Review of second-year grammatical principles, analysis of more complex reading, writing and discussion tasks. This course aims to take students a step further towards being fully capable of freely communicating with native speakers on current and randomly chosen topics, extending beyond everyday situations. Emphasis is on present debates in Germany with a political or cultural stance. Discussions in class are initiated on these topics. Some more general information on German culture, life, habits are presented. Students are guided towards autonomous learning.
Prerequisites:
GR200 or three semesters of college/university level German or equivalent.
Attendance policy:
Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of each class. Thus, please be on time. If you are absent more than three times per course (barring verified illness), it will have an impact on your grade, if you are absent more than six times, you will not pass the course. If you have to miss a class for any serious reason, please inform your instructor in advance. Students are responsible for learning all new vocabulary, for studying the assigned materials, for writing out exercises as indicated, and for turning in assignments as scheduled.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand far-reaching and complex issues of German culture, including tools of intercultural competence,
- master grammatical issues addressed in class,
- engage in more complex and abstract discussions and will take and defend positions in them,
- listen to more complex discussions, because language in classroom will be German only and contacts to mother-tongue-speakers will be fostered,
- write in German at a higher level due to numerous exercises with focus on creative tasks.
Method of presentation:
Oral and written exercises based on texts and videos; discussions, small group work, short presentations, role plays.
Required work and form of assessment:
The minimum requirements for this course are regular attendance, active class participation, written homework and short composition assignments, short oral presentations as well as successful completion of quizzes, tests and a final exam.
Grading:
30 % Oral participation
25 % Written Homework and Composition Assignments
20 % Tests and Quizzes
25 % Final Exam
1. Attendance and daily preparation
Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of each class. Thus, please be on time. If you are absent more than three times per course (barring verified illness), it will have an impact on your grade, if you are absent more than six times, you will not pass the course. If you have to miss a class for any serious reason, please inform your instructor in advance. Students are responsible for learning all new vocabulary, for studying the assigned materials, for writing out exercises as indicated, and for turning in assignments as scheduled.
2. Class Participation
Language learning is interactive. You will only learn to understand and speak German through repeated exposure and your constant attempt to express yourself and to communicate with others in German. Class participation is defined as speaking German in class. Your participation in class will be assessed by your instructor throughout the course. This component of your grade is based on both the quantity and quality of your participation during class sessions.
3. Homework
Your homework is designed to consolidate and reinforce what you learn in class. It consists of vocabulary and grammar practice as well as reading and writing assignments. Participants will be asked to write short paragraphs on free writing in German using the grammar and vocabulary you have learned. This work will be collected and graded. More than three unsatisfactory homework or failures to hand in assignments on time will affect grades severely. However, participants do have the opportunity to revise and resubmit homework assignments in order to improve their grade.
4. Tests and Quizzes
There will be two quizzes, 45 minutes each, throughout the course.
5. Final Exam
The written final exam will cover the entire course’s work. We will do a review of the material before the exam and provide you with its structure at the time. Students are, at any time, urged to use office hours to discuss problems.
content:
General Content:
- Grammar for “professionals”
- Pronunciation practice
- Training in listening comprehension
- Accumulation of vocabulary
- Practice in arguing
- Writing practice in essays and creative assignments
- Reading texts on different topics (focusing on Berlin/Germany) appropriate for proficient intermediate level.
Thematic Content:
- Berlin (a multicultural city, life in a formerly divided city)
- Germany and the Germans now and then:
- Contemporary issues and politics in Germany
- The history of a divided country
- Mass media in Germany
- German Jews, Jews in Germany
- Excursion to the Jewish Museum of Berlin
- Film “Comedian Harmonists”
- Multicultural Society
- Integration of foreigners; Prejudices against foreigners / Xenophobia
- Film “Angst essen Seele auf”
Grammatical Content:
- Verbs and adjectives with prepositions
- Declension of adjectives (repetition)
- Relative clauses (repetition)
- Passive voice (repetition)
- Indirect discourse
- Noun-verb constructions (Funktionsverbgefüge: eine Frage stellen, etc.)
