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Beginning German 101 USM Portland Fall 2019 Prof. L. Weiss Bronson
Syllabus
Instructor contact information E-mail: [email protected]. (603) 436-2094, cell (603) 531-0410, before 9 PMMeetings by appointmentPresent questions and comments to instructor per email at any time.Our mode of communication in this course will be email. If you do not use USM email address, please enter your working email address on attendance sheet.
Meeting times: Monday/Wednesday 2:20 – 4:00 PM Location: Luther Bonney 241 Portland
Course Goals and Outcomes German 101 requires no previous German. The goal of this course is to develop the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) in a socio-cultural context with a focus on spoken German. Applying these skills, our objectives will be to:
• ask and answer useful conversational questions in German• express your own thoughts and ideas in short conversations• converse comfortably on a variety of everyday topics such as friends and family,
housing, daily routines, leisure activities, food and shopping• read a variety of short German texts with relative ease• write about the above topics applying basic grammar structures• gain a greater understanding of the many facets of culture in German-speaking
countries• view weekly German movies and documentary films and complete related writing
assignments• research and present (in English and German) in class on an interdisciplinary topic
relating German to your academic major and/or special interest• access German documents in USM Glickman Library Special Collections, including those
published in the old Fraktur font.
In order to reach these goals it is important that you actively participate in all classroom activities and keep up with the
daily preparation for the class.
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Required Texts:
Textbook Deutsch: Na klar! 6th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2012. Di Donato, Clyde and Vansant. Deutsch: Na klar! ISBN978-0-07-338633-1
Grammar (paperback - compares and contrasts German and English languages Zorach, Cecile. English Grammar for Students of German. 34e. ed. Ann Arbor: Olivia and Hill Press, 1994.
Additional grammar exercises and activities provided by Instructor.
Supplemental resources:
For your ongoing chapter review, self-correcting testing, listening comprehension: We will work individually and together with this Deutsch Na, klar! website that provides exercises and quizzes (sections: vocabulary, grammar, culture, audio): (“Kapitel” numbers correspond directly with textbook chapters): ↓ http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073386332/information_center_view0/index.html
Vocabulary cards -- Wortschatzkarten Students will create index cards with useful words and phrases in both German and English based on each textbook chapter theme. These will serve as vital building block for increasing the vocabulary we need to understand and communicate competently. Bring Wortschatzkarten (vocabulary cards) to every class.
Recommended resources: German-English-German dictionaries: leo.org en.pons.com en.langenscheidt. com dict.cc
Online searches – Curious about the arts, customs, sports, history, politics, cultural events in German-speaking countries? Add the equivalent of “.com” after entries, with “.de” (Germany), “.ch”(Switerland), and “.at” (Austria).
Documentaries – A few examples with English subtitles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geB2Uvkionc (History of German nation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8XfmHtEKws (The life of immigrants in Germany) Other titles will be referenced throughout course. Any of your finds are also welcome!
Stammtisch – German Conversation Group (all levels welcome)
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Portland -- Sebago Brewery 211 Fore St. (every other Tuesday 6 PM); You may contact the group organizer to be added to the email list: [email protected] This friendly group is made up of native speakers as well as beginners . All are especially welcoming to USM students. No previous notice or registration needed.
Attendance policy and class participation ♦ Attendance will be taken for every class session. A significant portion of your
grade is based on your attendance and engaged participation in each classsession. A large part of the participation component is also your preparation foreach class. Homework completion is key. Feel free to bring up related questionswe can address together in class.
♦ After three absences, your class participation grade will be reduced by one third(of the 30% “Participation” grade, see :”Grading” below).
♦ Students who do overdue assignments or other-course work in class, fall asleep,leave repeatedly, text or make phone calls will be marked absent.
♦ Please direct personal administrative questions to the instructor before or afterclass sessions, unless they will address or clarify points that apply to class policy oractivity as a whole. Feel free to make appointments with the instructor in person,by email, or by phone to discuss your concerns as soon as they arise.
♦ The instructor is not responsible for reminding students of missed work or forproviding class content after absences. Consult the syllabus to see the materialcovered in class or on line. It is highly recommended that you exchangeemails/phone numbers with at least one other student to share information oncourse content, compare portfolio entries, and make sure you fully grasp all pointscovered in class. If you have a German-speaking friend or relative with whom youcan communicate in person or online, please take advantage of the opportunity!
Tutoring Megan Stoppe, a USM student, dedicated teacher, and experienced tutor will be available electronically to work with you on German language questions, test preparation, and homework review. She also has interesting stories to share about her time living in Germany. In your portfolio, keep a record of the dates and a few descriptive notes on points covered with Megan. Each visit will contribute to your portfolio grade. (See “Grading” section below)
Please set up meeting times by reaching out to Megan directly by phone or text at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. She looks forward to working with you per FaceTime or Zoom.
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Portfolio Keep all written, corrected homework and quizzes, your in-class notes, worksheets, accumulated vocabulary in a 1 to 11/2” binder. This component will count as 25% of your grade. Portfolios will be submitted prior to the Thanksgiving break on Monday, Nov. 25.
Important! Wichtig! Students who attend and participate in every scheduled class session will achieve the goals of this course. If these students receive a grade of B or higher for their portfolios, they will not be required to take the final exam.
