German G131: First Year German I

Spring 2016

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Rene Gregory
Online Office Hours: by appointment via Skype or Zoom in Canvas or on the
telephone
Telephone: 317-755-6847 (this is my cell; please call only if it's a dire
necessity; however, please feel free to text)
Email: rengrego@iupui.edu; I check email regularly M-F from 9:00 a.m.
5:00 p.m. EST; allow for a 24-hour response time. For messages received on
weekends, I will reply on Monday.
COURSE INFORMATION
Section Number: 24896 (4 cr.hr)
Days and Times: This course meets completely online
Course Code for iLrn: NKTT388
1. INTRODUCTION
G131 is a 4-credit-hour introductory course to the practical use of the
German language. The goal of the course is to provide English-speaking
learners of the language a solid foundation in German as it is used today.

The Deutsch heute (German today) program offers structured practice in

the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing simple
standard German. It counts toward the language requirement in the School
of Liberal Arts, or as an Arts and Humanities elective in other schools. It is
designed for students who have no prior knowledge of German or have been
placed into the course through testing.
As an Online class, it will require practice on your own as well as
with the instructor and other students. PREPARATION and practice
using all the exercises and technology provided will be essential for
the successful completion of this course.
2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
You will be studying chapters Einfhrung, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Deutsch
heute in this class. For best results, plan to enroll for the entire first year
course in a continuous sequence. At the completion of the first year
sequence, students are expected to achieve a lower intermediate proficiency
level in German in both productive (speaking & writing) and receptive
(listening & reading) skills. In order to accomplish this, you should practice
and complete the exercises in German.
Consequently, this course will strongly emphasize PUL 1A of the IUPUI
Principles of Undergraduate Learning: the development of students' core
communication skills. Students will also gain a greater awareness of the
range of German cultures in the world and of some of the cultural behaviors
of German-speaking peoples. Thus, a second and equally important goal for
this course is the development of cultural awareness (PUL 5). In more
specific terms, by the end of the first year, students should be able to
demonstrate the following skills:
Skills

Behaviors

Linguistic Skills

Mastery of basic vocabulary and idiomatic expressions

representative of course themes; Productive use of basic
grammatical structures

Sociocultural Skills
Appropriate use of German based on situation and
context (e.g., basic courtesy requirements, requesting
information, apologizing, etc.)
Discourse Skills

Ability to understand and actively participate in various

forms of authentic communication (e.g., interviews,
dialogues, monologues, spontaneous conversations,
games, etc.)

Strategic Skills

Use of techniques that help make up for deficiencies or

lapses in other communicative skills (e.g., contextual clues,
circumlocution, body language, facial expressions, etc.)

At the end of the course you will:

be in command of the basic structural elements of the German

language (present tense, accusative case, dative case, separableprefix verbs, modal verbs).
know enough German phrases to interact with Germans in everyday
situations dealing with making immediate plans, weather, family,
asking questions, eating, shopping and traveling through Germany.
get a first acquaintance to everyday life and customs in the Germanspeaking countries as they differ from US customs and culture.

This course will also provide a learning experience that focuses on the 5 Cs
of the ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning:
Communication: Communicating in a language other than English;
Cultures: Gaining knowledge and understanding of other cultures;
Connections: Connecting language study with other disciplines and
acquiring information;
Comparisons: Developing insight into the nature of language and
culture through comparison between ones own language and culture and
those of Spanish speakers;
Communities: Participating in multilingual communities at home and
around the world.
3. REQUIRED TEXBOOK PACKAGE
Deutsch heute, 10th edition, by Moeller, et.al.,
Cengage Learning, 2012. ISBN #9781133218791.
Required items: The required package: textbook, iLrn
student book key code is available at the IUPUI bookstore.
When buying the textbook from the textbook office, it
comes bundled with an access key to iLrn at a greatly
reduced price. If you purchase your book elsewhere
you will have to purchase the access key
separately. Your access code for iLrn is valid for all of
first year German. You can also choose to purchase just the iLrn access code
with eBook.
Please note the COURSE CODE on page one and set up your online iLrn
account for the class. Please refer to the attached copy on iLrn instructions
for help setting up.
4. GRADING COMPONENTS AND SCALE
Final Oral Exam 10%
Midterm Oral Exam
10%
Written Exams (6)
15%
Culture Assignments
15%
Quizzes
10%

iLrn Assignments:
Speaking
10%
Writing
10%
Listening
10%
Grammar
10%

A+=100-98%
A=97-92%
A-=91-90%
B+=89-88%
B=87-82%
B-=81-80%
C+=79-78%
C=77-72%
C-=71-70%
D+=69-68%
D=67-62%
D-=61-60%
F=59-0%

5.