- Introduction to Participle constructions
Required readings:
A reader with handouts covering cultural topics and additional grammar exercises will be available. Since the reader has an integrated grammar section, the acquisition of a separate German grammar book is not required. However, for reference and practicing grammar, the following are recommended:
Hall, Karin/ Schreiner, Barbara: Übungsgrammatik Deutsch als Fremdsprache für Fortgeschrittene. Verlag für Deutsch, 1997
Reimann, Monika: Essential Grammar of German with exercises. Hueber, 2009
Intermediate German Ii
Review of second-year grammatical principles, analysis of more complex reading, writing and discussion tasks. This course aims to take students a step further towards being fully capable of freely communicating with native speakers on current and randomly chosen topics, extending beyond everyday situations. Emphasis is on present debates in Germany with a political or cultural stance. Discussions in class are initiated on these topics. Some more general information on German culture, life, habits are presented. Students are guided towards autonomous learning.
GR200 or three semesters of college/university level German or equivalent.
Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of each class. Thus, please be on time. If you are absent more than three times per course (barring verified illness), it will have an impact on your grade, if you are absent more than six times, you will not pass the course. If you have to miss a class for any serious reason, please inform your instructor in advance. Students are responsible for learning all new vocabulary, for studying the assigned materials, for writing out exercises as indicated, and for turning in assignments as scheduled.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand far-reaching and complex issues of German culture, including tools of intercultural competence,
- master grammatical issues addressed in class,
- engage in more complex and abstract discussions and will take and defend positions in them,
- listen to more complex discussions, because language in classroom will be German only and contacts to mother-tongue-speakers will be fostered,
- write in German at a higher level due to numerous exercises with focus on creative tasks.
Oral and written exercises based on texts and videos; discussions, small group work, short presentations, role plays.
The minimum requirements for this course are regular attendance, active class participation, written homework and short composition assignments, short oral presentations as well as successful completion of quizzes, tests and a final exam.
Grading:
30 % Oral participation
25 % Written Homework and Composition Assignments
20 % Tests and Quizzes
25 % Final Exam
1. Attendance and daily preparation
Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of each class. Thus, please be on time. If you are absent more than three times per course (barring verified illness), it will have an impact on your grade, if you are absent more than six times, you will not pass the course. If you have to miss a class for any serious reason, please inform your instructor in advance. Students are responsible for learning all new vocabulary, for studying the assigned materials, for writing out exercises as indicated, and for turning in assignments as scheduled.
2. Class Participation
Language learning is interactive. You will only learn to understand and speak German through repeated exposure and your constant attempt to express yourself and to communicate with others in German. Class participation is defined as speaking German in class. Your participation in class will be assessed by your instructor throughout the course. This component of your grade is based on both the quantity and quality of your participation during class sessions.
3. Homework
Your homework is designed to consolidate and reinforce what you learn in class. It consists of vocabulary and grammar practice as well as reading and writing assignments. Participants will be asked to write short paragraphs on free writing in German using the grammar and vocabulary you have learned. This work will be collected and graded. More than three unsatisfactory homework or failures to hand in assignments on time will affect grades severely. However, participants do have the opportunity to revise and resubmit homework assignments in order to improve their grade.
4. Tests and Quizzes
There will be two quizzes, 45 minutes each, throughout the course.
5. Final Exam
The written final exam will cover the entire course’s work. We will do a review of the material before the exam and provide you with its structure at the time. Students are, at any time, urged to use office hours to discuss problems.
General Content:
- Grammar for “professionals”
- Pronunciation practice
- Training in listening comprehension
- Accumulation of vocabulary
- Practice in arguing
- Writing practice in essays and creative assignments
- Reading texts on different topics (focusing on Berlin/Germany) appropriate for proficient intermediate level.
Thematic Content:
- Berlin (a multicultural city, life in a formerly divided city)
- Germany and the Germans now and then:
- Contemporary issues and politics in Germany
- The history of a divided country
- Mass media in Germany
- German Jews, Jews in Germany
- Excursion to the Jewish Museum of Berlin
- Film “Comedian Harmonists”
- Multicultural Society
- Integration of foreigners; Prejudices against foreigners / Xenophobia
- Film “Angst essen Seele auf”
Grammatical Content:
- Verbs and adjectives with prepositions
- Declension of adjectives (repetition)
- Relative clauses (repetition)
- Passive voice (repetition)
- Indirect discourse
- Noun-verb constructions (Funktionsverbgefüge: eine Frage stellen, etc.)
- Introduction to Participle constructions
A reader with handouts covering cultural topics and additional grammar exercises will be available. Since the reader has an integrated grammar section, the acquisition of a separate German grammar book is not required. However, for reference and practicing grammar, the following are recommended: