Werner Schlenzig, Christine Freudenberg, or Nicole Rückert
Description:
This semester-long course is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of the language.
By the end of the course, the successful student will develop a basic foundation in the five skills: intercultural communication, reading, writing, listening and speaking to accomplish a variety of basic everyday needs in the host culture as described in the learning outcomes below.
Prerequisites:
None
Attendance policy:
All IES courses require attendance and participation. Attendance is mandatory per IES policy. Any unexcused absence may count against your final grade. Any student who has more than three (3) unexcused absences will receive an “F” as the final grade in the course. Absences due to sickness, religious observances, and family emergencies may be excusable at the discretion of the Center Director. In the case of an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the Academic Officer of the absence with an Official Excused Absence Form, as well as any other relevant documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note), and to keep a record thereof. This form must be turned in as soon as possible before the class, in the case of a planned absence, or immediately after the class, in the case of an unplanned absence, in order for
the absence to be considered excused. It is also the student’s responsibility to inform the professor of the missed class. Students can download the Official Excused Absence Form at https://eu.elearning.iesabroad.org.
QUIZZES MISSED DURING UNEXCUSED ABSENCES CANNOT BE MADE UP!
The use of laptop computers during class is not permitted. Cell phones are to be switched off.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve some of the outcomes for the Novice Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below.
I. Intercultural Communication
A. Students will be able to meet basic everyday needs using verbal communication, to use compensatory strategies when they do not know the word or expression (repetition, body language etc.), and to identify some basic nonverbal communication strategies.
B. Students will be able to recognize basic appropriate and inappropriate expressions and behaviors in the host language.
C. Students will be able to distinguish between basic representations of formality and informality in the language.
D. Students will start to make informed comparisons between the host culture and home culture.
II. Listening
A. Students will be able to understand most basic statements, requests, descriptions and questions in specific cultural context relevant to them (interacting in class and with hosts, studying, shopping, transportation, meals).
B. Students will be able to use context to understand the gist of some basic spoken language they overhear, including the media, conversations between others, and announcements.
III. Speaking.
A. Students will be able to use some basic phrases appropriately in some everyday situations (at home, with new acquaintances, at the IES Abroad Center, in the community).
B. Students will be able to express some basic needs by asking questions, and get what they need in uncomplicated everyday situations.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to identify and understand basic sentences.
B. Students will be able to interpret main ideas in short and simple texts as well as news headlines, but their understanding is often limited to the words or groups of words they have seen in class.
C. Students will be able to use basic reading strategies (cognate recognition, scanning for meaning, identification of text types, etc.) in order to interpret main ideas.
V. Writing
A. With limited accuracy, students will be able to write short sentences and short paragraphs about basic and concrete topics they have studied, such as themselves, their families, their friends, their likes and dislikes, and their daily routines.
B. Students will be able to send basic e-mails, text messages, postcards, and fill out some basic forms.
Method of presentation:
Stimulus/response games, oral and written exercises, role playing, homework, field studies, Moodle, class project
Required work and form of assessment:
Quiz 1 15%
Quiz 2 15%
Participation and homework 20%
Berlin project 10%
Class project 20%
Final exam 20%
content:
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding
Learning
Outcome(s)
Week 1
(intensive)
1. Functional:
Introducing yourself
German for everyday use: shopping, restaurant, public transport, etc.
2. Grammatical:
Conjugation of verbs - Present Tense
Personal Pronouns – Nominative
Pronunciation practice
3. Vocabulary:
Food
Clothing
Household items
Everyday activities
Numbers
Colours
4. Culture:
Shopping, getting around Freiburg
Interviewing classmates
Reading:
‘Porträt einer WG’
Field study:
Shopping in Freiburg,
getting around Freiburg
I.A., I.D., III.B., IV.A
Week 2
Field Trip Berlin-Prague
Field study: Berlin Project: “Topography of Terror”
Week 3
1. Functional:
Review/deepening of Intensive Phase content
Portraits of people, family, friends
2. Grammatical:
Verb conjugation
Personal Pronouns
Articles: in/ definite, possessive
Negatives
Interrogatives, questions, and statements
Pronunciation practice
3. Vocabulary:
Family relations
4. Culture:
Feedback Berlin Project
Group presentation Field Trip – discussion Berlin Project
Interviews, role plays – see Week 1
Reading/ Listening:
“Leute, Leute” – portraits of people
I.D., III.B., IV.A.
