back to top