EVALUATION

bung macht den Meister! (practice makes the champion!)

It is important to remember that the main focus for the content of this course is
the development of linguistic and cultural skills. That means, rather than
making grammar the primary content of the course, grammar is essentially a tool
to achieve the main goal: to help students understand spoken and written German
and to express themselves in German both orally and in writing. Grammar, then,
is a means to an end, not the end in itself.
1. EXAMS: There will be 3 (three) WRITTEN/ORAL exams, 1 (one) Midterm
(written/oral) and 1 (one) Final Exam (written/oral). All exams are comprehensive
covering material that has been studied up to that point in the semester
because language is comprehensive. The goal of the written and oral exams is to
assess your ability to apply what you have learned about German grammar,
vocabulary, language use, and culture in each unit. Exams will consist of listening,
reading, and writing sections in which your ability to use German is evaluated. The
oral exams will require that you prepare a conversation with a partner and make
good use of the vocabulary and grammar up to that point in the semester, as well
as being logical and using good pronunciation. Your instructor will ask you
additional questions after your conversation. Both Deutsch heute and the iLrn
online program are used as a basis for the tests and exams.

2. QUIZZES: The quizzes are based on mastery of new words and phrases and
grammar structures. They are an important stepping stone to help you master the
chapter material in a progressive fashion.
3. iLrn: This course will make regular use of iLrn, the online workbook, lab
manual, and video manual. These tools have several advantages over face-to-face
classes, including: listening practice, immediate computer-generated feedback on
most sections of the workbook, ease of use, and self-tests for each chapter.
4. ASSIGNMENTS: Regular speaking, writing, and cultural assignments are
also necessary to absorb the material taught. Some speaking assignments will be
pair and/or group speaking activities, while others will be one-on-one with your
instructor.
G131 First Year German I / Lehrplan Fall 2016
Woche/Kapitel
Week/Chapter

Materialien und bungen im Kapitel Aufgabe(n)*

Materials and Exercises in the Chapter
Assignment(s)

Week 1 (August 22)

Einfhrung

Week 2 (August 29)

Einfhrung

Week 3 (September 5) Kapitel 1 Monday is the Labor Day holiday (Tag der Arbeit)
Week 4 (September 12) Kapitel 1
Week 5 (September 19) Kapitel 1
Week 6 (September 26) Kapitel 2
Week 7 (October 3 )

Kapitel 2

Week 8 (October 10)

Kapitel 3 Midterm Oral Exam

Week 9 (October 17)

Break)

Kapitel 3 Montag und Dienstag sind die Herbstpause! (Fall

Week 10 (October 24) Kapitel 3

Week 11 (October 31) Kapitel 4
Week 12 (November 7) Kapitel 4
Week 13 (November 14)

Kapitel 5

Week 14 (November 21)

beginnt der Erntedankfestpause.

Kapitel 5 Am Mittwoch
(Thanksgiving Break)

Week 15 (November 28)

Kapitel 5

Week 16 (December 5)

Kapitel 5 Final Oral Exam

*detailed Aufgabe(n)/Assignment(s) are on the course schedule in Canvas and on

the Assignments Calendar in iLrn.
6. GENERAL INFORMATION

Administrative Withdrawal Policy (100-level courses only)

