Course Description

 

Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, you should be able to:

 Comprehend and produce German, in oral and written form, so as to carry out in a limited way a range of real-world functions relating to family and friends, daily activities, living situation, job/school status, sports/hobbies, and health. These functions include: greeting and saying goodbye, telling time, expressing basic likes and dislikes, describing in the present tense, asking and answering simple questions, comprehending/interpreting schedules, public announcements, etc. 

Express yourself in the above situations, orally in words and very short phrases, and in writing with short complete sentences, with enough appropriateness and accuracy so as to often be understood by native speakers who are very accustomed to speaking with non-native speakers.

 Recognize many important people, celebrations, and events in German speaking countries, as well as understand many of the cultural similarities and differences with respect to family and home life, workplace situations, art, and news events between North American culture and those cultures that use the German language.

Prerequisites: This is a beginning level course. No previous knowledge of German is presumed. 

Required texts:  

Sevin, D. & I. Sevin.  Wie Geht's: An introductory German course, 7^th ed. Thomson-Heinle, 2003.

You must also purchase either the accompanying workbook, or a Quia code so you can do the workbook online.

Recommended Text:

Zorach, Cecile & Charlotte Melin.  English Grammar for Students of German. Olivia and Hill Press, 2001.

Course requirements: Your evaluation in this course will be based on your performance on the following tasks:

 

Class participation		10%
Homework, quizzes, other assignments		20%
Chapter exams	4x10%=	40%	(9/23, 10/19, 11/18, 12/5)
Composition		10%
Final exam		15%	(12/14, 7:00-9:00)
Oral assessment		5%
Attendance		+ / -	(see below)

Class participation (10%): You cannot develop skills in German without frequently using the language in a variety of ways. It is for this reason that you are required to actively participate in class discussions and activities throughout the semester. 

Homework & Quizzes (20%): You are responsible for completing the Quia workbook online, or turning in workbook pages (Arbeitsbuch) for each corresponding chapter. You will turn in these pages or complete the online work by the day of the corresponding chapter exam. Since the Quia / Arbeitsbuch activities correspond with the textbook activities, it is recommended that you complete these pages as you work through the chapter and NOT the night before the exam. 

 In addition to the above work, you will receive other assignments to be turned in throughout the semester.  However, even when no specific assignment to be turned in is assigned, you still should not think that you do not have homework. To be a successful language learner, and to do well in this course you must study every day. Plan to spend approximately 2 hours each day studying German. 

You may have an unannounced quizzes at any time.  Quizzes may not be made up.  All graded assignments and quizzes will be averaged together to calculate your final grade for this category.

Chapter exams (40%): These tests will include listening, reading comprehension, and written production of German. Dates for exams are posted above. MAKE-UPS ARE ONLY GIVEN IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES, e.g. you are too ill to come to class, you have been in an accident, etc. In such an extreme emergency, written documentation (such as a doctor’s note) is required before any make up will be scheduled. Because of this strict policy, please look at the schedule and plan for exam dates. 

Composition (10%): You will be required to write one 1-page composition this semester. It must be typed (double spaced in 12 pt. font –use standard academic fonts) and spell checked before being turned in.  German language spell-checkers are available on the computers in the language laboratory.

Final exam (15%): Your final exam will be comprehensive. It is for this reason that you cannot wait until the last minute to study for chapter tests. Doing so might enable you to squeeze through a chapter exam, but probably won’t help you acquire and store the skills and vocabulary in your long-term memory. Mark your calendars now for the final exam.  NO MAKE UP EXAM WILL BE GIVEN. 

 Attendance: You will not gain course credit for attending class because the mere act of filling a seat is not what helps you acquire a language (it is actively engaging in class activities that will help you). However, if you do not attend class you cannot participate, so a failure to attend class will result in the lowering of your grade. Therefore, you will be bound by the following attendance policy: 

• You are allowed three absences throughout the semester.

• After three absences each absence will lower your final grade by one letter level (B+ to B). 

• Should you be forced to miss class because of an uncontrollable circumstance (e.g. jury duty, you become physically incapacitated, etc.), after documenting this condition, you will need to consult with me. A short term absence under these conditions might be excused, provided all missed work is satisfactorily made up. However, long term absences are impossible to make up and you might be forced to take the course at another time. 

• If you accumulate 6 absences you will automatically fail the course.  It is your responsibility to verify your number of absences. 

Oral assessment (5%): At the end of the semester you will be required to demonstrate your oral communication skills in German. This assessment might take the form of an interview or a situational role play that you carry out with a classmate. You will receive more information about the format and the dates of this assessment later in the semester. The purpose of this assessment is to ensure that you have acquired the oral German language skills required of this level of German and necessary to continue on to the next level of German. You are not expected to speak like a native speaker, to have perfect pronunciation, or to have perfect grammatical accuracy. You are expected to make mistakes (you are a beginner, after all!).  The purpose of this task is simply to see that you can interact (produce and understand) in German on basic topics to complete basic everyday functions and manage a conversation (i.e. request that an interlocutor speak more slowly, request repetition or clarification of something he or she has said, etc.). 

Classroom etiquette: At California State University, San Marcos your instructors are committed to social justice and academic integrity. Every effort will be made to foster an atmosphere of friendship, trust, and acceptance in the classroom. Thus, discrimination, intolerance, disrespect, or dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. If you have any suggestions as to how to further such an atmosphere, please feel free to share them with me. 

If you have a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation to participate in this class, please advise me as soon as possible so that your needs can be accommodated properly. 

Challenge Exams: If you believe you already have the skills necessary to pass German 101, you may take a Challenge Exam. If you pass you will receive credit for the course, but will not have to attend the rest of the semester. In order to take the Challenge Exam you must be officially enrolled in the course. These exams will be administered during the second week of the semester. Please check the Dept. of World Languages & Literatures web site for specific information about times, days, and requirements for taking the exam.

Academic Integrity:  You are encouraged to study together with your classmates.  However, any written work you turn in should be your own.  Cheating on any assignment, or plagiarism on a composition will result in your receiving no credit.  Depending on the seriousness of the infraction, names of students caught cheating may be reported to the Dean of Students.