Welcome to Beginning German I
Summer 2012
Daniel Nolan
Texts:
Introduction/ Course Goals:
In this course you will begin learning one of the most fascinating languages in the world. We start off slowly, but by the end of this course, we will have covered a lot of ground. By December you will be able to introduce yourself and greet others, ask simple questions, discuss your schedule, your personal life, your studies, and cope with a number of everyday needs in German. You will be able to read short paragraphs based on current events, write well enough to take notes, fill out forms, write postcards, and short letters. And you will know what to say when ordering a meal at a restaurant, booking a ticket or a hotel room, etc.
It is important to note that emphasis is placed on proficiency in this course. This means that you do not need to be able to produce perfect German sentences and you will not be expected to speak exclusively in exact German idiom without making occasional grammatical errors. Instead you are expected to be able to communicate with others, to be able to get your point across and to deal with different circumstances with general competency. Emphasis is placed on proficiency and active use of the language because by actively using the language you rapidly increase your ability to retain and process new content. This course emphasizes speaking, listening, reading and writing in German and is organized around different themes pertinent to German and German speaking countries. Together we will explore the themes of "going out," "dining and entertainment," "sports and activities," "health," "city life," and "travel," in the context of contemporary German culture. Your readings consist primarily of excerpts from our textbook. Spoken German is emphasized in teamwork activities, group work and classroom discussions and presentations. Written exercises consist of web page assignments (they will be assigned in class) and/or pages of a grammar workbook, and exercises from the textbook, as well as quizzes, true and false exercises, synthetic exercises, short paragraphs, post cards, tests and a comprehensive final exam.
Oral Competence:
Since this class emphasizes oral communication, proficiency in oral expression is one of our main goals. For that reason we are not as concerned with accuracy as much as with the ability to communicate and deal with different linguistic circumstances. You should not worry too much about making grammatical/structural mistakes. What is more important in 1102 is that you get your meaning across when you communicate (sometimes with hand and feet, but never in English), because the class will be conducted 95% of the time in German, and you are expected to try to only speak German in class.
Class discussion is essential for developing your abilities as a German speaker. In class you have the opportunity to try out what you studied at home. In class discussion focuses on topics outlined in this syllabus. In class discussions focus is directed not towards correcting you when you make mistakes but rather towards helping you communicate. For that reason you will generally not be corrected when you make mistakes, as long as you are communicating. Should you make structural mistakes, listen closely and I will repeat what you say in proper modern German. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Communicative competence means being able to communicate your ideas in an intelligible manner. Grammatical perfection is a goal to be achieved at a much later stage in learning a foreign language.
Written Competence:
Your written assignments provide you with the opportunity for developing clarity of expression while using familiar idiomatic German. While written assignments give you more time to work out what you want to say, it is important not to stray too far from what you already know. Focus on communicating your ideas clearly by using German you have heard and even used before. Again, don't be afraid to make mistakes, but check if what you have written clearly expresses what you intended. Often you can check to see if what you have written is an expression used in the German language or not by checking with Google. Put the phrase in quotes and see if others have used it. But be cautious when correcting your own writing by using the web. If you copy entire texts from the web and hand them off as your own, you are committing plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense at the university and it will be treated as such in this course. (For more information on the consequences of plagiarism see the University's Student Conduct Code at www.d.umn.edu/assl/conduct/code.)
During in-class assignments like exam portions that focus on content rather than structure, please focus on intelligible information. Do worry about the structure when you write and study at home; there you have the time to think things over, since you are not spontaneously producing language, the most difficult skill in language acquisition. In your writing assignments at home you have the time to clear up some of the doubts you may have and you are expected to do so.
Grammatical Competence:
Grammar is important. Grammar oriented exercises and assignments will help you learn German structure. Make it a point to memorize important information and store it in your long-term memory despite the fact that you can use the Grammatiktafel as a reference on your tests. German is a very structured language, and you need to put time and effort into learning the structure in order to communicate. Generally speaking, I will introduce new grammar items in class, yet I will leave it up to you to complete assignments. If you follow the suggestions made here on a daily basis you will be much better prepared for the next level of German (and will also receive better grades in 1102) when compared with those who do not put the required work of approximately 2 hours/daily four times a week.
Reading for Comprehension:
For every assignment, skim over the page to see what the text and exercises are about, then read the text once. You will likely not need to translate every word that you do not understand. This can be a discouraging and frustrating experience. First read for general comprehension and try to understand the main points. The best strategy is to read it once to get a feeling for the text, then a second time to identify more specific information. During your second reading ask yourself who is doing what (subjects and direct objects in particular and verbs), then figure out the basic structure of the text. Make a habit of learning new vocabulary when you encounter it.
Vocabulary:
Learning vocabulary can be somewhat tedious but it is an essential part of learning a new language. While a certain amount of tedium is unavoidable when memorizing vocabulary, it is also important to remember that when you get bored your brain becomes less capable of absorbing and retaining new information. If you can review a set of vocab cards three times a day for 15 minutes, such as after you brush your teeth, or while you are waiting for the bus, you will likely retain much more than if you sit down and force yourself to focus on vocab sheets for an hour or more. This also means that cramming for the quizzes, while it may produce short term success, will in the long run leave you with a vocabulary deficit. Vocab quizes test your vocabulary knowledge and are based on the assigned vocabulary in our textbook. No helpful resources (e.g., a dictionary, Grammatiktafel) are allowed during quiz taking. Pop quizzes may be given. There are no make-up quizzes. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.