A basic requirement of this course is that you will participate in all class meetings
and conscientiously complete all required course activities and/or assignments.
Keep in touch with me if you are unable to attend, participate, or complete an
assignment on time. If you miss more than half of the required activities within the
first 25% of the course without contacting me, you may be administratively
withdrawn from this course. Administrative withdrawal may have academic,
financial, and financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place
after the full refund period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the
course you will not be eligible for a tuition refund. If you have questions about the
administrative withdrawal policy at any point during the semester, please contact
me. See http://registrar.iupui.edu/withdrawal-policy.html for more information.
Academic Integrity: Learning is a personal effort for personal intellectual
enrichment. Cheating and plagiarism violate the integrity of the learning
experience. Students are expected not to give or receive help during tests and
exams and must acknowledge fully any ideas, materials or quotations taken from
another source for either written or oral use. The policies on academic misconduct
as outlined in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct and the
IUPUI Bulletin also apply to the inappropriate use of Machine Translation, Webbased translation engines, or Web texts. Penalties for cheating and plagiarism
may include a failing grade on a particular exam or paper or for the entire course,
disciplinary action, or dismissal. See http://www.iupui.edu/code for complete
information.
Diversity: In our classroom we will accept and respect individual differences,
seeking to foster an appreciation of diversity. Students are expected to respect
other students and their opinions regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age,
religion, or sexuality.
Adaptive Educational Services (AES) provides accommodations for students
with special challenges or disabilities that may affect their classroom performance.
If you are eligible you may register with AES by calling 274-3241. Visit
http://www.life.iupui.edu/aes/ for more information.
Student Advocate Office: The Student Advocate Office, located in Campus
Center CE 350, will answer your questions, direct you to the appropriate
departments and people, familiarize you with university policies and procedures,
and give you guidance as you look at ways to solve problems and make choices.
For more information, contact them at 278- 7594 or visit
http://www.life.iupui.edu/advocate/
CAPS: If you find that stress is interfering with your academic or personal success,
consider contacting Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). All IUPUI
students are eligible for counseling services at minimal fees. CAPS also performs
evaluations for learning disorders and ADHD; fees are charged for testing. For more

information, see the CAPS website at http://www.life.iupui.edu/caps/ or call them at

274-2548.
IUPUI German Club: The German Club plans activities outside the classroom,
such as Kaffeeklatsch, film showings, discussion rounds, and field trips. You are
encouraged to participate as often as possible. Please see your instructor for more
information.
Study Abroad: A wide range of German study and internship programs are open
to IUPUI students. Financial aid can be applied and there are several scholarships
available. IUPUI offers a two-week Summer Program in Heilbronn and a two-month
Internship in Mannheim (through the School of Engineering). The Office of
Overseas Study at I.U. Bloomington also offers a 6-week summer program in Graz,
Austria, as well as semester and year-long programs in Freiburg, Germany. Contact
me for further information or visit the Study Abroad Office, ES 2129. Contact
information: ph.: 274-2081, abroad@iupui.edu, URL: http://abroad.iupui.edu
IUPUI Max Kade German-American Center: The Max Kade Center is housed in
CA 329. It also operates a Community Center at the Athenaeum (formerly Das
Deutsche Haus) at 401 E. Michigan St. There are monthly Stammtisch lectures
on a variety of German-American topics, free of charge. The Athenaeum also hosts
seasonal heritage festivals. Volunteers are always welcome. For more information
contact Dr. Claudia Grossmann cgrossma@iupui.edu
Useful Websites
IUPUI comprehensive list of resources for students
http://registrar.iupui.edu/resources_students.html
IUPUI Library Resources for German http://iupui.campusguides.com/german
American Association of Teachers of German
http://www.aatg.org
BBC German Language Course
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/lj/
Cultural Information, German for Beginners
http://german.about.com
Deutschland Portal
http://www.deutschland.de
Deutschland Magazin
http://www.magazin-deutschland.de
Deutsche Welle (TV, radio)
http://www.dw-world.de
Deutschlern Net
http://www.deutschlern.net
German Academic Exchange Service http://www.daad.org
German for Travelers
http://www.germanfortravellers.com/
German Information Center (embassy)
http://www.germany.info
Goethe Institute (language courses) http://www.goethe.de
Grammar
http://www.german-grammar.de
Grammar
http://www.udo-klinger.de
Learn German Online Resources
http://www.learn-german-online.net/
Max Kade German American Center http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/kade/
Podcast Slow German
http://www.slowgerman.com
Podcasts from Goethe Institute

http://www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/gad/deindex.htm