Course
Information
for German 102
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Course
Goals Course Practices Attendance Policy Homework
Textbook Listening Comprehension
Lab Manual (Workbook) Listening Comprehension
Grades
Syllabus |
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Course
Information
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| Main Section Instructors: |
Melissa Olson |
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| Main Sections: |
Section 1: 12-1pm M-Th in Cupples II 203
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Subsection
Instructors: |
Tim Fangmeyer |
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| Telephone: |
935-4885 |
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| Email Addresses of all Instructors: |
Melissa Olson: molson@wustl.edu
Tim Fangmeyer: fangmeyer@wustl.edu
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| Mailboxes: |
Ridgley 319 (Main Departmental Office) |
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| Instructors' Office: |
Ridgley 418 |
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| Office Hours: |
Olson: and by
appointment
Fangmeyer:
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| Subsections: |
Section 1: T/Th 9-10am in Eads 215
Section 2: TBA
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Required Texts:
Required:
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1. Vorsprung (2nd ed.)
2. Vorsprung Student Activities Manual (2nd
ed.) is labeled as the Arbeitsheft for
homework assignments.
3.
Dictionary of your choice: We
recommend Collins German
Unabridged Dictionary
5th Edition (2004)
PLEASE BRING ALL OF THESE BOOKS TO MAIN AND SUBSECTION WITH YOU EVERY DAY!
A three ring binder with three divisions in
which to store (a) class worksheets, (b) returned homework and (c) returned tests.
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Course
Goals
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German 102 builds on the goals laid out in German
101 -- the development of the four language skills (speaking, listening,
reading, writing) in a cultural context with a focus on spoken German. We will seek to incorporate all three modes
of communication: interpersonal, interpretive and presentational. At the end of the semester, you should be
able to complete basic tasks in German (such as understanding and giving
directions, applying for a job, speaking with a doctor, opening a bank account,
etc.) and hold more advanced conversations.
Subsection will address material/vocabulary in the context of cultural
topics and substantiate and elaborate upon main section discussions. You will be responsible for all material
included in the syllabus, both from main section and subsection.
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| Course Practices |
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• We
want to USE the language -- First-year German includes an introduction to
the basics of grammar. Since the
discussion of grammar points prepares students to talk ABOUT the language
rather than to use the language, grammar will be taught in our class by means
of structured input and output (models of good language). Students will read about the grammar points
at home and then will work with grammar that has been incorporated into
thematic contexts in the classroom; students will acquire structures as they
are actually used in the language.
Explicit instruction (rules) will still be incorporated into classroom
instruction as students are called upon to explain what they understood
of the grammar reading and to pose any questions that they might have.
• Bank accounts, jobs and
directions as well as Gellert, Kafka and Beethoven – Culture (ranging from the arts to
habits, traditions and the day-to-day) will be incorporated every day into the
language classroom. Learning about everyday culture serves many
purposes: It provides you with the basics you would need if you were to travel
to Germany
and it enables you to work with vocabulary that is at an appropriate level for
students with limited previous German knowledge. We will offer an introductory picture of life
in contemporary German-speaking countries. If there is something you would
particularly like to know about these countries, let your instructor know right
away so that he/she can make an effort to incorporate this topic into the
class.
• Scaffolding of
activities -- One of our main focuses in the first year is to get students
speaking. For this purpose, we will
attempt to connect topics to you and your life.
In this manner, you will be familiar with the content. You are thus free to focus your attention on
the language. A variety of strategies
will be employed in the classroom to make this possible. These will range from the very directed,
which will focus your attention on new grammatical structures or vocabulary
(e.g. questionnaires, true-false, ordering, information exchange) to freer
activities (e.g. interviews, role-plays, think-alouds) to more elevated
activities (e.g. cultural readings which will encourage incidental learning as
well as more advanced cultural introduction).
When completing the simpler tasks in class, you will be encouraged to
understand most every word by means of preceding vocabulary introduction via
images and vocabulary assignments. When
completing more challenging assignments, you should not expect to understand
every word but still work effectively after getting the “gist” of the
material. Such assignments will
additionally encourage incidental learning (different students will recall
different vocabulary items, for example).
• Mutual respect–
Foreign Languages are most effectively learned in a space where students feel
comfortable but challenged intellectually.
Our team will strive to create a learning environment conducive to such
positive results and to provide a physically and emotionally safe learning
environment. It is your responsibility
to contribute to this environment by being intellectually honest, doing quality
work, speaking up if you have concerns or needs, honoring diversity without
prejudice and encouraging your own progress as well as that of your classmates
through personal motivation and considerate treatment of others.
