This course syllabus and all individual chapter syllabi are available on WebCT! If you lose any of these, you should download and print yourself a new copy from the WebCT page for German 1001!

Welcome to German 1001.  This course is for students who have never studied German or who have completed less than 2 years of high school German.  German 1001 and 1002 are the elementary German courses, followed in the second year by the intermediate courses, G2001 and G2002.  This sequence provides you with a solid foundation in the German language.  Further study within our program leads to fluency, literary competence and increased cultural sensitivity.  We strongly advise that you take the four semesters of the language requirement consecutively.  Dropping out of a language for a semester or more will only make the next course in the sequence more difficult.    

Course Description:

In this course, students will acquire basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in German through active preparation for, and participation in, classroom activities.  Students will engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions in German (NS 1.1). Students will learn to understand and interpret spoken and written German on a variety of topics (NS 1.2 -- See Kontakte, Einführung 1-Kapitel 4) and will present information, concepts and ideas in German to an audience of listeners or readers on a similar variety of topics (NS 1.3).  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of German-speaking cultures (NS 2.2) and will acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the German language and its cultures (NS 3.2).  Finally, students will also become more familiar with and demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparisons between German and English (NS 4.1).

Learning Outcomes:

1.      Students will be able to greet and introduce themselves to others in German, and to engage in basic conversations about their everyday experiences: work, school, schedule, leisure time.

2.      Students will be able to describe themselves, their families, their lives, and their experiences in basic written and spoken German.

3.      Students will be able to read, respond to, and produce a variety of written texts.

4.      Students will be able to listen and respond to simple German news reports, advertisements, and conversations among others.

5.      Students will be able to use a variety of grammatical structures, including but not limited to the following: the present and present perfect tenses, the nominative and accusative cases, modal verbs, personal pronouns, possessive adjectives, verb-second word order (see Kontakte, chapters A-B and 1-4 for entire range).   

Required Materials (note this means, you MUST have these things!):

Text: Tracy D. Terrel et al.  Kontakte.  A Communicative Approach. (textbook, online workbook, cd-rom). 

You will need all the same books for G1002, the next course in the sequence, so do not sell them at the end of the term.

Method:

This class will be conducted primarily in German and demands regular participation on your part.  In class we will focus on interactive activities based on the material you have prepared at home.  Because of the collaborative nature of the in-class activities, your success and the success of your colleagues in this class depend as much, if not more, on your preparation for the class as on mine (see contract below).  There are no shortcuts in learning a language.  It is a difficult task that requires consistent, committed, and hard work, but it can be enormously rewarding and fun.  You should strive to speak only German during our 55 minute classes even when asking a fellow student or the instructor what time it is or what page we’re on.  In large part the amount that you understand in and contribute to class will depend directly on how much time you have devoted beforehand to preparing the material, learning the vocabulary, doing the assigned exercises.

On a practical level, learning German will demand memorization of vocabulary and grammatical structures and the desire/will/effort to creatively use them.  Regular written assignments, listening comprehension exercises, language lab visits, and attendance (attentive and active participation – not simply classroom presence) play a role in both the acquisition of linguistic skills and their evaluation.  In other words, homework, oral exams, lab visits, and exams are not merely hurdles to be jumped but important learning tools.  You will benefit most from them if you can also see them as such.

Evaluation:

Note: No extra credit will be given in this class.

Participation grades will be assigned on a chapter-by-chapter 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, rarely 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 a bit more English that necessary 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 almost every group-work activity, has a tendency to act out.

F -- student is frequently late, often absent (5-9 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. 

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 is a form of plagiarism and thus grounds for failing this course.

German 1001 Schedule for Fall 2007

FINAL EXAM for Section 01, MWF 10:00-10:50 à Friday, December 7, 8-10 a.m.

FINAL EXAM for section 02, MWF 11:00-11:50 à Monday, December 10, 11a.m.-1p.m.

FINAL EXAM for section 03, MWF 12:00-12:50 à Wednesday, December 12, 11 a.m.-1p.m.
 

