College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English, Foreign Languages and
Journalism
Fall Semester 2008
GERMAN 102 Beginning
German I
Instructor: Leslie Gustafson
Meeting Times: M W F 9-9:50 (
Telephone: 676-2704
E-mail: lwinall@missouriwestern.edu
Office Hours: By
appointment
Required Texts:
1. Kontakte
(5th ed.)
2. Arbeitsbuch to accompany Kontakte
3. Dictionary of your choice
*Note: The audio program for the textbook is online at http://www.mhhe.com/kontakte5
(Click on “Student Edition” and choose the appropriate
chapter from the pull-down menu. Select “Audio Program” and the name of the
desired activity.)
German
102 is a language and culture course designed for students with no previous
study of German. It will lead students to expand their knowledge of other
cultures and to put theirs in perspective. GER102 fulfills the Category IV of
General Studies requirement. This course complies with these requirements in
terms of communicating, high-order thinking, valuing, social and behavior
sciences, humanities and fine arts.
Course Goals
German
102 requires no previous German. The goal of this course is to develop the four
language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) in a cultural
context with a focus on spoken German.
Course Beliefs
Studying
a foreign language broadens one's perspective of the world and enhances one's
understanding of self. It enables you to participate in a multi-cultural
community, prepares you for a career, a graduate school and for using the
language in the future. It helps dispel stereotypes, and enhances respect for
others. Participation in study abroad is encouraged to gain fluency and
cultural understanding.
Course Standards
1.
Students comprehend German when listening to a variety of sources.
2.
Students communicate by speaking German for a variety of purposes
and audiences.
3.
Students comprehend German when reading a variety of
materials.
4.
Students communicate by writing German for a variety of purposes and
audiences.
5.
Students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of German culture.
Course Objectives
By the end of the semester,
you should be able to:
1.
Understand classroom commands, the theme of
simple short samples of native speech, and
distinguish formal and informal levels of
language.
2.
Speak and be understood in social situations, ask and answer
questions.
3.
Read and understand the main theme,
comprehend facts and new vocabulary in context
of cultural, instructional and literary
passages and realia.
4.
Write short paragraphs about appropriate topics.
5.
Explain and compare cultural aspects.
Topics
to be Studied
Personal information
Greetings
Daily routine, regular activities
Preferences
Describe
self and family
Time, days of week, calendar
Weather,
seasons
Shopping
Eating
Alphabet
Colors
Social relationships
Opinions
School
activities
Homework
A foreign language is best learned with regular
work each day, rather than cramming prior to an exam. In this course, you are
responsible for keeping up with the workbook activities. Homework for each chapter will be collected on the test day for that
unit and evaluated on a page-by-page basis. Note that the answers to many of your assignments are in Appendix G at the back of
your textbook. The purpose of this is that you are able to do your homework and
receive immediate feedback on your work.
Each workbook chapter
includes a final activity called “Aufsatz Training.”
Be sure to take special care with these free-writing activities, as they count
as your “Journal” assignments (see grading section) and are a source of additional
points. Please be sure to write at least ten sentences for each journal
assignment.
Barring an excused absence or extenuating
circumstances (which I will determine), I will not accept late assignments.
Final note about homework: In addition to the
listed homework assignments, it goes
without saying that studying vocabulary should become part of your evening
routine!
Culture Assignments
In
order to receive full credit for participation, you must complete a minimum
of five cultural assignments. You
may review a German website, watch and review a German film, prepare an
authentic recipe, attend a local cultural event, etc. I will provide details
about these assignments the second week of class. You must complete two tasks
by the end of September, and the remaining three by Thanksgiving break.
Tests
Quizzes: Each Friday, there will be a
brief (20 point) quiz covering the week’s vocabulary and grammar. Quizzes will
begin the second week of class. No make-up quizzes will be given; the lowest
quiz grade will be dropped.
Chapter Tests: An exam will be taken for each chapter. Each exam will
have separate sections covering the following: listening comprehension,
vocabulary, grammar, reading, culture and extemporaneous writing. No make-up
exams are given. At the end of the semester, the lowest chapter test grade will
be dropped.
Final Exam: A comprehensive final exam will
be given at the end of the semester. Any student with a grade of 90% or better
at the end of the semester is not required to take the final exam.
In order to improve student learning and retention
as well as to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, Western
has implemented a mandatory attendance policy for students in all 100- and 200-level
courses. You will be given an excused absence when acting as an official
representative of the university, provided you give prior written verification
from the faculty/staff supervisor of the event.
Given other extenuating circumstances, please see me to determine
whether or not an absence is excused.
All other absences will be deemed unexcused. The maximum number of unexcused absences
allowed for this class before the midterm report, October 15, is five.
Thus, when you have six unexcused absences, you will be reported to the
Registrar’s Office, who will automatically withdraw you from this class. The
Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate.