Academic
Integrity
Students are bound by the University policy on
academic integrity in all aspects of this course. All references to ideas and texts other than
the students' own must be so indicated through appropriate footnotes, whether
the source is a book, an online site, the professor, etc. All students are responsible for following
the rules outlined in the document regarding the University academic integrity
policy: http://www.wustl.edu/policies/undergraduate-academic-integrity.html. For German language courses, academic
integrity implies that students will not employ online translators nor have
others (German-speaking relatives, classmates, instructors, etc.) complete any
portion of their work for them. Your
main section and subsection instructors are happy to be of assistance during
your learning process.
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Attendance
Policy
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You will meet with your main section four hours a
week, Monday through Thursday.
Subsections, which are devoted to separate reading and listening comprehension
activities and discussions, meet two hours a week. Subsection times will be arranged/confirmed
during the first week of the semester. The subsections will not begin meeting
until the second week of the semester.
Attendance in main and subsection is a pre-requisite
of course participation as well as language acquisition itself, as class time
offers you an opportunity to attain much-needed input and experiment with the
language. We ask that you are punctual for
class; repeated tardies will negatively affect your grade. If there are any circumstances which will
hinder your attendance or punctuality (such as mandatory attendance at a
sporting event or distance of preceding course), please bring these to the attention
of your instructors immediately.
A
significant portion of your grade is based on your attendance and active
participation, both in the main section and the subsection, since you require
the input and opportunity to experiment with the language in order to make
progress. Active participation is
defined as verbally contributing to group, pair and individual activities based
upon your reading of the textbook and your attention to class lessons. This participation may also take the form of
any questions that you may have on the material covered and/or homework
assigned. Students taking the course with the “pass/fail” grading option
must achieve a “C-” in order to receive a grade of “P”. Be aware that
unexcused absences will lower your grade significantly. We keep a record
of your absences and your participation.
If you must miss class due to illness or for another legitimate reason,
please let your instructor know before
class that day. Makeup exams are possible only in the case of an excused
absence.
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Homework
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Daily
Homework
You will
be assigned daily homework from the textbook (Lehrbuch), worksheets that will
be e-mailed to you and/or from the workbook (Arbeitsheft). This work should be completed each day before
you come to class. A foreign language is
best learned with repetition and regular work each day rather than
cramming prior to an exam. As an adult
learner of a foreign language (accustomed to the practice of learning), you
will desire clear rules about the language, and the textbook and class discussion
will provide you with these; these can be very comforting. However, since our goal is to learn the
language itself rather than just about the language, our focus needs to be upon
the employment of the structures and vocabulary. It is imperative that when you complete your
homework, therefore, that you make every effort to comprehend the
information and make sense of it for yourself. If you have questions, bring these
immediately to the attention of your instructor, either in class or via e-mail.
Languages
are learned in pieces, like building blocks.
Once you have acquired one building block (be this vocabulary, grammar
or culture), you want to work to maintain that, so that you may add to it.
Hörverstehen (Listening comprehension) activities in the workbook can be
completed by accessing the textbook webpage: http://college.cengage.com/languages/german/lovik/vorsprung/2e/student_home.html. Using the pull-down menu in the left-hand
column, select the chapter on which you are currently working. Still in the left-hand column, click on
“Improve Your Grade”. Click then on “SAM
Audio Files” which may be found in the middle of the screen at the bottom of
the list. Then locate the appropriate
activity.
The Anlauftexte, Absprungtexte and Zieltexte from the textbook may be accessed from
the following webpage: http://college.cengage.com/languages/german/lovik/vorsprung/2e/student_home.html. Using the pull-down menu in the left-hand
column, select the chapter on which you are currently working. Still in the left-hand column, click on
“Improve Your Grade”. Click then on
“In-text Audio Files”. Then locate the
desired file.
Vocabulary
acquisition is
essential for success with the language.
Vocabulary
can be acquired through many techniques; a combination of
techniques is typically required for success.
(1) First and foremost, you will note that
vocabulary retention is
dependent upon attention and awareness.
According to one study, “good learners
were found to be more aware of what they
could learn about new words, paid more attention to collocation[1] and spelling, and were more
conscious of contextual learning.” (2) You will note
that the
vocabulary is presented and assigned in topical groupings. Relations between words
are close enough to
be sensible but not so close as to cause overlap and confusion. (3) Vocabulary flashcards
and/or a vocabulary
notebook, while not required of students as mandatory homework, are
highly
advisable. These
should include the
articles and plural forms of nouns and the principle parts of verbs. (4) Vocabulary is not all
assigned for one
day; vocabulary learning needs to be divided over regular intervals. How many words can be
studied at one time
depends upon the difficulty of the words.
