Students entering this level must be able to fulfill the learning outcomes of the Novice Abroad level, as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. Specifically, they should already be able to express themselves on a variety of concrete, everyday topics and meet their basic needs in the language. Students who enter this level may be more proficient in reading and writing skills than oral communication, especially if they have never traveled or studied abroad previously. Although students may have been exposed previously to certain competencies taught at this level, they need additional practice and instruction to move toward mastery of these competencies. Students at this level may succeed in partner university courses (when offered through the local Center) as long as such courses are primarily designed for international students and/or require passive student linguistic participation (art studios, dance).
As students gain more self-awareness and self-confidence, they will attempt more in the community. Paradoxically, this means they may also experience more miscommunications and frustration. Reading and writing require effort, and many students will need to make a special effort in this regard. Students will also develop cultural awareness and skills to work through the challenges of adaptation in the local culture and learn to celebrate their successes. They will begin to appreciate the value of these language and intercultural skills.
This course builds upon skills introduced in Novice Abroad. By the end of the course, the successful student will have begun to develop some communicative and cultural self-confidence necessary to attempt moderately complex tasks in the language, as described in the learning outcomes below.
Prerequisites:
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Novice Abroad, as determined by placement test.
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 on Moodle. QUIZZES MISSED DURING UNEXCUSED ABSENCES CANNOT BE MADE UP!
Learning outcomes:
Students who are placed in this level should have achieved the outcomes in the Novice 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 Emerging 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. Increasingly, students will be able to make informed comparisons between the host culture and the students’ home cultures.
B. Students will be able to distinguish between verbal and nonverbal communication that reflects politeness, formality, or informality.
C. Students will be able to recognize simple patterns of intonation and their meaning.
D. Students will be able to solve some daily unexpected situations and meet needs with limited help.
II. Listening
A. Students will be able to understand some interactions (media, speeches, music, conversations, etc.), especially if the speaker is used to interacting with non-native speakers.
B. Students will be able to understand direct requests, questions, and simple conversations on familiar and concrete topics.
III. Speaking
A. Students will be able to talk to a limited extent about persons and things in their immediate environment, as well as their plans and their experiences.
B. Students will be able to address moderately complicated situations involving familiar subjects.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to read passages and uncomplicated longer texts (simple narratives, detailed instructions, etc.) on familiar topics and understand the general meaning.
B. Students will be able to support their understanding of texts through the use of context, visual aids, dictionaries, or with the assistance of others in order to facilitate comprehension.
V. Writing
A. Students will be able to communicate with some effectiveness through notes, emails, and simple online discussions and chats.
B. Students will be able to write short essays on concrete topics of limited levels of complexity and accuracy, and with reliance on the communicative patterns of their native language.
Method of presentation:
homework and daily participation, essays, Moodle, field studies, class project
Required work and form of assessment:
Quiz 1 10%
Quiz 2 10%
Participation, homework & Berlin project 30%
Class project (including oral presentation & 2 written assignments) 30%
Final exam 20%
content:
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Week 1
(intensive)
1.Functional:
· Introducing yourself
· Asking for directions
· German for everyday use: typical phrases, restaurant, shopping
2.Grammatical:
· Talking about things in the past
3.Vocabulary:
· Places and activities in the city
· Food and drinks
4.Culture:
· Shopping in Freiburg
· „Decoding Freiburg”
· Berlin: now and then
Interviewing classmates
Interviewing German flatmates
Reading: “Der erste oder der einzige Tag”
Field study: shopping in Freiburg
Field study: Berlin Project “Holocaust Memorial”
I.B., I.D,
III.A., IV.A.,
Week 2
Field Trip Berlin-Prague
Field study: Berlin Project “Holocaust Memorial”
Week 3
1.Functional:
· Talking about the Field Trip
· Making arrangements
2.Grammatical:
· Noun gender
· Review of cases
3.Vocabulary:
· Free-time activities
4.Culture:
· Berlin Project
· Talking about the Field Trip
· German media culture
Group presentation Field Trip
Discussion Berlin Project
Making plans for the weekend
Reading German Newspapers
Class project
I.A.,II.B., II.D., III.B.
