Mag. Hemma Stagl (intensive) and Monika Johnson-Schönstädt (regular semester)
Description:
During this course, students review special grammatical problems and do extensive oral work in combination with reading and writing exercises focusing on literary texts, newspaper articles, films, daily life and culture in Austria, and enhancement of student’s communicative abilities and intercultural competence.
STUDENT PROFILE:
Students who enter this level are able to accomplish everyday needs required to live in a new culture. In this course, students will begin to develop independence and autonomy so that, when communication does break down, they have some tools at their disposal to resolve these challenges independently. Students should welcome correction and guidance from their instructors, hosts, and others in the community as they progress. By the end of this course, students will begin to converse at a rate of speed approaching normal conversation. They will start to become creative, spontaneous and self-reliant as they solve problems, interpret texts, negotiate, express their opinions, likes and dislikes in the culture. Although students will make errors and experience communication breakdowns, they are sometimes able to resolve these on their own. Students will understand some colloquial expressions and slang, and are starting to understand a wider variety of native speakers from different backgrounds. By the end of this level, students will be capable of achieving the learning outcomes outlined below.
Prerequisites:
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Emerging Independent Abroad, as determined by placement test.
Learning outcomes:
Students who are placed in this level should have achieved the outcomes in the Emerging Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve some of the outcomes for the Independent 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 begin to identify at a basic level key host cultures, subcultures, habits, norms, and behaviors in a variety of settings, and they will be aware of the risk that generalizations can lead to stereotypes.
B. Students will start to identify their own cultural beliefs, behaviors, and values by contrasting and comparing them with the host cultures.
C. Students will be able to identify some gestures and body language, and they may be able to integrate some of those non-verbal actions into their interactions with native speakers.
II.Listening
A. Students will be able to understand some spoken communications of moderate complexity (media, speeches, music, conversations, etc.) on a wide range of concrete everyday topics as well as abstract topics covered in classes.
B. Students will begin to understand native speakers from a variety of backgrounds and limited experience with non-native speakers, and they will comprehend common colloquial expressions and slang.
III. Speaking
A. Students will be able to speak on and discuss concrete everyday and personal topics, abstract topics covered in classes, as well as other topics of particular interest to them.
B. Students will be able to participate and respond actively in a variety of interactions.
C. Students will be able to give short presentations on topics related to the host culture.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to read and understand articles, stories, and online texts using background knowledge to aid their comprehension.
B. Students will begin to read and understand the key ideas of academic texts on familiar topics with assistance.
V. Writing
A. Students will be able to meet many everyday writing needs (notes, text messages, formal and informal letters, emails, chats, and online forums).
B. Students will be able to write essays for class that narrate, describe, report, compare, contrast, and summarize on a wide range of topics with developing degrees of grammatical and lexical accuracy.
C. Students will be able to edit their own and their peers writing for common errors covered in class.
Method of presentation:
Language instructors use the classroom to practice German through dialogues, work in groups, role plays, reading, listening comprehensions, and written practice. We also do internet research and go on field study trips (cafés, museums, markets, exhibitions, etc.).
Required work and form of assessment:
Regular attendance and participation in class work, regular assignments, quizzes, oral presentations, classroom discussions, and midterm and final exam.
Grading:
Oral work: 40%
Homework: 10%
Quizzes: 25%
Final exam: 25%
Work and exams in the intensive part of the course count for one third of the overall grade.
content:
INTENSIVE
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Week 1
1.Functional
Getting to know each other
Talking about hobbies and leisure time
(likes and preferences)
Describing people
Ordering food and drinks
2.Grammatical:
Personal-,possessive- and reflexive pronouns
Adjectives with prepositions
Adjective endings
Past tenses of weak and strong verbs
3.Vocabulary:
Related to the functional topic
4.Culture:
Hobbies might change in Europe
Adjust to living abroad
Exercises on the grammatical topic
Composition:
Why did you decide to study in Austria (Vienna)?