Note how the topics of the chapters are basic,
everyday and
relatable. (5) Make
associations between
the new words and words that you already know; connect new words to the
sounds
of the native language, the target language or another language;
consider the
structure of the word; consider the meaning of parts of the word, etc. (6) Repeating words aloud
has been
empirically proven to help retention more than silent repetition;
participate
in choral repetition of vocabulary in class as well as in vocabulary
activities. (7)
Multiple readings in the
text (Anlauftexte and Absprungtexte) provide opportunities for
vocabulary
exposure IN CONTEXT and for guessing and subsequent corroboration. Some students benefit more
from contextual
guessing and others more from dictionary use; you should keep your
dictionary
readily on hand, as you discover what type of learner you are. (8) Assigned texts can be
read and heard; the
different modalities can assist with comprehension and retention. You should review these
texts at home on your
own.
Written homework assignments from the workbook, textbook or
handouts will be collected from students on random days. Some work will be collected every day. You will be expected to complete the assigned homework on
the assigned day nonetheless, as its completion will permit for the correct
speed and/or repetition required for effective language acquisition. Be sure to read the attached syllabus very
carefully, as chapter work has not been assigned in order and many exercises
have not been assigned at all. Once again,
if you have questions, please bring these immediately to the attention of your
instructor, either in class or via e-mail.
It is also advisable to spread homework out on weekends rather than
attempting to complete it all at once. A
little German every day…
Should you face a particularly busy portion of the semester,
it is greatly appreciated that you request an extension on an assignment. Late assignments will only be accepted if
discussed in advance with the instructor. We want to
work with you to enable you to successfully complete all assignments in a
timely fashion, in order that they may best serve your acquisition process.
We cannot give you any credit for homework that is turned in
more than one week from the day on which it was originally due.
To complete homework
assignments properly, you will want to attend to the words “lernen” and “schreiben.”
“Lernen” means “to
study”. When you are assigned pages with
grammar points to study, you will want to read these through carefully, analyze
the examples provided to see the new structure in use and break them down so
that they make sense to you. You do not
need to complete any of the associated activities, unless specifically
assigned.
“Schreiben” means “to
write”. Those activities assigned with
the verb “schreiben” ALWAYS need to be written out, either in the workbook
(whenever possible) or on a separate piece of loose-leaf paper to be turned in
for correction.
Homework will be
evaluated based on the following system:
check
+:
handed
in on time, indicating a very thorough effort as well as an attempt to use and
experiment with the
language whenever possible
check/
check + handed in on time, indicating a very
thorough effort as well as an attempt to use and experiment with the
language whenever possible, but with
non-systematic errors requiring review
check
handed in on
time and indicating a satisfactory effort but with systematic errors
check
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handed
in on time but indicating an unsatisfactory effort or incomplete
The Student Activities Manual is actually divided into two
parts: a workbook (through page 182) and a lab manual.
Each chapter includes a final activity, which is a longer writing
exercise – THE JOURNAL. Be sure to take
special care with the FOUR of these free-writing activities that have been
assigned this semester, as they count for a total of 160 points toward your
final grade. Please be sure to write at
least 16-20 sentences for each
assignment. These activities are marked
as follows on the syllabus: Arbeitsblatt
(JOURNAL). We will send the
templates to you for the journal exercises to be certain that these assignments
are definitely not overlooked and in order to modify the assignments slightly,
on occasion.
Each workbook chapter includes a final activity, which is a longer writing
exercise – THE JOURNAL. Be sure to take
special care with the FOUR of these free-writing activities that have been
assigned this semester, as they count for a total of 160 points toward your
final grade. Please be sure to write at
least 18-20 sentences for each
assignment. These activities are marked
as follows on the syllabus: Arbeitsblatt
(JOURNAL). We will send the
templates to you for the journal exercises to be certain that these assignments
are definitely not overlooked and in order to modify the assignments slightly,
on occasion.
[1]
collocation:
how words occur
together (for example: perform
occurs
regularly with operation, as commit often occurs with crime).
[2] Gu, Peter
Yongqi.
“Vocabulary
Learning in a Second
Language: Person, Task, Context and Strategies.” TESL-EJ 7.2
(September 2003).
<http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/ej26/a4.html>
Group
Project
During the second half
of the semester, you will be working on a SEPARATE
project that you will present (in video form) at a special German evening
at the end of the semester. You will be
provided with some time in subsection to work on the project, but it would be
helpful to have partners, with whom you can meet regularly or have good e-mail
contact outside of class. You may choose
to do a skit (i.e., short play), present a modern fairy tale, give a
presentation, have a fashion show, review products & report, give a
newscast, make a short documentary, have a talk show, etc. Do not limit yourself to this list! Use your creativity to come up with something
fun and interesting. Consult with your instructor for more ideas. Talk to your
instructor if you have any questions about the project. We expect students to adhere to the
guidelines of mutual respect and academic integrity when creating these
projects.
