German 2202, Spring 2006

Last update: 8 March 2006

 

Dr. Bradley Holtman, G05B Belknap Hall, tel. 570-662-4596, e-mail bholtman@mnsfld.edu

Note on winter weather: Please check my phone and/or the campus cancellation announcements on the mansfield.edu website if you suspect road conditions might cause a course to be cancelled. I normally make a decision about this by 7 a.m. if at all possible.

Office Hours: Mon 14:00-16:00, Wed 14:00-15:00, Thurs 11:00-13:00, or by appointment.

I am usually available at many other times than the office hours listed, but you need to set up the meeting with me if it's not during office hours.

 

PEER TUTOR: Jaimee Shearer. Jaimee's hours are to be announced.
She meets with you at the Student Learning Resource Center, temporarily in Hemlock.

GERMAN CLUB:

Meetings are held every other week.
Info on dates for this semester:
to be announced

Click here for Holtman’s home page

Click here for Virtual Language Lab

Note on Virtual Language Lab:
You can use the lab from any sound-capable networked computer. Click on the link above, then choose "Media/Web Resources." Then click on "Mansfield University Virtual Lab" under the little flags. You will then need to log in to My.Mansfield with your normal e-mail login. Select Ger 2202 from the menu and then select the chapter you wish to hear. It is highly advisable to listen to the sound files 2-3 times each after doing the exercises in your workbook. The more you train your ears, the better your listening comprehension and vocabulary will become.

Textbooks:

Overview of Course:

Intermediate German is a continuation of first-year or introductory courses, whether you have taken them here at MU or elsewhere. The 2202 course is a continuation of the goals of the first-semester course. Since people come into this course from a wide variety of backgrounds, a systematic and thorough grammar review is expanded, with additional topics being introduced and practiced. This second semester of Intermediate German in particular focuses on building vocabulary and reading ability, with plenty of attention paid to the other skills as well.

The grammar topics are built into Fokus Deutsch, our main textbook, and more detailed information about the material will be assigned from the red grammar review book for additional practice. At the same time, vocabulary and structure skills are increased by reading and hearing authentic German texts and by means of class discussions about them.

The Fokus Deutsch book is designed to be a bridge from lower-level material into "real" German, that is, language that is intended for consumption by native speakers. You will also gain a lot of exposure to many different native speakers of German from video and audio materials in each chapter. These will not only help you understand spoken German at a normal rate of speech, but also give you valuable “insider’s” information about the ways German speakers live, about German history, about the many facets of German culture and about the contributions of German thinkers to many fields of human endeavor.

By reading Friedrich Dürrenmatt's novel, Der Richter und sein Henker, students will not only improve their reading ability and begin to read authentic literary German by a famous author, but also begin to get their feet wet in 20^th-century German literature. Aside from its considerable value as an entertainment vehicle, the novel will serve as a means for you to see all of the material covered in 2201 and 2202 in actual context and thus solidify your knowledge of it. You will also find your reading comprehension and vocabulary will take a definite leap upward by the end of the book.

As you undboutedly know by now, the intermediate level is a challenge, since the students' backgrounds vary and since for many it may have been a year or more since their last German course. Intermediate-level texts may especially at first seem to be a huge leap, especially in vocabulary and at the same time also in structure. Nonetheless, it is a hill one must climb before reaching true usable competence in German. And the good news is--it's entirely possible! Remember that regular and steady work is necessary for any skill-building process, and a language is a perfect example of this. If you let yourself slack off, you will not continue to make good progress and may even find yourself in difficulty. On the other hand, you will be fine if you KEEP UP. If you are prepared for class, you will feel more sure of yourself and have positive experiences with the language. Students who take 2201 and then 2202 find especially in 2202 that things begin to fall into place and that German becomes more and more enjoyable as competence--and confidence--continue to increase.

By the end of 2201 and certainly 2202, you should be able to hold your own in a German conversation, understand the majority of what is being said to you, decipher a text meant for native speakers, and compose texts in German so that a native speaker can understand them. This is not to say there will be no errors, and total fluency in German is still a long way off--but students completing 2202 can generally be assured of being functional in German. You will have a new tool that will serve you in personal communications, travel, academic research, browsing the Internet, and on and on. In addition, you will have trained your mind to begin thinking in another system, giving you flexibility in conceptual thinking, problem-solving and interpersonal capabilities. The many cultural insights you will have acquired should also serve you well in life, since you will understand well that there are many ways to look at the same topic or problem and correspondingly many interpretations and solutions.