Exam
I.A., IB.,
II.A.,
III.A., III.B.,
III.C.,
IV.A., IV.B.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 2
1.Functional:
Shopping
Evening activities
Restaurants and coffee houses
European cities and countries
2.Grammatical:
Prepositions and prepositional phrases
Verbs with prepositions
3.Vocabulary:
Related to the functional topic
4.Culture:
European countries and their differences
Viennese traditions
Exercises on the grammatical topic
Composition:
Every-day-life
in a foreign city.
Vocabulary Quiz
Exam
I.A., IB.,
II.A.,
III.A., III.B.,
III.C.,
IV.A., IV.B.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 3
1.Functional:
Planning the semester
Travelling plans
Family and friends
2.Grammatical:
Main- and subclauses
Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
3.Vocabulary:
Related to the functional topic
Exercises on the
grammatical topic
Composition:
A letter to a friend
Oral Exam
Written Exam
I.A., IB.,
II.A.,
III.A., III.B.,
III.C.,
IV.A., IV.B.,
V.A., V.B.
SEMESTER
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcomes
Week 1
1. Functional :
Introducing classmates
Talking about yourself (hobbies, time in Vienna, study, interests)
Talking about post-intensive break
Reading a text about Berlin: “Der erste und einzige Tag”
KURSBUCH S 42
2. Grammatical:
Prepositions and cases: „außerhalb; entlang; gegenüber; innerhalb; von...aus“
Word order in a German phrase
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary to the text
4. Culture:
Information about Berlin: history and culture
Answer questions on the text “der erste und einzige Tag”
KURSBUCH S 43
Work on the Vocabulary; find German explanations and synonyms
Prepare the presentation of a city (history; personal connection; sites of interest)
Work sheets to the word order exercises in the book
Quiz: Vocabulary and Prepositions
I.A.
I.B.
III.C.
IV.A.
IV.B
V.B.
Week 2
1. Functional:
Talking about the Oktoberfest Tradition of the “Wiener Kaffehauskultur”
Reading a book review
„Eine Amerikanerin in Berlin”
Arbeitsbuch S 43
Reading short informal letters;
KURSBUCH S 49
2. Grammatical:
German word order in detail;
subordinate clause “wenn; als; ob; nachdem,…”
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary lists to the texts:
Oktoberfest
Wiener Kaffehäuser
Eine Amerikanerin in Berlin
4. Culture:
“Wiener Kaffeehauskultur”
“Das Oktoberfest”
Worksheets on:
the subordinate clause;
Konnektoren
the word order in German;
Composition:
Writing a letter to a classmate about life and experiences in Vienna
Pairwork:
Correcting letters together
Quiz
On the vocabulary and the grammar
I.A.
I.B.
V.C.
V.A.
IV.A.
Week 3
1. Functional:
“How to write a letter in German”
Listening comprehension
“Wien – München” Kursbuch S 48
2. Grammatical:
Repetition of the “Konnektoren”
and the subordinate clause
lokal Prepositions “Wo?/Wohin?
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary lists to the topics
4. Culture:
Wien vs. München
Live quality in cities: leisure time; shopping possibilities
Worksheets
Konnektoren
the subordinate clause
Composition:
Writing a letter to the instructor
about “what is motivating me in German class, what helps learning, what kind of exercises are necessary and useful”
Pairwork on
Talking about personal experiences using subordinate clause and Konnektoren
group work
discussion about the outcomes of the letters
Quiz
on the vocabulary and the grammar of the week
I.B.
III.A.
II.A.
V.A.
Week 4
1. Functional:
KURSBUCH: S 55/56/57 Konsum
Shopping and being a customer in Austria
2. Grammatical:
Tenses; simple past; present perfect; function and building; weak verbs and strong verbs;
past perfect; function; building and using the past perfect connecting phrases in different tenses
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary lists on the topics:
shopping in Austria
asking for/giving help and information in a shop/market
asking for and giving advice regarding product complaints in a formal context
4. Culture:
Shopping in Austria
Specific markets in Vienna (Naschmarkt; Brunnenmarkt)
Comparison of the general prices in Austria and the U.S.