Note about this class: The importance of regular
attendance cannot be stressed enough- if you fail to attend even a single class
meeting, you will miss a significant amount of material. If you must miss class due to
illness or for another legitimate reason, you must inform me before class that day in order for it
to be excused. For GER 102, students are allowed 3 "free"
absences. After three absences, a student's final grade will be
lowered 1% for each subsequent absence (whether excused or not). Any
student with more than 3 absences must take the final exam and should not
expect to receive a final grade higher than a B. In ALL cases, students
are responsible for all materials covered during their
absence.
Foreign Language Lab in Murphy 107
You
will have open access to the Foreign Language lab, open weekdays only. As in
any other lab, you need to sign in when you enter.
Assistance
Any
student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest
expression of abilities should contact me personally as soon as
possible so we can discuss class requirements.
Academic
honesty is required in all academic endeavors. Violations of academic honesty
include any instance of plagiarism, cheating, seeking credit for another’s
work, falsifying documents or academic records, or any other fraudulent
activity. Violations of academic honesty
may result in a failing grade on the assignment, failure in the course, or
expulsion from the University. When a student’s
grade has been affected, violations of academic honesty will be reported to the
Provost or designated representative on the Academic Honesty Violation Report
forms.
Please
see the 2008-09 Student Handbook and Calendar on page 21 for specific activities
identified as violations of this policy and the student due process procedure.
This handbook is also available online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf
Cheating
or plagiarism is not acceptable. You will receive a 0 (zero)
for any work that shows evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism.
Grading scale
100 -
90 = A
89 - 80 = B
79 - 70 = C
69 - 60 = D
59 - 0 = F
Grading
Your final grade will be determined as follows:
2 tests
(75 pts. each) = 150 pts.
10 quizzes (20 pts each) = 200 pts
Culture Projects (20 pts each) = 100 pts
Homework =
175 pts.
Written Final =
75 pts.
TOTAL = 700 pts.
For your information:
General Studies Competencies and Associated
Assessment in FRE 102, GER 102, SPA 102
Communicating
A. Analyze and
evaluate their own and others’ speaking and writing
Students read and write in the
foreign language, edit and discuss texts.
C. Make formal
written and oral presentations employing correct diction, syntax, usage,
grammar, and mechanics.
Students
prepare dialogs and writing assignments in foreign language that emphasize
accuracy.
F. Communicate
effectively in groups by listening, reflecting, and responding appropriately
and in context.
Students must demonstrate strong
listening and speaking skills in foreign language order to be
understood in pair and group work.
Higher-Order Thinking
B. Formulate questions
for clarifying issues and solving problems.
Students analyze grammatical, lexical, and oral structures, as well as
formulate hypotheses and experiment with said
structures.
F.
Reflect and evaluate their critical-thinking processes.
Students identify and apply
effective learning strategies for foreign language.
Valuing
A.
Compare and contrast historical and cultural ethical perspectives and belief
systems.
Students explore foreign cultures,
are exposed to variety of perspectives and belief systems.
B. Utilize
cultural, behavioral, or historical knowledge to clarify and articulate a
personal value system.
Students analyze and compare foreign
cultural and behavioral concepts with their own
to better understand the origins of their own values.
D.
Recognize conflicts within and between value
systems.
Students discuss contradictions
among civil, religious, and social practices in
foreign cultures and compare them to parallel practices in their own
culture.
Social & Behavior Sciences
D. Draw on
history or the social and behavioral sciences to evaluate the contemporary
problems.
Students use major historic events
in foreign countries as a basis to understand current social structures.
E.
Describe and analytically compare social, cultural, or historical settings and
processes other than one’s own. Students study and
discuss social and cultural processes in foreign countries.
F. Describe
the interconnectedness of people and places in different parts of the
world.
Students discover
similar practices and perspectives that exist among a variety of social groups
in foreign countries.
Humanities & Fine Arts
A. Identify
works in humanities and fine
arts.
Through exposure to
foreign authors and artists, students are familiarized with said works.
D.
Understand differences and relationships between formal and popular culture.
Through exposure to contemporary and
classic texts, music, and art, students distinguish between different types of
cultural representations.
FYI
Foreign
Language Test-Out Procedure
If
you have studied French, German, or Spanish in high school or college, and wish
to receive credit, or if you are unsure which level of French, German, or
Spanish is the best one for you to continue your language studies, take the
free placement test offered in your language.
Depending on your results, you may be eligible for 3 to 12 hours of
credit.
Placement
test dates are scheduled in the weeks prior to pre-registration and during
summer registration. Please consult the
EFLJ department for those dates/times or check our website at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/flpe.html. It is not necessary to register for the test
or bring any materials to the test site.
The placement test is done by computer and will take 20-30 minutes.
If
you successfully earn credit hours, the test administrator will complete the
“Petition for Foreign Language Test-Out.”