Homework review and quizzes
On an ongoing, cumulative basis, we will review grammar and syntax (e.g., sentence structure) and discuss homework questions and corrections. During quizzes you may consult your completed homework and notes you have accumulated in your portfolio binder (not the book or other students). Therefore, it is crucial to your course grade that you complete all homework. You will also create a 2-sided “cheat sheet” (“Spickzettel”} to consult during quizzes and the final exam.
To prepare for class
First week of semester: Read and digest “Study Tips”, pp. 1-4 in English Grammar for Students of German. Zorach, Cecile, 34e. ed. Ann Arbor: Olivia and Hill Press, 1994. These guidelines are specific to the language-learning process and will keep you from having to reinvent the wheel in establishing your study strategies!
Working with the textbook 1. First read through the topic in the textbook to be covered for the day (“Thema”).2. Then read the assigned grammar explanations3. Write the exercises in a format that can be reviewed in context. These will be reviewed,
shared, and discussed in class. They will also become your portfolio to be handed in atthe end of the semester.
(SO: Write out full sentences or phrases for all textbook exercises, even forfill-in-the blanks; no dittos in place of words. If an answer requires a letter or number,write out the words they represent)
Our textbook is organized in these sections and topics:
• “Alles Klar?” Introduces each chapter’s theme and clarifies specific goals of eachsection.
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• Wörter im Kontext A vocabulary section divided into two or three sub-topics. Activitiesfollow each chapter Thema, reinforcing the vocabulary in the context of realistic dailysituations.
• Grammatik im Kontext Provides grammar explanations, charts, and practical examples.• Sprachtipps (language tips) gives you “expressions and grammar for communication”
necessary for completing a provided activity.• Kulturtipps expands on each chapter’s cultural information with photos and other
visuals. • Sprache im Kontext/Language in context Using your four language skills you will listen
to and understand video clips, read authentic passages, and speak and write about thechapter theme.
• “Das kann ich nun!” (“This is what I know now”) is a brief review of chapter grammarand vocabulary.
• Vocabulary lists at the end of every textbook chapter as well as in the back of the book• Appendicies at back of textbook have grammar tables and verb conjugations (e.g.
irregular verbs on pages -A17 and 18). A great ongoing resource!
Bring the Deutsch, na klar! textbook to every class. We will use this key learning tool for in-class exercises and group activities.
Interdisciplinary research project Connecting your academic interests with your study of German
A central component of this course will also be an interdisciplinary research project that connects your major course of study or area of academic interest. You will receive specific guidelines for steps to follow toward completion and work largely independently. In the second half of the course we will “check in” with each other periodically to report on progress, read excerpts, and bring questions to the group for feedback. The final course sessions will be devoted to presenting your findings and analysis to the class for peer and instructor assessment.
Academic integrity Please be sure that your work remains your own work. Confirmed cheating in any form on an assignment or exam will result in a score of zero points. Online translation apps are useful learning tools, but should not be used in place of your own work. The bottom line on cheating? Don’t!
Grading % Class preparation and participation 30 Chapter tests and quizzes 20 Portfolio 25
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Interdisciplinary project 15 Final exam* (study guide provided) 10_
100
NOTES (important USM policies): DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS The university is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all university programs and services. If you think you have a disability and would like to request accommodations, you must register with theDisability Services Center. Timely notification is essential. The Disability Services Center can be reached by calling 207- 780-4706 or by email [email protected]. If you have already received a faculty accommodation letter from the Disability Services Center, please provide me with that information as soon as possible. Please make a private appointment so that we can review your accommodations.
COUNSELING Counseling is available at USM. The best way to schedule an appointment is to email [email protected]. More information is available at https://usm.maine.edu/uhcs.
TITLE IX The University of Southern Maine is committed to making our campuses safer places for students. Because of this commitment, and our federal obligations, faculty and other employees are considered mandated reporters when it comes to experiences of interpersonal violence (sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, and stalking). Disclosures of interpersonal violence must be passed along to the University’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator who can help provide support and academic remedies for students who have been impacted. More information can be found online at http://usm.maine.edu/campus-safety-project or by contacting Sarah E. Holmes at [email protected] or 207-780-5767. If students want to speak with someone confidentially, the following resources are available on and off campus: University Counseling Services (207-780-4050); 24 Hour Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-871-7741); 24 Hour Domestic Violence Hotline (1-866-834-4357).
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Schedule Fall 2019 (week one)
Datum In der Stunde (to do in class)↓
Hausaufgabe (homework for NEXT class session) Textbooks, Workbook, online exercises, handouts
Notes, reminders
Wednesday Sept. 4
Einführungen (introductions) Introduce course and
German-English cognate worksheet
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students; German and English similarities and differences;
In English Grammar for Students of German. Zorach, Cecile, 34e. ed. Ann Arbor: Olivia and Hill Press, 1994; pp. 1-4 study tips
Monday Sept. 9
Review German-English cognate assignment and reading on “study tips” The German alphabet and pronunciation Textbook S. 1-7 Online exercises
Read (lesen) textbook pages 1- 7; Write(schreiben) p. 7, Aktivitäten 7 and 8 DRAFT
