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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "GER 101"
COURSE NAME: "Introductory German I"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2015
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Frauke Schweers-Hamp
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 1:00PM-2:50PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 60
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed to give students basic communicative ability in German. By presenting the language in a variety of authentic contexts, the course also seeks to provide an introduction to German culture and society. Students work on all four language skills: speaking, listening
comprehension, reading, and writing. 
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
  1. Communicative strategies

    Acquire tools and skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, to communicate in German with a basic degree of fluency in real-life situations.

  2. Grammar

    Study the structure of the German language, and develop an understanding of basic grammatical concepts.

  3. Increase intercultural awareness by exploring communities in the German speaking countries and develop critical thinking skills by making analytical cross-cultural comparisons.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Communicative strategies: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to communicate in German with a basic degree of fluency in real-life situations in the following contexts:

  1. Greet people, introduce yourself, share basic personal information, your age, where you are from, discuss your classes, where you live, what you do, you need, you want, and will do, your likes and dislikes, the weather, your pastimes and leisure activities during each season.

  2. Use numbers to express quantities, tell time, days, months.

  3. Talk about weather, seasons, colors and nationalities

  4. Talk about friends, hobbies, leisure activities.

  5. Talk about clothing and shopping.

  6. Describe you, members of immediate and extended family, and other people (personality and physical descriptions.)

  7. Talk about what you like, prefer, and dislike.

  8. Use question words and ask questions about everything you can express.

 

2. Grammar: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to use, combine, and integrate the following structures into meaningful sentences:

  • Articles, nouns, pronouns, and adjectives.

  • Present tense of verbs Sein, and haben, regular, irregular, and stem-changing verbs

  • Present profressive

  • Descriptive, demonstrative, and possessive adjectives

  • Direct object and pronouns

 

            Compare cognates, word order, and syntactical functions, and verb conjugations.

 

            Use formal and informal language.

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Schritte InternationalNiveau A1/1Hueber9783190018512     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
2 tests 20%
midterm exam 20%
oral exams 20%
final exam 30%
participation and homework 10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

WEEK 1         August 31 & September 2

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Learning to ask questions

W-Fragen: Wie heißt du?

Introduce yourself, tell others where you come from and ask others where they come from, learning how to greet and say good bye

Spot: Gar nicht so einfach (pronunciation of German)

Spot of the Goethe-Institute

Personal pronoun ich/ du/ Sie

Preposition in

Countries and languages

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Conjugation of verbs heißen, kommen, sprechen, sein

Alphabet, name cards,  telephone conversation

German speaking countries

 

WEEK 2     September 7 & September 9

                     

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Possessive articles mein, meine

Introduce family and friends

Family and friends

Personal pronouns er, sie, wir, ihr, sie

 Addressing people

Wie geht`s? How are you?

Spot: Eine große Idee für 2 (Smart for 2)

 Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Verb conjugation leben, haben, …

Introducing other people

Partner interview

 Preposition aus

Fill out forms

 

 

 

WEEK 3     September 14 & September 16

 

           Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Indefinite Articles

Fruits and vegetables

Shopping culture in Germany

Negation

At the market

Spot: Bleib hungrig auf Neues

 

       Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Yes/no questions

Going shopping

Asking questions

Verb conjugation essen

Comparing prices

Role play: auf dem Markt

 

WEEK 4      September 21 & September 23

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Definite articles

Apartments and houses

Houses and apartments in Germany

 Adjectives

Furniture and colors

Comparing houses

 Personal pronouns

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Singular and plural of nouns

Counting until 1 Million

 Where do I live?

Plural classification

Reading  advertisements

                                                           

           

WEEK 5           September 28 & September 30

 

             Grammar

                   Lexis

Culture & Communication

The verb gefallen

Talking about likes and dislikes

Spot Ikea Schlaf gut

 

Horoscope

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Adjectives

Use adjectives to describe people

Day routine in Germany

 

What time is it?

 

 

 

Week 6            October 5 & October 7

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Separable Verbs in the sentence

Housework

Describing the activities of  others

 

What do you like/dislike?

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Revise grammar

Time of the day

Immer müde. Song by Laing

                                                           

Week 7            October 12  &  October 14                MIDTERM TEST

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Temporal preposition

Your day routine

 Midterm test

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Active use of temporal preposition & separable verbs

Opening hours

Getting information in Germany

A day in Berlin, preparation of the oral exam

 

Week 8            October 19  &  October 21                ORAL TEST

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

 

 

Presentation: A day in your favorite city

 

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

 

 

Presentation: A day in your favorite city

 

Week 9            October 26 & October 28

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Dativ

How is the weather? Wie ist das Wetter?

Role play: Talking about the weather

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Akkusativ

Verbs with a change of the vocal

Outfits

Menu

Role play: eating out

Week 10          November 2 & November 4

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Ja, nein, doch

The verb möchten

Preferences, likes, dislikes

YouTube video: Louis de Funes: Ja, nein, doch

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

More verbs with a change of the vocal

Reading and writing an advertisement

Pen friends around the world

 

Freizeit (freetime) and hobbies

Week 11          November 9 & November 11

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Active use of introduced grammar

Frei? Zeit? Stress?

Introduce your weekend to the class

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Modal verbs

Talents and interests, active use of modal verbs

Nur kurz die Welt retten. Song by Tim Benzko

 

Week 12          November 16 & November 18

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

More modal verbs

Visiting different seminars, questions and answers with modal verbs

Group interview (active use of modal verbs)

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Past: the German Perfekt

Day routines in the past

Partner interview (active use of the past tense)

Week 13          November 23 & November 25

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Categorization of Partizip II

Language holidays, reading advertisements

Your experience abroad

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Revise the grammar

Deutsch lernen: why and how?

Sprachenmännchen: talking about your attitude towards languages

Week 14          November 30 & December 2 FINAL EXAM

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Revise the grammar

Repeating vocabulary

Questions and answers

Grammar

Lexis

Culture & Communication

Final exam

Interactive games to consolidate grammar and vocabulary

Gute Nacht Freunde, es ist Zeit für mich zu gehen. Song by Reinhard May