Week 4
1.Functional:
Going to a restaurant, eating habits
Asking/ Telling the time
2. Grammatical:
Temporal adverbs
Imperative
Modal verb ‘möchten’
3.Vocabulary:
Expression of time
Food
Adjectives
4.Culture:
Eating habits Germany – Home country
Reading/ Listening:
Restaurant dialogues
Role plays:
‘In a restaurant’.
Class project
I.A., I.B., I.C., I.D., II.A, III.A., IV.A.
Week 5
1.Functional:
Activities in your free time
Making appointments
2.Grammatical:
Coordinating con-
junctions – und,
aber, oder
Modal verbs: können, wollen, müssen, dürfen
Verb position – ‚sentence bracket’
3.Vocabulary:
Free time activities, holiday
Weather - adjectives
4.Culture:
Free time: talking about/ comparing home and host country
Quiz 1 (tue, 9.10.)
Reading:
„Willkommen an Bord“
Listening:
“Sag mal, hast du heute Abend schon was vor?”
Interviewing classmates
Writing a postcard/ an e-mail to a pen-pal
Class project
I.D., II.A., III.B., IV.A., V.B.
Week 6
Field Trip Institutions
Paris-Brussels
Week 7
1.Functional:
Talking about your daily routine
2.Grammatical:
Separable prefix verbs
Word order – ‘sentence bracket’
3.Vocabulary:
Words/ expressions/ phrases related to daily routine
4.Culture:
A student’s day in Freiburg
Reading: “Freizeit … und Arbeit”
Listening:
„Manfred hat nie Zeit“
Interviewing flat mates
Class project
I.A, I.D., II.B, III.B, IV.A.
Week 8
1.Functional:
The human body
Expressing state of health
2.Grammatical:
Simple Past of ‘haben’, ‘sein’
subordinating conjunctions – weil - obwohl
3.Vocabulary:
The human body
Adjectives
4.Culture:
t.b.a.
Reading:
“Frau B. und Herr K. sind immer krank”.
Listening:
„Er/ sie ist krank – was hat er/ sie?“
Class project
I.A., II. B., III.B., IV.A.
Week 9
1.Functional:
Talking about events in the past
2.Grammatical:
Present Perfect
Subordinating conjunctions: weil - obwohl
3.Vocabulary:
Verbs in the Present Perfect
4.Culture:
‘What’s new?’ – Discussing (local) news of the week
Quiz 2 (tue, 6.11.)
Reading/ Listening:
“Und was ist … passiert?”
Interviewing classmates
Interpretation of picture story
Class project
I.D., II. B., III.B., IV.A., IV.B.
Week 10
1.Functional:
Talking about important locations in your everyday life
2.Grammatical:
Prepositions: Expressing place and direction
Subordinating conjunctions: dass - wenn
3.Vocabulary:
Locations of daily relevance
Countries, nationalities, languages
4.Culture:
Discussion: Holiday destinations – where do we spend our holidays
Listening:
“Wo sind die Leute gerade?”
Reading:
„A weekend in Freiburg“
Writing:
Making plans for the weekend
Class project presentation
I.A., I.D., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.A., V.A.
Week 11
1.Functional:
Private and public celebrations
2.Grammatical:
Verbs requiring dative and accusative
Personal Pronouns in the dative/accusative
3.Vocabulary:
‘Presents’
4.Culture:
Celebrating in Germany – USA
Reading/ Speaking:
“Wünsche, Wünsche”.
Group assignment: ‘Let’s find an appropriate present for …”
I.A., I.B., I.D.,
II.A., III.A., IV.B.
Week 12
Field Trip member states
Week 13
1.Functional:
Expressing comparisons
2.Grammatical:
Adjectives: Comparative- Superlative
3.Vocabulary:
Adjectives
4.Culture:
Christmas in Germany
Geography-Quiz
Reading:
“Der Kunde ist König”
Field study:
Weihnachtsmarkt in Freiburg
I.A., I.D., IV.B.
Week 14
1.Functional:
Review for final exam
t.b.a.
2.Grammatical:
Review for final exam
t.b.a.
3.Vocabulary:
Review for final exam
t.b.a.