How to handle product complaints in Austria and Germany
Worksheets
How to build and use tenses
Exercises: using different tenses and Konnektoren in one phrase
Composition:
Writing the dialogues we did orally in class
Pairwork:
Dialogues: Customer/ shop assistant
Groupwork:
Dialogues: product complaints
Quiz:
Vocabulary and the grammar of the week
I.A.
I.B.
III.A.
III.B.
IV.B.
V.A.
Week 5
1. Functional:
Reading and understanding a long and difficult article from an Austrian newspaper about a recent event
2. Grammatical:
Using the simple past in the fairy tale: “Der Rattenfänger von Hameln”
Arbeitsbuch S 58
Review previously studied tenses and grammar
3. Vocabulary:
To the article “Dachte, ich würde das Bewusstsein verlieren”
4. Culture:
Information about the Austrian extreme sportsman Felix Baumgartner
Getting to know an old fairy tale
Worksheets
Tenses
Vocabulary
Learning the verbs from the text: “Der Rattenfänger von Hameln” in all tenses
Groupwork
reading the article together and doing exercises on the article (true/false questions; word order; tenses)
In Class
Review of grammar, verbs, tenses, vocabulary from the beginning to now
Midterm Exam
I.A.
IV.A.
III.A.
Week 6
Midtermweek
Week 7
1. Functional
Talking about the post - midterm break
Listening comprehension
KURSBUCH S 61
“Exchanging goods vs. money”
Shopping addiction
Kaufrausch “Packen Sie’s ein. Alles!”
KURSBUCH S64
Reading short newspaper articles on recent topics
2. Grammatical
Negation in word order and negating words
3. Vocabulary
Related to the topics
4. Culture
Poverty in Austria
Pairwork
Interviewing each other on the post midterm break
Groupwork
Discussing the text: Kaufrausch “Packen Sie’s ein. Alles!”
Excercises on the grammar and the vocabulary
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
I.B.
II.B.
III.A.
Week 8
1. Functional
Future: Hopes; fears; belief in technical inventions
“Erinnerungen an die Zukunft”
KURSBUCH S. 68
2. Grammatical
Future tense
Subjunctive II (present tense; past tense)
3. Vocabulary
Related to the topics
4. Culture
Green energy in Austria and the U.S.
Example of modern German science fiction
Composition
Review of a science fiction novel
Groupwork
Answering questions and talking about personal beliefs about the future
Worksheets
On the future tense
subjunctive II
Exercises on the grammar and the vocabulary
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
I.B.
IV.B.
V.B.
III.A.
III.B.
Week 9
1. Functional
Science fiction
Future
Newspaper articles of current interest for the students
Song: Tim Bedzko “Nur noch kurz die Welt retten”
2. Grammatical
Reviewing Subjunctive II in functional use of all tenses
3. Vocabulary
Related to the topics expressions of the time
Arbeitsbuch S 66/67
4. Culture
Modern musicians from Germany
Groupwork
Listening to a song together and finding missing words
Talking about the meaning of the song
Worksheets
Future tense
Subjunctive II
Exercises on grammar and vocabulary
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
II.B.
III.A.
III.B.
IV.A.
Week 10
1. Functional
Thanksgiving
Work
Job descriptions
CV
Job advertisements
Newspaper articles on current events
Listening Comprehension KURSBUCH S 69
2. Grammatical
Reflexive words
Words with fixed prepostions
Konnektoren and prepositions (kausal; konsekutiv; konditional)
3. Vocabulary
Proverbs
Arbeitsbuch S 80
Useful phrases for a job interview
4. Culture
Working in Austria
Job situation in Austria
Composition
Applying for a job
Answering a job advertisement
Describing a future job
Exercises on grammar and vocabulary
Groupwork
Job interview in German
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
III.B.
IV.A.
V.B.
