This course builds upon the skills introduced in the previous Emerging Competent Abroad level. Students who enter this course will have mastered the outcomes of the Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication, as well as selected outcomes defined in Emerging Competent Abroad. Among other characteristics, these students are able to converse at a rate of speed approaching normal conversation. They are creative, spontaneous and self-reliant as they solve problems, interpret texts, negotiate, and express their opinions, likes, and dislikes in the culture. Although they still make errors and experience communication breakdowns, these students tend to resolve these challenges on their own. Students who enter this level can already understand a variety of colloquial expressions and slang, and are also able to understand a wide variety of native speakers from different backgrounds.
Students entering this level can succeed in a range of moderately complex university courses designed for native speakers. Before registering, they should consult with the appropriate IES Abroad academic advisor on course selection.
By the end of this course, students will have started to acquire the subtlety of expression and control of complex structures that characterize Competent Abroad learners. However, Emerging Competent Abroad learners have partial mastery of these structures and often resort to simpler and more direct modes of expression, particularly when negotiating linguistically difficult or unfamiliar situations. Emerging Competent Abroad speakers understand local cultural attitudes, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns well enough to make an informed choice about which cultural features they would like to adopt or need to adopt in order to live harmoniously in the local culture. They lack some of the depth of understanding and sophistication of those who have spent more time living and working in the local context.
Prerequisites:
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Independent 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 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 the outcomes for the Emerging Competent 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 describe and analyze 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 be able to analyze the validity of their own cultural beliefs, behaviors, and norms by contrasting and comparing them with those of the host cultures.
C. Students will demonstrate openness and acceptance of different beliefs and styles even when they do not agree with them.
D. Students will assume responsibility for their own learning by defining their linguistic goals and demonstrating independence in their exploration of the culture.
II. Listening
A. Students will be able to identify a wide range of social and cultural dialects of the spoken language.
B. Students will be able to understand most native speakers and non-native advanced speakers and comprehend a wide array of moderately complex interactions (films, theater, university lectures, radio, etc.).
III. Speaking
A. Students will be able to participate in most academic and social interactions using, when appropriate, complex language including slang, colloquial expressions, double irony, and humor with increasing confidence.
B. Students will be able to make arguments to support hypotheses and opinions on topics of their interest.
C. Students will talk about abstract topics, but only if they are topics previously studied or which they are personally familiar.
D. Students will be able to understand different levels of formality.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to read and understand textbooks and academic articles for classes taught in the host language as well as a wide range of popular texts for enjoyment.
B. Students will be able to read and understand authentic materials including newspapers, advertisements, brochures, instruction manuals, etc. on abstract topics with little assistance.
C. Students will take responsibility for the selection of their reading materials based on their own interests.
V. Writing
A. Students will be able to write for a wide range of native audiences and express themselves quite clearly and effectively.
B. Students will be able to write essays for classes incorporating aspects of appropriate academic style with little assistance.
C. Students will be able to use a variety of written styles with notable accuracy.
Method of presentation:
Lectures, discussions, group work, private study, field studies, oral presentation
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
· Talking about personal identity
2.Grammatical:
· Local prepositions
3.Vocabulary:
Getting to know each other
“Typically Freiburg”
4.Culture:
· Shopping in Freiburg
· „Decoding Freiburg”
· Information about Freiburg
· Berlin: now and then
Interviewing class mates in order to get to know each other
Asking about motivation for learning German
Field study: shopping in Freiburg
Field study: More about Freiburg
Field study: Berlin Project “Jewish Museum”
I.A., I.D.,
II.B., III.A., III.B.
Week 2
Field Trip Berlin-Prague
Field study: Berlin Project “Jewish Museum”
Week 3
1.Functional:
Talking about the Field trip
Stating an opinion
2.Grammatical:
Verb valency
3.Vocabulary:
Verbs with Dative
4.Culture:
Feedback Berlin Project
Class Project Freiburg
Group presentation Field Trip
Discussion: Berlin Project
Reading: Freiburg
Class Project
I.A., I.C., I.D.,
III.B., IV.B.
Week 4
1.Functional:
Giving advices
Making a suggestion
2.Grammatical:
Subjunctive II
3.Vocabulary:
“Money and ethics”
4.Culture:
Class Project Freiburg
Role-play ”Ratschläge geben”
Interview: money and ethics
Class Project
I.B., I.C.,
II.B., III.A., III.B.,V.A.