4.Culture:
German film
Review for
final exam
Week 15
Subject to changes depending on level and progress of class
Required readings:
Textbook “Themen 1”
Notes:
This syllabus contains a representative course calendar and field studies. Cultural topics and field studies may vary by semester and by season.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Werner Schlenzig studied German Language and Literature, Political Sciences, and Philosophy at the University of Freiburg and Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. He has taught German as a Second/ Foreign Language since 1976 at various institutions such as Goethe Institut Staufen, Volkshochschule Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Christchurch Polytech N.Z., and IES Abroad Freiburg. He is currently a language instructor (German as a Second/ Foreign Language) at the Volkshochschule Freiburg and IES Abroad European Union Center in Freiburg.
Christine Freudenberg studied English, Spanish, and German Philology at the University of Freiburg, Great Britain, and Spain. She has completed a Teacher Training Course at the International House Freiburg in 2003 and a Distance Study Course with the Goethe Institute. She has taught at IH-Seville (Spain), at the Amour-University in Blagoveschensk (Russia), and at the Goethe Institute in Yaoundé (Cameroon).
Nicole Rückert earned her M.A. degree in Oriental/Islamic Studies, Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität of Freiburg. She also finished a further training (International House Teacher Training) to teach German as a Foreign Language and the official qualification to teach German as a Second Language. She is currently a language instructor at IES Abroad and International House Freiburg (teaching students), “Südwind Freiburg” (teaching immigrants for a social association) and is also working freelance for “Landeszentrale für politische Bildung” (civic/political education in schools) on topics like migration.
German Language in Context: Novice Abroad I
This semester-long course is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of the language.
By the end of the course, the successful student will develop a basic foundation in the five skills: intercultural communication, reading, writing, listening and speaking to accomplish a variety of basic everyday needs in the host culture as described in the learning outcomes below.
None
All IES courses require attendance and participation. Attendance is mandatory per IES policy. Any unexcused absence may count against your final grade. Any student who has more than three (3) unexcused absences will receive an “F” as the final grade in the course. Absences due to sickness, religious observances, and family emergencies may be excusable at the discretion of the Center Director. In the case of an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the Academic Officer of the absence with an Official Excused Absence Form, as well as any other relevant documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note), and to keep a record thereof. This form must be turned in as soon as possible before the class, in the case of a planned absence, or immediately after the class, in the case of an unplanned absence, in order for
the absence to be considered excused. It is also the student’s responsibility to inform the professor of the missed class. Students can download the Official Excused Absence Form at https://eu.elearning.iesabroad.org.
QUIZZES MISSED DURING UNEXCUSED ABSENCES CANNOT BE MADE UP!
The use of laptop computers during class is not permitted. Cell phones are to be switched off.
Updated information on your course can be found at https://eu.elearning.iesabroad.org.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve some of the outcomes for the Novice Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below.
I. Intercultural Communication
A. Students will be able to meet basic everyday needs using verbal communication, to use compensatory strategies when they do not know the word or expression (repetition, body language etc.), and to identify some basic nonverbal communication strategies.
B. Students will be able to recognize basic appropriate and inappropriate expressions and behaviors in the host language.
C. Students will be able to distinguish between basic representations of formality and informality in the language.
D. Students will start to make informed comparisons between the host culture and home culture.
II. Listening
A. Students will be able to understand most basic statements, requests, descriptions and questions in specific cultural context relevant to them (interacting in class and with hosts, studying, shopping, transportation, meals).
B. Students will be able to use context to understand the gist of some basic spoken language they overhear, including the media, conversations between others, and announcements.
III. Speaking.
A. Students will be able to use some basic phrases appropriately in some everyday situations (at home, with new acquaintances, at the IES Abroad Center, in the community).
B. Students will be able to express some basic needs by asking questions, and get what they need in uncomplicated everyday situations.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to identify and understand basic sentences.
B. Students will be able to interpret main ideas in short and simple texts as well as news headlines, but their understanding is often limited to the words or groups of words they have seen in class.
C. Students will be able to use basic reading strategies (cognate recognition, scanning for meaning, identification of text types, etc.) in order to interpret main ideas.
V. Writing
A. With limited accuracy, students will be able to write short sentences and short paragraphs about basic and concrete topics they have studied, such as themselves, their families, their friends, their likes and dislikes, and their daily routines.