Week 11
1. Functional
Talking about Christmas in Vienna
Traditions of “Christmas markets”
Different Christmas traditions in all Europe in comparison.
Looking back on everything learned during the semester
2. Grammatical
Review of the passive form, relative pronouns, and relative clauses
Review of everything learned so far for the final
3. Vocabulary
Christmas
Traditions
Winter sports
4. Culture
Christmas in Europe
Exercises on grammar and vocabulary
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
Groupwork
Review for final
Pairwork
Short presentations on selected topics of the semester
General questions for review
I.A.
I.B.
III.A.
III.C.
IV.A.
V.C
Week 12
Finals
This content is for a typical fall semester syllabus. Content and field studies vary according to the season and the current events in Vienna.
Required readings:
Em neu; Deutsch als Fremdsprache – Niveaustufe B2
Kurs- und Arbeitsbuch em neu; Deutsch als Fremdsprache – Niveaustufe B2 (HUEBER);
Grammar and exercises in form of handouts
Literary texts and newspaper articles.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Mag. Hemma Stagl was born in Vienna where she attended grammar school and later enrolled at the University of Vienna to study history and a combined study of German Philologie and Comparative Literature. During her studies she attended several language summer schools in France and studied for one “Erasmus-Semester” in Tours, France. In addition to her regular studies, she started working as an instructor for “German as a foreign language” and worked in several language schools and institutions. After graduating in 2004, she had a five month internship in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where she held German classes at university (filosofska fakulteta), In 2009, she finished her certificate for “German as a foreign language”. Since her graduation she is working in several language institute as a German instructor covering all levels (A1 – C2). In August 2012, she started working as a German instructor in IES Abroad.
After working in different companies (Presseclub Concordia, American embassy) Monika Johnson-Schönstädt started working at IES Abroad in 1969. She has been working as a German instructor since September 1982.
German Language in Context: Independent Abroad I
During this course, students review special grammatical problems and do extensive oral work in combination with reading and writing exercises focusing on literary texts, newspaper articles, films, daily life and culture in Austria, and enhancement of student’s communicative abilities and intercultural competence.
STUDENT PROFILE:
Students who enter this level are able to accomplish everyday needs required to live in a new culture. In this course, students will begin to develop independence and autonomy so that, when communication does break down, they have some tools at their disposal to resolve these challenges independently. Students should welcome correction and guidance from their instructors, hosts, and others in the community as they progress. By the end of this course, students will begin to converse at a rate of speed approaching normal conversation. They will start to become creative, spontaneous and self-reliant as they solve problems, interpret texts, negotiate, express their opinions, likes and dislikes in the culture. Although students will make errors and experience communication breakdowns, they are sometimes able to resolve these on their own. Students will understand some colloquial expressions and slang, and are starting to understand a wider variety of native speakers from different backgrounds. By the end of this level, students will be capable of achieving the learning outcomes outlined below.
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Emerging Independent Abroad, as determined by placement test.
Students who are placed in this level should have achieved the outcomes in the Emerging Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve some of the outcomes for the Independent 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 begin to identify at a basic level key host cultures, subcultures, habits, norms, and behaviors in a variety of settings, and they will be aware of the risk that generalizations can lead to stereotypes.
B. Students will start to identify their own cultural beliefs, behaviors, and values by contrasting and comparing them with the host cultures.
C. Students will be able to identify some gestures and body language, and they may be able to integrate some of those non-verbal actions into their interactions with native speakers.
II.Listening
A. Students will be able to understand some spoken communications of moderate complexity (media, speeches, music, conversations, etc.) on a wide range of concrete everyday topics as well as abstract topics covered in classes.
B. Students will begin to understand native speakers from a variety of backgrounds and limited experience with non-native speakers, and they will comprehend common colloquial expressions and slang.
III. Speaking
A. Students will be able to speak on and discuss concrete everyday and personal topics, abstract topics covered in classes, as well as other topics of particular interest to them.