Week 5
1.Functional:
Review for quiz
Reported speech
2.Grammatical:
Review for quiz
Subjunctive I
3.Vocabulary:
Review for quiz
4.Culture:
Class Project Freiburg
Review for quiz
Quiz 1
Class Project
I.A.,III.D.,V.B.
Week 6
Field Trip Institutions Paris-Brussels
Week 7
1.Functional:
Comparing
2.Grammatical:
Feedback Quiz 1
Comparison
3.Vocabulary:
Feedback Quiz 1
Being a college/university student
4.Culture:
Class Project Freiburg
Studying in Germany and the U.S.
Feedback Quiz 1
Interviewing German and American class/flat mates
Reading: “Studium in Deutschland”
Class Project
I.A., I.B., I.C.,
III.B., IV.B., IV.C., V.A.
Week 8
1.Functional:
Expressing pros and cons
2.Grammatical:
Relative clauses
3.Vocabulary:
Job and profession
4.Culture:
Job and profession in Germany and the U.S.
Discussion: Working Conditions in Germany and the USA
I.B., I.C.,
III.B., III.C.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 9
1.Functional:
Review for quiz
2.Grammatical:
Review for quiz
Passive voice
3.Vocabulary:
Review for quiz
4.Culture:
Class project Freiburg
Review for Quiz
Quiz 2
Class Project
I.B.,
III.B.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 10
1.Functional:
Common phrases (Redewendungen)
2.Grammatical:
Feedback Quiz 2
Conjunctions
3.Vocabulary:
Common phrases
Feedback Quiz 2
4.Culture:
Dialect and common phrases
Class Project Freiburg
Feedback Quiz 2
Listening Comprehension on Moodle
Class Project Presentation
I.B., I.C.,
II.A.,
III.D.
Week 11
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
Declination of adjectives
3.Vocabulary:
Ecology
4.Culture:
Green City Freiburg
Reading: “Abenteuerspielplatz für Erwachsene”
I.B., I.C.,
III.B., III.C.,
IV.B.
Week 12
Field Trip member states
Week 13
1.Functional:
Discussing and distinguishing
2.Grammatical:
Time expressions
3.Vocabulary:
Character qualities
4.Culture:
“Typically” German?
German Movie “Almanya”
Discussion: Cultural differences/
stereotypes
Reading: “Typisch Deutsch”
Interviewing flat mates
I.A., I.C.,
II.B., III.B., III.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:
t.b.a.
Review for final exam
Week 15
Final exam
Required readings:
Handouts for German 403 – Mirjam Wenk
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Mirjam Wenk earned her degree in Social Pedagogy at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Freiburg. She has completed a Teacher Training Course at the International House Freiburg to teach German as a Foreign Language. She has taught German as a Foreign Language since 2003, at several language schools in Freiburg, in Thessaloniki (Greece), at International House Freiburg and for AYF (Acadamic Year Freiburg). She is currently a teacher trainer and a language instructor at IES Abroad Freiburg, and she coaches people with a migration backround in Freiburg at a program of the European Social Fund for Germany.
This course builds upon the skills introduced in the previous Emerging Competent Abroad level. Students who enter this course will have mastered the outcomes of the Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication, as well as selected outcomes defined in Emerging Competent Abroad. Among other characteristics, these students are able to converse at a rate of speed approaching normal conversation. They are creative, spontaneous and self-reliant as they solve problems, interpret texts, negotiate, and express their opinions, likes, and dislikes in the culture. Although they still make errors and experience communication breakdowns, these students tend to resolve these challenges on their own. Students who enter this level can already understand a variety of colloquial expressions and slang, and are also able to understand a wide variety of native speakers from different backgrounds.
Students entering this level can succeed in a range of moderately complex university courses designed for native speakers. Before registering, they should consult with the appropriate IES Abroad academic advisor on course selection.
By the end of this course, students will have started to acquire the subtlety of expression and control of complex structures that characterize Competent Abroad learners. However, Emerging Competent Abroad learners have partial mastery of these structures and often resort to simpler and more direct modes of expression, particularly when negotiating linguistically difficult or unfamiliar situations. Emerging Competent Abroad speakers understand local cultural attitudes, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns well enough to make an informed choice about which cultural features they would like to adopt or need to adopt in order to live harmoniously in the local culture. They lack some of the depth of understanding and sophistication of those who have spent more time living and working in the local context.