Some
guidelines:
* You
may choose to work with a small group of no more than 3-4 people. It would be helpful if you selected group
members based upon your subsection, if possible. All group members
must nonetheless be members of the same main section.
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Please find a way to videotape skits/newscasts/documentaries, etc. ahead of
time (dates provided on syllabus). Ask
relatives or friends if you can borrow a video camera for a couple of hours or
you may borrow a video camera from the German department, but you will be
responsible for its safe return.
Videotaping takes the pressure off performing live in front of a group
and saves us a lot of time, so that we may just watch and enjoy the videos! This also provides a record by which to
assess your own progress in your first year.
You will be required to provide the instructor with a copy of your skit
or presentation, which the instructor may keep.
*
Projects must be a minimum of 7 minutes long.
All members must speak on camera. You are not required to memorize your lines
(since cue cards may be held up off camera), but should be familiar enough with
them to deliver them convincingly.
Interruptions of spoken German (via music, action, special effects)
should not account for more than 1 minute of an 8-minute video.
*
Your syllabus gives deadlines for a) forming groups and roughly planning the
project; b) composing an outline and/or descriptive paragraph of the
project/story line; c) completing rough drafts; and d) having the project
taped. The script must be double-spaced
and should be no shorter than 5 pages. Projects work best when an outline is first
laid out for the script and then each member writes his or her section of the
agreed-upon material (rather than just his or her lines), which is then brought
together for revisions.
* A
rule of thumb: keep new words to a minimum. For any new words,
you must compose a vocabulary list, which your classmates can consult during
viewing. This list should be typed in
advance and previewed by your instructor.
* If
you need to use a dictionary, always check both the German and English
definitions. So if you look up a word in English and get the German definition,
look up that German word in the German part of the dictionary and make sure it
is the word you want.
* All
students must participate equally in the project from conception, to
development (writing & revising), to performance.
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Final
Grade
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| Final grades
will be determined according to the following scale. |
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| Grading
Your final grade
will be determined
as follows:
| 4 exams (80 pts. Each) and 2 quizzes (25 pts. each) |
= 345 pts. |
| Vocabulay Quizzes (on a routine basis) |
= 65 pts. |
| Workbook and Textbook Homework |
= 200 pts. |
| Main Section Attendance and Participation |
= 175 pts. |
| Subsection Attendance, Participation
and Homework |
= 150 pts. |
| Partner Oral Midterm |
= 100 pts. |
| Last Oral Interview |
= 100 pts. |
| Written Final |
= 180 pts. |
Aufsatz-Training.
Kapitel 7 = 40 pts.
Kapitel 8 = 40 pts.
Kapitel 9 = 40 pts.
Kapitel 10 = replaced by classwork
Kapitel 11 = 40 pts.
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= 160 pts. |
Group Project (45 pts.
Zusammenfassung,
75 pts. erste Fassung, 50 pts. zweite und dritte Fassung, 45 DVD
und Wortschatzliste)
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= 215 pts. |
| TOTAL |
=1690 pts. |
Tests
Chapter Tests: There will be four chapter tests and one quiz in total. This is the most manageable way for material
to be covered. Each test will have
separate sections covering the following: listening comprehension, vocabulary,
grammar, reading, culture and extemporaneous writing. The individual exam sections will contain
material from main section and subsection. No exam scores will be dropped. Review sessions will be held prior to exams,
at the instructor’s discretion.
Vocabulary Quizzes: Vocabulary quizzes will be administered routinely in
subsection, for a total of no more than 65 points over the course of the
semester. These may range in form from
the request for the German term when you are provided with the English, the
request for the German term when you are provided with an image, etc. Some may just be 5-word quizzes at the start
of the hour and some may involve lengthier handouts. More details will be provided prior to each
quiz.
Oral Midterm:
After the third written test, students will take a 10-minute partner
oral midterm with their main section and subsection instructors (similar to the
last oral interview in German 101). This
semester it will be a job interview.
Students will be provided in advance with a description of the task,
which will once again be based upon subsection activities (5 consecutive
lessons). Instructors are listening for
a certain amount of fluency, a variety of vocabulary and appropriate
grammatical structures and pronunciation.
You can best prepare yourself for this exam by actively participating in
class every day, so as to grow accustomed to expressing yourself in German and
holding conversations with greater ease.
Last Oral Interview: On the final day of
class, students will participate in an individual oral interview at a
pre-arranged time, instead of attending main section class. The interview will last approximately ten
minutes and both your main- and subsection instructors will attend to your
production. Instructors will once again
listen for a certain amount of fluency, a variety of vocabulary and appropriate
grammatical structures and pronunciation.
Extra
Credit
An extra
credit project may be provided for each student upon request. The project must be requested no later than
November 21st.
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