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 try to 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, fiddling with cell phone, arriving late on a regular basis), 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 quizzes and homework assignments cannot be made up.  I understand that if I will miss or have missed an exam, I must contact my professor as soon as possible to negotiate a make-up.  If I have not contacted the professor before she returns the graded exams, I have relinquished the possibility of a make-up.

4.      I understand that written homework will be collected randomly on twelve occasions during the semester and that 2 will be dropped. I understand that it is my responsibility to keep up with homework assignments on QUIA and that I must complete all these assignments by midnight before the date on which they are due in order to be given credit.

5.      I understand that coming to class late and/or leaving class at any point during the 50 minute period affects my participation grade.  I understand that if I come late and/or leave during class on a regular basis, I may be dropped from the class because it infringes on the rights of other students to learn in an undisrupted environment.  If I must leave on occasion due to extreme circumstances, I understand that I should not ask for permission, since that further disrupts the class.  I understand that two lates/incomplete class sessions are equivalent to an absence and will be counted as such.  I also understand that I may not have cell phones or beepers turned on during class – under no circumstances.   I understand that if my cell phone rings during an exam, I will receive a zero for that exam.  I understand that if I take my cell phone out during an exam and fiddle with it, I will receive a zero for that exam.   

6.      I understand that all absences affect my performance and my grade both directly and indirectly.  I understand that if I accumulate ten absences before or by December 5, 2007, I will receive an F for the course. 

7.      I understand that parking difficulties, work schedules, my finances, my job, and my Hope Scholarship are my own personal business and that I should therefore not invoke them in professional discussions with my professor about the course and or my performance in the course. I understand that my grade must be based on what I do and how well I do it in this course and cannot be altered on the basis of personal circumstances.  I understand that if I do, however, encounter extreme personal circumstances, I can attempt to get a hardship withdrawal from all my courses through the Dean’s office. 

8.      I understand that I may not submit papers / assignments submitted for credit in other courses for credit in this course.  All work must be specific to this course.

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.

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 try to 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, fiddling with cell phone, arriving late on a regular basis), 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 quizzes and homework assignments cannot be made up.  I understand that if I will miss or have missed an exam, I must contact my professor as soon as possible to negotiate a make-up.  If I have not contacted the professor before she returns the graded exams, I have relinquished the possibility of a make-up.

4.      I understand that written homework will be collected randomly on twelve occasions during the semester and that 2 will be dropped. I understand that it is my responsibility to keep up with homework assignments on QUIA and that I must complete all these assignments by midnight before the date on which they are due in order to be given credit.

5.      I understand that coming to class late and/or leaving class at any point during the 50 minute period affects my participation grade.  I understand that if I come late and/or leave during class on a regular basis, I may be dropped from the class because it infringes on the rights of other students to learn in an undisrupted environment.  If I must leave on occasion due to extreme circumstances, I understand that I should not ask for permission, since that further disrupts the class.  I understand that two lates/incomplete class sessions are equivalent to an absence and will be counted as such.  I also understand that I may not have cell phones or beepers turned on during class – under no circumstances.   I understand that if my cell phone rings during an exam, I will receive a zero for that exam.  I understand that if I take my cell phone out during an exam and fiddle with it, I will receive a zero for that exam.   

6.      I understand that all absences affect my performance and my grade both directly and indirectly.  I understand that if I accumulate ten absences before or by December 5, 2007, I will receive an F for the course. 

7.      I understand that parking difficulties, work schedules, my finances, my job, and my Hope Scholarship are my own personal business and that I should therefore not invoke them in professional discussions with my professor about the course and or my performance in the course. I understand that my grade must be based on what I do and how well I do it in this course and cannot be altered on the basis of personal circumstances.  I understand that if I do, however, encounter extreme personal circumstances, I can attempt to get a hardship withdrawal from all my courses through the Dean’s office. 

8.      I understand that I may not submit papers / assignments submitted for credit in other courses for credit in this course.  All work must be specific to this course.

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.

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Date                                                                                                     Print Name

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                                                                                                            Signature