B. Students will be able to participate and respond actively in a variety of interactions.
C. Students will be able to give short presentations on topics related to the host culture.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to read and understand articles, stories, and online texts using background knowledge to aid their comprehension.
B. Students will begin to read and understand the key ideas of academic texts on familiar topics with assistance.
V. Writing
A. Students will be able to meet many everyday writing needs (notes, text messages, formal and informal letters, emails, chats, and online forums).
B. Students will be able to write essays for class that narrate, describe, report, compare, contrast, and summarize on a wide range of topics with developing degrees of grammatical and lexical accuracy.
C. Students will be able to edit their own and their peers writing for common errors covered in class.
Language instructors use the classroom to practice German through dialogues, work in groups, role plays, reading, listening comprehensions, and written practice. We also do internet research and go on field study trips (cafés, museums, markets, exhibitions, etc.).
Regular attendance and participation in class work, regular assignments, quizzes, oral presentations, classroom discussions, and midterm and final exam.
Grading:
Oral work: 40%
Homework: 10%
Quizzes: 25%
Final exam: 25%
Work and exams in the intensive part of the course count for one third of the overall grade.
INTENSIVE
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Week 1
1.Functional
Getting to know each other
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Exercises on the grammatical topic
Composition:
Why did you decide to study in Austria (Vienna)?
Exam
I.A., IB.,
II.A.,
III.A., III.B.,
III.C.,
IV.A., IV.B.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 2
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Exercises on the grammatical topic
Composition:
Every-day-life
in a foreign city.
Vocabulary Quiz
Exam
I.A., IB.,
II.A.,
III.A., III.B.,
III.C.,
IV.A., IV.B.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 3
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
Exercises on the
grammatical topic
Composition:
A letter to a friend
Oral Exam
Written Exam
I.A., IB.,
II.A.,
III.A., III.B.,
III.C.,
IV.A., IV.B.,
V.A., V.B.
SEMESTER
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcomes
Week 1
1. Functional :
Introducing classmates
Talking about yourself (hobbies, time in Vienna, study, interests)
Talking about post-intensive break
Reading a text about Berlin: “Der erste und einzige Tag”
KURSBUCH S 42
2. Grammatical:
Prepositions and cases: „außerhalb; entlang; gegenüber; innerhalb; von...aus“
Word order in a German phrase
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary to the text
4. Culture:
Information about Berlin: history and culture
Answer questions on the text “der erste und einzige Tag”
KURSBUCH S 43
Work on the Vocabulary; find German explanations and synonyms
Prepare the presentation of a city (history; personal connection; sites of interest)
Work sheets to the word order exercises in the book
Quiz: Vocabulary and Prepositions
I.A.
I.B.
III.C.
IV.A.
IV.B
V.B.
Week 2
1. Functional:
Talking about the Oktoberfest Tradition of the “Wiener Kaffehauskultur”
Reading a book review
„Eine Amerikanerin in Berlin”
Arbeitsbuch S 43
Reading short informal letters;
KURSBUCH S 49
2. Grammatical:
German word order in detail;
subordinate clause “wenn; als; ob; nachdem,…”
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary lists to the texts:
4. Culture:
“Wiener Kaffeehauskultur”
“Das Oktoberfest”
Worksheets on:
Composition:
Writing a letter to a classmate about life and experiences in Vienna
Pairwork:
Correcting letters together
Quiz
On the vocabulary and the grammar
I.A.
I.B.
V.C.
V.A.
IV.A.
Week 3
1. Functional:
“How to write a letter in German”
Listening comprehension
“Wien – München” Kursbuch S 48
2. Grammatical:
Repetition of the “Konnektoren”
and the subordinate clause
lokal Prepositions “Wo?/Wohin?
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary lists to the topics
4. Culture:
Wien vs. München
Live quality in cities: leisure time; shopping possibilities
Worksheets
Composition:
Writing a letter to the instructor
about “what is motivating me in German class, what helps learning, what kind of exercises are necessary and useful”
Pairwork on
Talking about personal experiences using subordinate clause and Konnektoren
group work
discussion about the outcomes of the letters
Quiz
on the vocabulary and the grammar of the week
I.B.