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Independent 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 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 the outcomes for the Emerging Competent 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 describe and analyze 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 be able to analyze the validity of their own cultural beliefs, behaviors, and norms by contrasting and comparing them with those of the host cultures.
C. Students will demonstrate openness and acceptance of different beliefs and styles even when they do not agree with them.
D. Students will assume responsibility for their own learning by defining their linguistic goals and demonstrating independence in their exploration of the culture.
II. Listening
A. Students will be able to identify a wide range of social and cultural dialects of the spoken language.
B. Students will be able to understand most native speakers and non-native advanced speakers and comprehend a wide array of moderately complex interactions (films, theater, university lectures, radio, etc.).
III. Speaking
A. Students will be able to participate in most academic and social interactions using, when appropriate, complex language including slang, colloquial expressions, double irony, and humor with increasing confidence.
B. Students will be able to make arguments to support hypotheses and opinions on topics of their interest.
C. Students will talk about abstract topics, but only if they are topics previously studied or which they are personally familiar.
D. Students will be able to understand different levels of formality.
IV. Reading
A. Students will be able to read and understand textbooks and academic articles for classes taught in the host language as well as a wide range of popular texts for enjoyment.
B. Students will be able to read and understand authentic materials including newspapers, advertisements, brochures, instruction manuals, etc. on abstract topics with little assistance.
C. Students will take responsibility for the selection of their reading materials based on their own interests.
V. Writing
A. Students will be able to write for a wide range of native audiences and express themselves quite clearly and effectively.
B. Students will be able to write essays for classes incorporating aspects of appropriate academic style with little assistance.
C. Students will be able to use a variety of written styles with notable accuracy.
Lectures, discussions, group work, private study, field studies, oral presentation
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
· Talking about personal identity
2.Grammatical:
· Local prepositions
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
· Shopping in Freiburg
· „Decoding Freiburg”
· Information about Freiburg
· Berlin: now and then
Interviewing class mates in order to get to know each other
Asking about motivation for learning German
Field study: shopping in Freiburg
Field study: More about Freiburg
Field study: Berlin Project “Jewish Museum”
I.A., I.D.,
II.B., III.A., III.B.
Week 2
Field Trip Berlin-Prague
Field study: Berlin Project “Jewish Museum”
Week 3
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Group presentation Field Trip
Discussion: Berlin Project
Reading: Freiburg
Class Project
I.A., I.C., I.D.,
III.B., IV.B.
Week 4
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Role-play ”Ratschläge geben”
Interview: money and ethics
Class Project
I.B., I.C.,
II.B., III.A., III.B.,V.A.
Week 5
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Review for quiz
Quiz 1
Class Project
I.A.,III.D.,V.B.
Week 6
Field Trip Institutions Paris-Brussels
Week 7
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Feedback Quiz 1
Interviewing German and American class/flat mates
Reading: “Studium in Deutschland”
Class Project
I.A., I.B., I.C.,
III.B., IV.B., IV.C., V.A.
Week 8
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Discussion: Working Conditions in Germany and the USA
I.B., I.C.,
III.B., III.C.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 9
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Review for Quiz
Quiz 2
Class Project
I.B.,
III.B.,
V.A., V.B.
Week 10
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Feedback Quiz 2
Listening Comprehension on Moodle
Class Project Presentation
I.B., I.C.,
II.A.,
III.D.
Week 11
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Reading: “Abenteuerspielplatz für Erwachsene”
I.B., I.C.,
III.B., III.C.,
IV.B.
Week 12
Field Trip member states
Week 13
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
Discussion: Cultural differences/
stereotypes
Reading: “Typisch Deutsch”
Interviewing flat mates
I.A., I.C.,
II.B., III.B., III.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:
Review for final exam
Week 15
Final exam
Handouts for German 403 – Mirjam Wenk
Mirjam Wenk earned her degree in Social Pedagogy at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Freiburg. She has completed a Teacher Training Course at the International House Freiburg to teach German as a Foreign Language. She has taught German as a Foreign Language since 2003, at several language schools in Freiburg, in Thessaloniki (Greece), at International House Freiburg and for AYF (Acadamic Year Freiburg). She is currently a teacher trainer and a language instructor at IES Abroad Freiburg, and she coaches people with a migration backround in Freiburg at a program of the European Social Fund for Germany.