GRMN 3102: Composition

Course Description:

Hallo und willkommen in Deutsch 3102!  This course uses a content-based approach to improving German language skills with an emphasis on writing. Readings, discussions, and writing assignments will center on topics related to “Wanderung, Einwanderung und Auswanderung”: experiences of immigrants and minorities in Germany, representations of the multicultural face of German society, and the experiences of Germans when traveling to other countries, including the United States.

Because learning to write better involves seeing and examining how effective writers write, in this course we will not only write but also read extensively and critically (discussing both writing techniques and content of what we read) in German.  We will review grammar, expand our vocabulary, and continue to broaden our knowledge of the German speaking world and its cultures, literatures, and traditions.  While the syllabus is in English in order to avoid potential misunderstandings, everything else about this class will be in German.  For every hour spent in class, you should expect to spend at least two hours outside of class preparing.

This course will emphasize writing as a process and will include numerous writing activities, both formal and informal.  Keep in mind that writing is not only a means of presenting your thoughts and arguments in a formal polished manner but also a means of learning to think more thoroughly and critically about things.  Attempting to rephrase something you have read in your own words is the best test of whether you have actually understood it or not.  Writing is a means of actively participating in the learning process. Taking notes as you read and in class makes you more attentive and more in touch with the material. Writing even prepares you to speak more clearly and correctly in the target language: in order to help you actively make the connection between writing and speaking, we will have two formal classroom debates that you will prepare for in groups. Think of writing as a tool that you can use to learn more and better.  If you can see the assignments as tools that aid you rather than as hurdles to be jumped, you will benefit most from them. 

Textbooks required:

x          Klapper and McMahon.  Neue Kommunikative Grammatik.  A Communicative Grammar Worktext with Written and Oral Practice.

x          Harper Collins German Unabridged Dictionary -- 4^th Edition (contains over 800,000 entries and translations.  ISBN: 0-06-270235-1  $55.  Because this is a relatively expensive dictionary, all other course costs have been kept very low.  This is a purchase that will serve you well for many many years and you will find that it is well worth the investment.)

x          Additional readings will be copied and provided free of charge by the instructor.

x          You will need to have a floppy disc or thumb drive with you in class every day.  We will sometimes work on the computers here in the lab and you will need to be able to save your work. And you will need a paper folder in which you will keep all of your writing assignments.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, successful students will

• have expanded and improved their knowledge of German grammatical structures.
• have expanded their German vocabulary to enable them to speak and write more clearly and correctly about contemporary issues in the German-speaking world.
• read, understand, and write complex German sentences and texts.
• be able to analyze and think critically about a text (style and content) and be able to write well-organized summaries and argumentative essays about such texts.
• have developed note-taking, writing, and vocabulary-learning strategies that prove relevant beyond this particular classroom setting and the classroom setting as a whole.  

Assignments and Grading

Participation grades will be assigned on a daily basis in accordance with the following scale:

A -- student arrives on time and is always prepared, volunteers answers but does not hog classroom time, answers the majority of questions correctly and without wasting much time, participates well in group-work, remains focused on class activities, does not have to be regularly reminded to concentrate and focus on the activities at hand, never uses English, is respectful to both the professor and fellow students. 

B -- student arrives on time and is almost always prepared, occasionally volunteers and answers when called on, usually answers correctly and quickly, participates well in group-work, usually works in a focused manner and only occasionally needs to be reminded to concentrate on class work, uses English occasionally but not every day, is respectful to both professor and fellow students. 

C -- student almost always arrives on time, is prepared about half of the time, doesn't generally volunteer answers but does answer when called on and answers are sometimes correct, needs regular reminders to focus and concentrate but heeds reminders when given them, lapses into English on a daily basis, is respectful to both professor and students.

D -- student averages one late per week, is rarely prepared, follows along in class and attempts to answer when called on but answers are rarely correct, needs daily reminders to focus and concentrate, uses English in every group-work activity, has a tendency to be a little disrespectful toward professor and/or fellow students.

F -- student is frequently late, often absent (3-4 times), rarely prepared, inattentive in class, asks time wasting questions about aspects of the course already covered in class during his/her absences, slows down class-room activities because of lack of preparation, hinders other students' progress in group work, is disrespectful and lacks understanding for the classroom environment. 

NOTE: If your cell phone goes off more than once during the semester, you cannot receive higher than a C for participation.  If your cell phone goes off more than 4 times, you will receive an F for participation. 

Plagiarism Policy:

The State University of West Georgia defines plagiarism as "the purchase and/or use of ghost-written papers and reports, or incorporating into a report, term theme, research paper, or project, ideas and information obtained from another person without giving credit to the person from whom such information was obtained" (Faculty Handbook, Section 207).  This definition applies equally to electronic, print, and verbal sources.  Plagiarism is grounds for failing this course.  Furthermore, using an on-line translation service or friends, family, and/or native speakers to correct and change your German before submitting papers, projects, homework are forms of plagiarism and are similarly grounds for failing this course.

Please note: all formal essays for this course must be original to this course, i.e. written work previously submitted for a grade in another course will not be accepted.

Extra credit: Extra credit may be obtained but not as a substitute for completing the regular assignments. Extra credit will only be granted to students who have completed all assignments, tests, and homework but are still having difficulty with the course material. Any student who wishes to complete extra credit work should consult the professor during office hours.