III.A.
II.A.
V.A.
Week 4
1. Functional:
KURSBUCH: S 55/56/57 Konsum
Shopping and being a customer in Austria
2. Grammatical:
Tenses; simple past; present perfect; function and building; weak verbs and strong verbs;
past perfect; function; building and using the past perfect connecting phrases in different tenses
3. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary lists on the topics:
4. Culture:
Worksheets
How to build and use tenses
Exercises: using different tenses and Konnektoren in one phrase
Composition:
Writing the dialogues we did orally in class
Pairwork:
Dialogues: Customer/ shop assistant
Groupwork:
Dialogues: product complaints
Quiz:
Vocabulary and the grammar of the week
I.A.
I.B.
III.A.
III.B.
IV.B.
V.A.
Week 5
1. Functional:
Reading and understanding a long and difficult article from an Austrian newspaper about a recent event
2. Grammatical:
3. Vocabulary:
To the article “Dachte, ich würde das Bewusstsein verlieren”
4. Culture:
Worksheets
Groupwork
reading the article together and doing exercises on the article (true/false questions; word order; tenses)
In Class
Review of grammar, verbs, tenses, vocabulary from the beginning to now
Midterm Exam
I.A.
IV.A.
III.A.
Week 6
Midtermweek
Week 7
1. Functional
2. Grammatical
Negation in word order and negating words
3. Vocabulary
Related to the topics
4. Culture
Poverty in Austria
Pairwork
Interviewing each other on the post midterm break
Groupwork
Discussing the text: Kaufrausch “Packen Sie’s ein. Alles!”
Excercises on the grammar and the vocabulary
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
I.B.
II.B.
III.A.
Week 8
1. Functional
2. Grammatical
3. Vocabulary
Related to the topics
4. Culture
Composition
Review of a science fiction novel
Groupwork
Answering questions and talking about personal beliefs about the future
Worksheets
On the future tense
subjunctive II
Exercises on the grammar and the vocabulary
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
I.B.
IV.B.
V.B.
III.A.
III.B.
Week 9
1. Functional
2. Grammatical
Reviewing Subjunctive II in functional use of all tenses
3. Vocabulary
Related to the topics expressions of the time
Arbeitsbuch S 66/67
4. Culture
Modern musicians from Germany
Groupwork
Worksheets
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
II.B.
III.A.
III.B.
IV.A.
Week 10
1. Functional
2. Grammatical
3. Vocabulary
4. Culture
Composition
Groupwork
Job interview in German
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
I.A.
III.B.
IV.A.
V.B.
Week 11
1. Functional
2. Grammatical
3. Vocabulary
4. Culture
Christmas in Europe
Exercises on grammar and vocabulary
Quiz
Vocabulary and grammar of the week
Groupwork
Review for final
Pairwork
Short presentations on selected topics of the semester
General questions for review
I.A.
I.B.
III.A.
III.C.
IV.A.
V.C
Week 12
Finals
This content is for a typical fall semester syllabus. Content and field studies vary according to the season and the current events in Vienna.
Mag. Hemma Stagl was born in Vienna where she attended grammar school and later enrolled at the University of Vienna to study history and a combined study of German Philologie and Comparative Literature. During her studies she attended several language summer schools in France and studied for one “Erasmus-Semester” in Tours, France. In addition to her regular studies, she started working as an instructor for “German as a foreign language” and worked in several language schools and institutions. After graduating in 2004, she had a five month internship in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where she held German classes at university (filosofska fakulteta), In 2009, she finished her certificate for “German as a foreign language”. Since her graduation she is working in several language institute as a German instructor covering all levels (A1 – C2). In August 2012, she started working as a German instructor in IES Abroad.
After working in different companies (Presseclub Concordia, American embassy) Monika Johnson-Schönstädt started working at IES Abroad in 1969. She has been working as a German instructor since September 1982.