Week 4
1.Functional:
· Talking about travel experiences and plans
· Stating an opinion, coming to an understanding
2.Grammatical:
· Local prepositions (geographical)
3.Vocabulary:
· Travel
· Countries and nationalities
· Landscape types
4.Culture:
· Travelling in Europe
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Interviewing International flat mates
Reading: “Ich brauche Urlaub!”
Class project
II.A., III.A., IV.A., IV.B., V.B.
Week 5
1.Functional:
· Talking about housing situation
2.Grammatical:
· Two-way prepositions
· Position verbs
3.Vocabulary:
· Furniture
· House objects
4.Culture:
· Student housing in Germany and the U.S.
Quiz 1
Presentation “Meine WG”
Role-play “Probleme in der WG”
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Class project
I.A., I.D., II.B., III.A.
Week 6
Field Trip Institutions Paris-Brussels
Week 7
1.Functional:
· Talking about the Field Trip
2.Grammatical:
· Local adverbs
· Feedback Quiz 1
3.Vocabulary:
· House objects II
· Feedback Quiz 1
4.Culture:
· Talking about the Field Trip
Feedback Quiz 1
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Class project
II.A., II.B., III.A.
Week 8
1.Functional:
· Dialogue “At the doctor’s”
· Pronunciation practice
2.Grammatical:
· Subjunctive II: Advice
· Subjunctive II: Conditional phrases (present and past)
3.Vocabulary:
· The human body
· Health problems
4.Culture:
· German proverbs
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Interviewing classmates: “What if…”
“Guten Tag, Herr Doktor“: a play in the class room
Class project
I.B., I.C., I.D.,
II.B., III.B., IV.A.
Week 9
1.Functional:
· Talking about a movie
2.Grammatical:
· Passive voice (with modal verbs)
· Review for quiz
3.Vocabulary:
· Review for quiz
· Arts and movies
4.Culture:
· German film: “Almanya”
Presentation
“Lieblingsfilm/ Lieblingsserie/
Lieblingsbuch”
Review for quiz
Quiz 2
Class project
I.A., I.C., II.A., III.A., V.B.
Week 10
1.Functional:
· Enquiring about and describing studies or work
· How to give a presentation
2.Grammatical:
· Subordinating conjunctions
· Coordinating conjunctions
· Prepositions
3.Vocabulary:
· Job and profession
· College and university
· Job-related adjectives
4.Culture:
· Class project presentations
Feedback Quiz 2
Interviewing classmates on work experiences etc.
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Presentation: “Mein Traumjob”
Class project presentations
I.A., II.B., III.A., IV.A., IV.B.
Week 11
1.Functional:
Comparisons
2.Grammatical:
· Comparative, superlative
3.Vocabulary:
· Adjectives
· Character traits
4.Culture:
· Colloquial speech / Young people slang
· “Typically German-Typically American”
“Who am I?”: Describing people
Reading: “Deutschland ist so unsittlich”
I.A., I.B., II.B., III.A., V.A.
Week 12
Field Trip member states
Week 13
1.Functional:
· Talking about Field Trips
2.Grammatical:
· Relative clauses
· Verbs with prepositions
· Da-/Wo-compounds
3.Vocabulary:
· Relationships; Character
· Family and friends
4.Culture:
· German Christmas
Group Presentations Field Trips
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Field study: “Weihnachtsmarkt”
I.A., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.A.
Week 14
1.Functional:
· Review for final exam
2.Grammatical:
· Review for final exam
· t.b.a.
3.Vocabulary:
· Review for final exam
4.Culture:
t.b.a.
Review for Final Exam
Week 15
1
Final exam
Subject to changes depending on level and progress of class
Required readings:
IES Abroad Reader for German 301/351 – Corinna Hardt
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:
Corinna Hardt earned her M.A degree in German, Scandinavian, and Italian Language and Literature from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich and the University of Lund, Sweden. After that she completed further training (International House Teacher Training) to teach German as a Foreign Language. She is a teacher trainer for TTI Freiburg and has taught German as a Foreign Language since 2004 at the Goethe Zentrum of Verona, Italy, at the University of Freiburg, at International House Freiburg, for IES Abroad European Union, and IES Abroad German Program and for AYF (Academic Year Freiburg). She is currently a language instructor and German course coordinator at IES European Union.
