German 101: Beginning German I
Description
German 101 is a beginning German course that assumes no prior knowledge of German. You will develop competence in the four basic language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) through communicative learning, and you will learn about elements of German culture that you might encounter on a trip abroad.
If you have had two or more years of German in high school fairly recently, you should probably sign up for a more advanced German course.
Objectives
- Gain basic proficiency in German listening, reading, speaking, and writing.
- Develop the ability to think critically about how languages work, including your native language.
- Develop awareness and appreciation for other people and cultures.
- Develop strategies and attitudes conducive to further study of German and other languages.
Specifically, at the end of the semester you should be able to do the following:
- Introduce yourself in conversation, answer simple personal questions, and make and respond to common requests from typical daily conversation situations.
- Understand simple questions, instructions, and statements about everyday situations, as well as short conversations.
- Read short German texts, and extract specific information.
- Write short essays on personal topics, and fill out simple forms correctly.
- Describe some of the basic elements of culture and society in German-speaking Europe.
- Understand the English language better (since it is a Germanic language), and also understand the language of the English scriptures better.
Learning Model Architecture
The course has been designed to follow a weekly schedule in which you complete one lesson per week. You are expected to complete all of the learning activities for each lesson in the order they are listed for each lesson. The instructor may shift the order of completion for some assignments, and may even extend the deadlines on a few assignments if circumstances warrant it for the whole class. However, for most assignments and quizzes, you are expected to have them all completed each week. Please refer to your calendar in I-Learn for the specific deadlines.
On average, it takes approximately 12 hours to complete all the learning activities for each lesson. You should arrange your daily schedule so you can put in about two hours of study every day from Monday through Saturday. This will ensure that you are able to put in the amount of distributed practice that is necessary to gain fluency in the language.
With these classes, there is no "time off" for holidays like you might get in face-to-face classes. Consequently, you should make sure to arrange your study schedule so that holiday activities do not keep you from completing the learning activities.
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Week |
Lesson Title |
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*Week/Lesson 01 |
Introduction A (Einführung A) |
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Week/Lesson 02 |
Introduction A/B (Einführung A/B) |
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Week/Lesson 03 |
Introduction B (Einführung B)
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Week/Lesson 04 |
Chapter 1 Part A (Kapitel 1 Teil A): Wer ich bin und was ich tue |
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Week/Lesson 05 |
Chapter 1 Part B (Kapitel 1 Teil B)
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Week/Lesson 06 |
Chapter 2 Part A (Kapitel 2 Teil A): Besitz und Vergnügen |
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Week/Lesson 07 |
Chapter 2 Part B (Kapitel 2 Teil B)
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Week/Lesson 08 |
Chapter 3 Part A (Kapitel 3 Teil A): Talente, Pläne, Pflichten |
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Week/Lesson 09 |
Chapter 3 Part B (Kapitel 3 Teil B):
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Week/Lesson 10 |
Chapter 4 Part A (Kapitel 4 Teil A): Ereignisse und Erinnerungen |
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Week/Lesson 11 |
Chapter 4 Part B (Kapitel 4 Teil B)
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Week/Lesson 12 |
Chapter 5 Part A (Kapitel 5 Teil A): Geld und Arbeit |
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Week/Lesson 13 |
Chapter 5 Part B (Kapitel 5 Teil B) |
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Week/Lesson 14 |
Conclusion and Review (Abschluss und Wiederholung)
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Other Important Information
- Email: Please check your university email account daily for emails concerning the course. The syllabus and other course materials are available on I-Learn 3.0.
- Daily participation in this course will be necessary in order to keep up. Set a specific time and location for working on this class, and stick to that schedule as much as life’s daily challenges will allow.
- Homework assignments are described for each day in I-Learn. You will complete them using the Connect website. You will find it easier to do the homework if you right-click on the icon of the textbook in Connect and open the textbook in a different tab. For most exercises, the Connect website will immediately show you the correct answer. If your answer was not right, make sure you understand why the first answer was incorrect. (You do not need to go back and correct your answer.) If you have questions, please email your instructor, or post the question in the class discussion board. Doing your homework every day will enable you to get the best grade!
- The partner conversation experience is a valuable opportunity to practice speaking German with another student. Every other week, you will have the chance to talk to your speaking partner on a cultural topic or in applying the principles you have learned in the previous activity sessions.
- Quizzes will stress vocabulary and grammar points and will help you prepare for the exams. No books, notes, or other aids may be used.
- Chapter tests will include listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, short essays, and questions about German culture that have been discussed in class. Chapter tests are closed book.
- Grammar summary: In the “End Matter” of the Kontakte book, you will find a complete reference grammar.
- Appendix C (jump to A-18) has charts which review the sounds of German.
- Appendix D (A-25) has very helpful Grammar Summary Tables, including pronouns, conjugation, articles, and so on.
- Appendix E (A-31) lists verb conjugation patterns and the important “Strong and Irregular Weak Verbs” list.
- There are also German-English/English-German vocabulary lists in the back, although you might find it easier to consult an online dictionary like www.dict.cc.
- Vocabulary: You will not need to memorize all of the vocabulary terms at the end of each chapter. The individual activity sessions will tell you will which groups of Wortschatz (vocabulary) sections to focus on. Electronic flashcards are an excellent way to drill on the vocabulary words. You can find flash cards for the Kontakte vocabulary words on www.flashcardmachine.com and www.studyblue.com.
Grading Policies
|
GRADE DISTRIBUTION |
|
|
Chapter Tests |
40% |
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Final Exam |
15% |
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Quizzes |
10% |
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Cultural Collaboration |
10% |
|
Participation |
9% |
|
Homework |
10% |
|
Small Group Meetings |
6% |
|
GRADING SCALE |
| A = 93–100% |
| A- = 89.5–92.9% |
| B+ = 87–89.4% |
| B = 83–86.9% |
| B- = 79.5–82.9% |
| C+ = 77–79.4% |
| C = 73–76.9% |
| C- = 69.5–72.9% |
| D = 59.5–69.4% |
| F = <59.5% |
Course Policies
- Students are expected to abide by the principles of the BYU-I Honor Code, in particular with respect to matters of academic honesty and integrity.
- Visit with your instructor early on if you are having problems with this course, so the two of you can work out a plan for success.
- This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.