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Homework (Hausaufgaben) should be completed BEFORE CLASS on the day for which they are listed! Exams will be held on the dates listed below (without change) but other topics and assignments are subject to change. (NKG= Neue kommunikative Grammatik)

GRMN 3102: Composition

Contract (for your personal records):

1.      I will prepare for and participate in class in a manner that is productive for both myself and my classmates.  I will speak German at all times and understand that if I disrupt class in any way (talking English in group activities, demonstratively displaying bad moods, refusal to cooperate and participate), I may be considered absent. 

2.      I understand that all the work I submit must be my own.  I will not use an on-line translation service nor friends and family to correct any of my work in advance.  I understand that such actions constitute academic dishonesty and will result in a failing grade and/or further disciplinary actions.  

3.      I understand that attendance is important and that I am responsible for everything I miss when I skip class.  I know that tests cannot be made up except in cases of documented emergencies.  I understand that there is no guarantee that I can take a make-up exam.  If I have not contacted the professor before he returns the graded exams, I have relinquished the possibility of a make-up. I understand that written homework is assigned daily and collected randomly and that late homework will NEVER be accepted.  

4.      I understand that coming to class late and/or leaving class at any point during the 75 minute period is rude and disruptive for my colleagues and professor and I will do so only in extreme circumstances. I understand that two lates is equivalent to an absence and will be counted as such.  I also understand that I may not have cell phones or beepers turned on, on vibrate, or on my desk during class.  I understand that if my cell phone goes off during an exam or quiz, I will receive a zero.  

5.      I understand that absences are my own business and need not be discussed with the professor because there are no excused absences in this class. All absences effect my performance and my grade both directly and indirectly. I know that it is my responsibility to learn the material covered in class on that day on my own and realize that it is not possible for the professor to reteach the class for me because I was absent. I know that I will automatically fail the class should I amass 6 absences before the end of the semester.

6.   I understand that if I am having difficulty with the class material that it is my responsibility to seek out my professor during his office hours to ask questions about the topics I am having difficulty with.

7. I understand that my finances, my job, my personal relationships, and my Hope Scholarship cannot play a role in the assigning of my grade and that my grade must be based on what I do and how well I do it in this course.  I understand that if I have dire personal circumstances, I may talk to the professor and the Dean about a hardship withdrawal from all of my classes.

8.   I understand that I am required by university policy to check my university e-mail account and that all e-mail correspondences between me and my professor should be made using university e-mail. I understand that if I write to my professor using any other e-mail address that he will not respond to the e-mail.

9.      I have read and understood the syllabus and how I will be evaluated in this course.  

10.      I have read and understood this contract or have asked questions about those aspects that I did not understand.  I hereby declare my commitment to following these guidelines and agree to contact my professor if I believe I can no longer fulfill this commitment. 

__________________________                                                   __________________________________

Date                                                                                                        Signature

GRMN 3102: Composition

Contract (to be torn off and given to professor):

1.      I will prepare for and participate in class in a manner that is productive for both myself and my classmates.  I will speak German at all times and understand that if I disrupt class in any way (talking English in group activities, demonstratively displaying bad moods, refusal to cooperate and participate), I may be considered absent. 

2.      I understand that all the work I submit must be my own.  I will not use an on-line translation service nor friends and family to correct any of my work in advance.  I understand that such actions constitute academic dishonesty and will result in a failing grade and/or further disciplinary actions.  

3.      I understand that attendance is important and that I am responsible for everything I miss when I skip class.  I know that tests cannot be made up except in cases of documented emergencies.  I understand that there is no guarantee that I can take a make-up exam.  If I have not contacted the professor before he returns the graded exams, I have relinquished the possibility of a make-up. I understand that written homework is assigned daily and collected randomly and that late homework will NEVER be accepted. 

4.      I understand that coming to class late and/or leaving class at any point during the 75 minute period is rude and disruptive for my colleagues and professor and I will do so only in extreme circumstances. I understand that two lates is equivalent to an absence and will be counted as such.  I also understand that I may not have cell phones or beepers turned on, on vibrate, or on my desk during class.  I understand that if my cell phone goes off during an exam or quiz, I will receive a zero.  

5.      I understand that absences are my own business and need not be discussed with the professor because there are no excused absences in this class. All absences effect my performance and my grade both directly and indirectly. I know that it is my responsibility to learn the material covered in class on that day on my own and realize that it is not possible for the professor to reteach the class for me because I was absent. I know that I will automatically fail the class should I amass 6 absences before the end of the semester.

6.   I understand that if I am having difficulty with the class material that it is my responsibility to seek out my professor during his office hours to ask questions about the topics I am having difficulty with.

7. I understand that my finances, my job, my personal relationships, and my Hope Scholarship cannot play a role in the assigning of my grade and that my grade must be based on what I do and how well I do it in this course.  I understand that if I have dire personal circumstances, I may talk to the professor and the Dean about a hardship withdrawal from all of my classes.

8.   I understand that I am required by university policy to check my university e-mail account and that all e-mail correspondences between me and my professor should be made using university e-mail. I understand that if I write to my professor using any other e-mail address that he will not respond to the e-mail.

9.      I have read and understood the syllabus and how I will be evaluated in this course.  

10.      I have read and understood this contract or have asked questions about those aspects that I did not understand.  I hereby declare my commitment to following these guidelines and agree to contact my professor if I believe I can no longer fulfill this commitment.

__________________________                                                   __________________________________

Date                                                                                                        Signature