Students entering this level must be able to fulfill the learning outcomes of the Novice Abroad level, as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. Specifically, they should already be able to express themselves on a variety of concrete, everyday topics and meet their basic needs in the language. Students who enter this level may be more proficient in reading and writing skills than oral communication, especially if they have never traveled or studied abroad previously. Although students may have been exposed previously to certain competencies taught at this level, they need additional practice and instruction to move toward mastery of these competencies. Students at this level may succeed in partner university courses (when offered through the local Center) as long as such courses are primarily designed for international students and/or require passive student linguistic participation (art studios, dance).
As students gain more self-awareness and self-confidence, they will attempt more in the community. Paradoxically, this means they may also experience more miscommunications and frustration. Reading and writing require effort, and many students will need to make a special effort in this regard. Students will also develop cultural awareness and skills to work through the challenges of adaptation in the local culture and learn to celebrate their successes. They will begin to appreciate the value of these language and intercultural skills.
This course builds upon skills introduced in Novice Abroad. By the end of the course, the successful student will have begun to develop some communicative and cultural self-confidence necessary to attempt moderately complex tasks in the language, as described in the learning outcomes below.
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Novice Abroad, as determined by placement test.
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 on Moodle. QUIZZES MISSED DURING UNEXCUSED ABSENCES CANNOT BE MADE UP!
Students who are placed in this level should have achieved the outcomes in the Novice 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 Emerging 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. Increasingly, students will be able to make informed comparisons between the host culture and the students’ home cultures.
B. Students will be able to distinguish between verbal and nonverbal communication that reflects politeness, formality, or informality.
C. Students will be able to recognize simple patterns of intonation and their meaning.
D. Students will be able to solve some daily unexpected situations and meet needs with limited help.
II. Listening
A. Students will be able to understand some interactions (media, speeches, music, conversations, etc.), especially if the speaker is used to interacting with non-native speakers.
B. Students will be able to understand direct requests, questions, and simple conversations on familiar and concrete topics.
III. Speaking
A. Students will be able to talk to a limited extent about persons and things in their immediate environment, as well as their plans and their experiences.
B. Students will be able to address moderately complicated situations involving familiar subjects.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to read passages and uncomplicated longer texts (simple narratives, detailed instructions, etc.) on familiar topics and understand the general meaning.
B. Students will be able to support their understanding of texts through the use of context, visual aids, dictionaries, or with the assistance of others in order to facilitate comprehension.
V. Writing
A. Students will be able to communicate with some effectiveness through notes, emails, and simple online discussions and chats.
B. Students will be able to write short essays on concrete topics of limited levels of complexity and accuracy, and with reliance on the communicative patterns of their native language.
homework and daily participation, essays, Moodle, field studies, class project
Quiz 1 10%
Quiz 2 10%
Participation, homework & Berlin project 30%
Class project (including oral presentation & 2 written assignments) 30%
Final exam 20%
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Week 1
(intensive)
1.Functional:
· Introducing yourself
· Asking for directions
· German for everyday use: typical phrases, restaurant, shopping
2.Grammatical:
· Talking about things in the past
3.Vocabulary:
· Places and activities in the city
· Food and drinks
4.Culture:
· Shopping in Freiburg
· „Decoding Freiburg”
· Berlin: now and then
Interviewing classmates
Interviewing German flatmates
Reading: “Der erste oder der einzige Tag”
Field study: shopping in Freiburg
Field study: Berlin Project “Holocaust Memorial”
I.B., I.D,
III.A., IV.A.,
Week 2
Field Trip Berlin-Prague
Field study: Berlin Project “Holocaust Memorial”
Week 3
1.Functional:
· Talking about the Field Trip
· Making arrangements
2.Grammatical:
· Noun gender
· Review of cases
3.Vocabulary:
· Free-time activities
4.Culture:
· Berlin Project
· Talking about the Field Trip
· German media culture
Group presentation Field Trip
Discussion Berlin Project
Making plans for the weekend
Reading German Newspapers
Class project
I.A.,II.B., II.D., III.B.