Part I of the form must be completed and signed by the administrator of
the test at that time. Please note the
following policies: You have exactly one
year from the date of the test in which to claim your credit. If you enroll in
the course recommended by the placement test, you must claim the credit prior
to completing the
recommended course.
To
claim your credit, present your Petition for Foreign Language Test-Out to Vicki
Schneider in the English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism Department (Eder Hall, Room 222-B) along with your check for
payment.
Please note that taking the placement test is free. If you are eligible
for credit and choose to claim that credit, the cost is $75, regardless of how many credit
hours you earn.
You may take the test as many times as you wish. However, each attempt costs $75 when you
claim the credit. For example, if you
take the test three times before your score is high enough for credit, your cost to claim those credit hours will then be
$225 (3 attempts @ $75 each).
Ms. Schneider will process your
payment and it will be credited to your MWSU account. She will also send the information to the
Admissions Office to be applied to your transcript. The credit hours should appear on your
transcript as CR for credit (no grade is indicated) in two to three weeks. The original payment receipt, along with a
copy of the Petition for Foreign Language Test-out, will be mailed to your home
address for your records.
If you enroll in the course
suggested by the placement test and complete that course with a grade of C or
better, your test fee will be refunded in full.
Please see Vicki Schneider in the EFLJ department to initiate the
refund. You have 18 months from the date
of your test in which to take the recommended course and request a refund.
Students whose high school
transcripts show three or more years of French, German, or Spanish (with grades
of C or better, and within three years of the semester in question) should
attempt the placement exam because they will not receive credit should they
enroll in the beginning French, Spanish, or German course (FRE/GER/SPA
102).
Final
Note: While my intention is to adhere to the course
plan, I reserve the right to modify the syllabus based on unforeseen
circumstances. Changes to the syllabus will be made in the interest of
maximizing your learning experience. Any modifications will be announced
in class and/or via email with as much advance notice as possible.
Schedule
EINFÜHRUNG
A
Monday, 25.
August Course
introduction, introducing oneself
Homework
for Wednesday:
1. Weltschmerz article: read and highlight/underline German words
Wednesday, 27. August Commands, names, and the alphabet
Friday, 29. August Commands, introductions, names
and alphabet cont’d (AH 1-4)
Monday, 1.
September LABOR DAY: NO CLASS!
Wednesday,
3.
September Clothing
and colors; case and gender; du vs. Sie (AH 5-6)
Homework
for Friday:
1.
Quiz Friday
Friday, 5.
September (cont’d)
Monday,
8.
September Greetings
and farewells; numbers (AH 9-16)
EINFÜHRUNG B
Wednesday, 10. September Classroom objects, definite
and indefinite articles (AH 17-18)
Friday, 12. September Personal pronouns, “sein,” plural of nouns, adjectives (AH 19-22)
Monday, 15. September Body parts, family
members, “haben” (AH 23-25)
Wednesday, 17. September (cont’d)
Friday, 19. September Weather
and Seasons; talking about where someone is from; possessive adjectives (AH
26-30)
NO HOMEWORK!
KAPITEL EINS- WER ICH BIN UND WAS ICH TUE
Monday, 29. September Free time and hobbies;
talking about likes and dislikes (AH 41-42)
Wednesday, 1. October Present tense; Likes
and dislikes cont’d
Friday, 3. October German-American Day Activities
Monday, 6. October School
and university; telling time (AH 43-44)
Wednesday, 8. October Talking about one’s
schedule; word order
Friday,
10.
October FALL
BREAK- NO CLASS!
Monday, 13. October Talking
about one’s schedule (AH 45-46)
Wednesday, 15. October Brief eines Internatsschülers (p. 59 in book)
Friday, 17. October Separable-prefix verbs; giving personal information
(AH 47-50)
NO HOMEWORK!
Monday, 3.
November Clothing
and appearance; expressing preferences (AH 65-69)
Wednesday, 5.
November Entertainment; Verbs with a stem-vowel change (AH
70-73)
Friday, 7. November Entertainment cont’d; Informal
commands (AH 74-78)
Monday, 10.
November Chapter Wrap-up (AH 79-82)
Wednesday,
12. November Review for Test
No Homework!
KAPITEL 3 – TALENTE, PLÄNE, PFLICHTEN
Monday, 17. November Talents
and plans; Modal verbs (AH 83-85)
Wednesday, 19. November
„Das Geheimnis der Küchenbank“ (book p. 113)
Friday, 21. November Modal
verbs cont’d; Duties and responsibilities (AH 86-87)
Monday, 24. November (cont’d)
Wednesday,
26. November and Friday, 28. November THANKSGIVING BREAK
Monday,
1. December „Ach, wie nett!“ (AH
88-90)
Wednesday,
3. December Review for Final
FINAL
EXAM: Please see the MWSU Fall schedule for date and time