In short, you will be on your way to becoming a global citizen armed with a diverse palette of skills. In today's interconnected world, we must all be aware that we are part of the whole human community and not just our own back yard. The question is not if, but when we will have contact with people from all over the globe--and much of this contact is almost certain to occur in your future work environment, if current trends continue.

Ever consider a minor in German? Or even more?
After this course, a minor in German is well within grasp for students who have another few semesters on campus. All you need is three advanced-level courses beyond 2202! And you may wish to consider very seriously the possibility of studying in Jena at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, on MU’s exchange program. There are lots of ther programs available as well. Click here for info on the German minor or German major.

Timetable:
The following is a skeletal outline of material to be covered, subject to adjustment as needed. Specific weekly assignments will be given in class.
Kap = chapters in Fokus Deutsch; Gr = red grammar book chapters (appropriate pages will be assigned)

Click here for complete transcripts to the Fokus Deutsch videos

Syllabus last updated 8 March 2006

(Grammar topics are are both a review from 1st yr and also correlate with grammar lessons in Fokus Deutsch. Some will be covered in class; others are for your individual review.)

General hints:

(Want 5 extra credit points? Put a note with a German greeting to me under my office door! (G05B--follow the arrows).

You are expected to attend ALL class sessions and participate actively. Only serious illness or grave situations should prevent your attendance in class. You are responsible for discussing absences with me and for obtaining makeup assignments. Call or e-mail BEFORE class is missed if at all possible. Take seriously the absolute necessity for thorough preparation outside of class. You need to set up a disciplined, daily study schedule in order to keep up with the work. If you practice material in a regular fashion, you should manage well. Just promise yourself now that you will not get behind! It is highly advisable to do as the Germans do: form an Arbeitsgruppe with others from your class, and/or meet regularly with a native speaker or more advanced student. We are fortunate this semester in having a German student on campus! In addition, Mansfield students have completed a semester in MU's German Exchange Program with the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität in Jena, Germany, and are eager to talk to you about their experiences. (If you join German Club, you’ll be sure to meet them.) You need to have at least 2202 level--basic functional competence--to go on the program. There may also be other native speakers on campus whom I don’t know yet, plus more advanced Americans. If you get involved with German, it will become a part of you.

Lab use is needed in order to do listening exercises. You must build this into your schedule and do plenty of listening practice. Some supplementary computer exercises are available to you on my web site as well. Approach your lab work as an opportunity to listen to authentic German and thereby develop your listening and vocabulary skills. Also, listen to Deutsche Welle broadcasts on the Internet or on shortwave radio. Kidon Media Link provides tons of links to German-language news, radio and TV sites. The more you read and listen to material that interests you, the faster you will gain skill in German.

You are encouraged to see me frequently throughout the semester, especially if you are having difficulty with the material. (A tutor may also be available--check at the Tutoring Service in South Hall.) Often five minutes alone with me can clear up an entire topic that would otherwise have you confused and frustrated. By all means make me aware of special circumstances in your life that may be affecting your performance.

Approximate grade breakdown:

Special factors that may affect your learning

Any students with documented psychological or learning disorders or other significant medical conditions that may affect their learning should work through Mr. William Chabala in our Counseling Center (South Hall 216, Phone: 662-4798; e-mail wchabala@mnsfld.edu) to provide me with the appropriate letter so that I may serve their particular needs more effectively. If you have an exceptionality that requires classroom or testing accommodations, Mr. Chabala will work with us to identify and implement appropriate interventions.

MU Policy for Excused Absences

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected. Documented excuses because of illness, serious mitigating circumstances, or official university representation will be accepted by all faculty members and will permit students to make up missed tests and/or graded assignments in a reasonable manner at a time agreeable to instructor and student. Students must provide documentation before absences can be excused. All instructors are expected to make their class participation and attendance policies clear in the course syllabus.

See this link for info about absences, exceptionalities and academic integrity.

Other information:

Check out the home page MU's Modern Languages in the Dept. of English and Modern Languages as a good starting point for web surfing. You will find a collection of links that point you to huge collections of foreign language sites. Along with exercises available in the lab, take advantage of the Internet-based drills and reference materials on my web site. All web assignments will be posted on this page as well, with appropriate links provided. Could you also please let me know if something is not working correctly, either on my web site or the virtual language lab. You can also contact the HELP line for faster service on problems with the language lab, since I’d simply call them anyway. The number is (662)-HELP, or 4357

Above all, enjoy interacting with other people in German! That's what it's all about.