Week 4
1.Functional:
· Talking about travel experiences and plans
· Stating an opinion, coming to an understanding
2.Grammatical:
· Local prepositions (geographical)
3.Vocabulary:
· Travel
· Countries and nationalities
· Landscape types
4.Culture:
· Travelling in Europe
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Interviewing International flat mates
Reading: “Ich brauche Urlaub!”
Class project
II.A., III.A., IV.A., IV.B., V.B.
Week 5
1.Functional:
· Talking about housing situation
2.Grammatical:
· Two-way prepositions
· Position verbs
3.Vocabulary:
· Furniture
· House objects
4.Culture:
· Student housing in Germany and the U.S.
Quiz 1
Presentation “Meine WG”
Role-play “Probleme in der WG”
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Class project
I.A., I.D., II.B., III.A.
Week 6
Field Trip Institutions Paris-Brussels
Week 7
1.Functional:
· Talking about the Field Trip
2.Grammatical:
· Local adverbs
· Feedback Quiz 1
3.Vocabulary:
· House objects II
· Feedback Quiz 1
4.Culture:
· Talking about the Field Trip
Feedback Quiz 1
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Class project
II.A., II.B., III.A.
Week 8
1.Functional:
· Dialogue “At the doctor’s”
· Pronunciation practice
2.Grammatical:
· Subjunctive II: Advice
· Subjunctive II: Conditional phrases (present and past)
3.Vocabulary:
· The human body
· Health problems
4.Culture:
· German proverbs
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Interviewing classmates: “What if…”
“Guten Tag, Herr Doktor“: a play in the class room
Class project
I.B., I.C., I.D.,
II.B., III.B., IV.A.
Week 9
1.Functional:
· Talking about a movie
2.Grammatical:
· Passive voice (with modal verbs)
· Review for quiz
3.Vocabulary:
· Review for quiz
· Arts and movies
4.Culture:
· German film: “Almanya”
Presentation
“Lieblingsfilm/ Lieblingsserie/
Lieblingsbuch”
Review for quiz
Quiz 2
Class project
I.A., I.C., II.A., III.A., V.B.
Week 10
1.Functional:
· Enquiring about and describing studies or work
· How to give a presentation
2.Grammatical:
· Subordinating conjunctions
· Coordinating conjunctions
· Prepositions
3.Vocabulary:
· Job and profession
· College and university
· Job-related adjectives
4.Culture:
· Class project presentations
Feedback Quiz 2
Interviewing classmates on work experiences etc.
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Presentation: “Mein Traumjob”
Class project presentations
I.A., II.B., III.A., IV.A., IV.B.
Week 11
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
· Comparative, superlative
3.Vocabulary:
· Adjectives
· Character traits
4.Culture:
· Colloquial speech / Young people slang
· “Typically German-Typically American”
“Who am I?”: Describing people
Reading: “Deutschland ist so unsittlich”
I.A., I.B., II.B., III.A., V.A.
Week 12
Field Trip member states
Week 13
1.Functional:
· Talking about Field Trips
2.Grammatical:
· Relative clauses
· Verbs with prepositions
· Da-/Wo-compounds
3.Vocabulary:
· Relationships; Character
· Family and friends
4.Culture:
· German Christmas
Group Presentations Field Trips
Listening comprehension on Moodle
Field study: “Weihnachtsmarkt”
I.A., II.B., III.A., III.B., IV.A.
Week 14
1.Functional:
· Review for final exam
2.Grammatical:
· Review for final exam
· t.b.a.
3.Vocabulary:
· Review for final exam
4.Culture:
Review for Final Exam
Week 15
1
Final exam
Subject to changes depending on level and progress of class
IES Abroad Reader for German 301/351 – Corinna Hardt
This syllabus contains a representative course calendar and field studies. Cultural topics and field studies may vary by semester and by season.
Corinna Hardt earned her M.A degree in German, Scandinavian, and Italian Language and Literature from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich and the University of Lund, Sweden. After that she completed further training (International House Teacher Training) to teach German as a Foreign Language. She is a teacher trainer for TTI Freiburg and has taught German as a Foreign Language since 2004 at the Goethe Zentrum of Verona, Italy, at the University of Freiburg, at International House Freiburg, for IES Abroad European Union, and IES Abroad German Program and for AYF (Academic Year Freiburg). She is currently a language instructor and German course coordinator at IES European Union.