B. Students will be able to send basic e-mails, text messages, postcards, and fill out some basic forms.
Stimulus/response games, oral and written exercises, role playing, homework, field studies, Moodle, class project
Quiz 1 15%
Quiz 2 15%
Participation and homework 20%
Berlin project 10%
Class project 20%
Final exam 20%
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding
Learning
Outcome(s)
Week 1
(intensive)
1. Functional:
2. Grammatical:
3. Vocabulary:
4. Culture:
Interviewing classmates
Reading:
‘Porträt einer WG’
Field study:
Shopping in Freiburg,
getting around Freiburg
I.A., I.D., III.B., IV.A
Week 2
Field Trip Berlin-Prague
Field study: Berlin Project: “Topography of Terror”
Week 3
1. Functional:
2. Grammatical:
3. Vocabulary:
4. Culture:
Group presentation Field Trip – discussion Berlin Project
Interviews, role plays – see Week 1
Reading/ Listening:
“Leute, Leute” – portraits of people
I.D., III.B., IV.A.
Week 4
1.Functional:
2. Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Reading/ Listening:
Restaurant dialogues
Role plays:
‘In a restaurant’.
Class project
I.A., I.B., I.C., I.D., II.A, III.A., IV.A.
Week 5
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
junctions – und,
aber, oder
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Quiz 1 (tue, 9.10.)
Reading:
„Willkommen an Bord“
Listening:
“Sag mal, hast du heute Abend schon was vor?”
Interviewing classmates
Writing a postcard/ an e-mail to a pen-pal
Class project
I.D., II.A., III.B., IV.A., V.B.
Week 6
Field Trip Institutions
Paris-Brussels
Week 7
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Reading: “Freizeit … und Arbeit”
Listening:
„Manfred hat nie Zeit“
Interviewing flat mates
Class project
I.A, I.D., II.B, III.B, IV.A.
Week 8
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Reading:
“Frau B. und Herr K. sind immer krank”.
Listening:
„Er/ sie ist krank – was hat er/ sie?“
Class project
I.A., II. B., III.B., IV.A.
Week 9
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Quiz 2 (tue, 6.11.)
Reading/ Listening:
“Und was ist … passiert?”
Interviewing classmates
Interpretation of picture story
Class project
I.D., II. B., III.B., IV.A., IV.B.
Week 10
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Listening:
“Wo sind die Leute gerade?”
Reading:
„A weekend in Freiburg“
Writing:
Making plans for the weekend
Class project presentation
I.A., I.D., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.A., V.A.
Week 11
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Reading/ Speaking:
“Wünsche, Wünsche”.
Group assignment: ‘Let’s find an appropriate present for …”
I.A., I.B., I.D.,
II.A., III.A., IV.B.
Week 12
Field Trip member states
Week 13
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Geography-Quiz
Reading:
“Der Kunde ist König”
Field study:
Weihnachtsmarkt in Freiburg
I.A., I.D., IV.B.
Week 14
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Review for
final exam
Week 15
Subject to changes depending on level and progress of class
Textbook “Themen 1”
This syllabus contains a representative course calendar and field studies. Cultural topics and field studies may vary by semester and by season.
Werner Schlenzig studied German Language and Literature, Political Sciences, and Philosophy at the University of Freiburg and Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. He has taught German as a Second/ Foreign Language since 1976 at various institutions such as Goethe Institut Staufen, Volkshochschule Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Christchurch Polytech N.Z., and IES Abroad Freiburg. He is currently a language instructor (German as a Second/ Foreign Language) at the Volkshochschule Freiburg and IES Abroad European Union Center in Freiburg.
Christine Freudenberg studied English, Spanish, and German Philology at the University of Freiburg, Great Britain, and Spain. She has completed a Teacher Training Course at the International House Freiburg in 2003 and a Distance Study Course with the Goethe Institute. She has taught at IH-Seville (Spain), at the Amour-University in Blagoveschensk (Russia), and at the Goethe Institute in Yaoundé (Cameroon).
Nicole Rückert earned her M.A. degree in Oriental/Islamic Studies, Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität of Freiburg. She also finished a further training (International House Teacher Training) to teach German as a Foreign Language and the official qualification to teach German as a Second Language. She is currently a language instructor at IES Abroad and International House Freiburg (teaching students), “Südwind Freiburg” (teaching immigrants for a social association) and is also working freelance for “Landeszentrale für politische Bildung” (civic/political education in schools) on topics like migration.