Deutsch 1001

In GERM 1001, you will develop basic language skills and learn about the history, culture, and everyday life of German-speaking countries. These experiences will contribute to discovering your own culture and language and help us make cross-cultural comparisons.

German is spoken by people not only in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, but also in parts of Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Eastern Europe, the U.S., and Latin America. A good pronunciation of German is an asset for voice majors and knowing German will help you understand the works and ideas of musicians, philosophers, scientists, and writers who contributed greatly to forming our world. Knowing more about the cultures of German-speaking countries helps understand and even question assumptions we make about our own society.

After completing GERM 1001, your linguistic proficiency should be displaying novice-low or even novice-mid proficiency on the ACTFL scale or A1 on the Common European Framework of References for Languages scale.

Students officially registered for the online section must have a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet with a functioning camera and microphone that they can use to participate in class. (Joining class by smartphone is not allowed.) Students in the online section are required to have their cameras on for the duration of each class meeting. ECU's libraries do lend equipment to students: https://library.ecu.edu/services/borrow-equipment

All sections share one Canvas site and will complete the same assignments.

Required. Niko Tracksdorf, et. al., Impuls Deutsch 1, Blended Bundle, 2019 [ISBN: 9783126053068]. Includes print book Machen and online workbook components Lernen and Zeigen.

• You must have a hard copy of the Machen textbook.
• You must have access to the online workbooks Lernen and Zeigen.
• Dowdy Bookstore and UBE sell the complete bundle, or you can order it online at https://www.klett-usa.com/impuls-deutsch-1/t-1/9783126053068.
• Always bring your Machen book to any online class or group meetings, as we will work with it every time.

Bring a phone for any online activities we might do in class.

Grading Scale

Participation (die Beteiligung, 25%)

For each class, you will receive between -1 and +2 points for your participation grade based on the following criteria:

• Presence. Please let Dr. van der Kolk know if you will be absent for a class, whether excused or not.
  • Excused absences are issued by the Dean of Students for participation in official ECU activities, military training, extreme personal or medical emergencies, death of an immediate family member, and religious holidays. See here for the university's policy on documentation. Excused absences will not count for or against your grade, but please come see Dr. vdK in office hours afterward to get caught up.
    • Final course grade after six excused absences: Incomplete ("I").
  • All others are unexcused absences. See the official university policy on attendance for details.
    • Partially present means missing more than 5 minutes and counts as a "half absence."
    • Final course grade after 6 cumulative unexcused absences: F.
• Participate. To get full participation for a session, you must accomplish all of the following:
  • Engage. You involve yourself in all class meetings, including group and whole-class activities, and make a good faith effort to express yourself in German. However:
    • Linguistic Correctness. You are not expected to speak perfectly, just to try your best as often as you can with the language you have learned!
  • Be prepared. You come to class ready and willing to practice the vocabulary, grammar, and topics touched on in your homework and previous class sessions. You bring all necessary materials, including our Machen textbook, a pencil, and paper.
  • Cooperate. You support and encourage your fellow students. Be an asset to others' learning, and they will be an asset to you.

Homework (die Hausaufgaben, 25%)

Each day you should check the homework plan posted on Canvas. It is your responsibility to complete homework as assigned on a daily basis.

Expect to spend up to 2 hours on homework and preparation for each class session. Please see me if you feel you are working more than this amount.

There are three different types of homework assignments:

1. "Lernen" Homework. Online exercises done before class.
2. "Zeigen" Homework. Online exercises done shortly after a class.
3. Quizlet Vocabulary. Each session will require you to complete the "Learn" activities from Quizlet to "Mastery" status.

Quizzes (die Lernkontrollen, 22%)

Each week will have an online quiz on vocabulary and grammar. Each quiz assumes continued mastery of previous topics.

Projects (die Projekte, 15%, 7.5% each)

You will complete two group projects designed to showcase your communicative skills in German.

Final Assessment (die Endprüfung, 10%)

You will complete a final assessment during exam week, which will gauge your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills along with your cultural knowledge.

Cultural Engagement (das kulturelle Engagement, 3%)

Over the semester, you will participate in at least three cultural engagement activities outside of class related to German-speaking culture, like participating a film night, attending a talk by a speaker, or attending a German Club chat hour. Elligible events will be announced as the semester goes on. You will submit a report for each of the three events through Canvas.

The most successful students typically do the following:

• Exercise Self Care
  • Get your sleep! 7-9 hours (in a row).
  • Eat well and exercise. Manage your diet and get some physical activity every day.
  • Be mindful of substance use. A clear brain works and feels better.
  • Get involved. Make friends. Participate in sports, clubs, etc. Find your niche.
• Get your money's worth:
  • Use office hours. Email me to make an appointment, or feel free to "stop by" with questions! Don't suffer from FMOOWMP! →
  • Talk a lot! Make lots of mistakes! Talking a lot instead of well is the best way to learn. You will make mistakes as you try out new vocabulary and grammar. This shows me how you've been learning.
  • Ask questions! When you’re lost, confused, or have a question, someone else probably has the same one (and they’ll be glad you asked).
  • Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Get help NOW! This course builds on itself, so any issue you have now will only get bigger. Save yourself aggravation and extra work further down the line by taking advantage of the extra videos I post, e-mailing me, coming to my office hours, or using our free German tutors through the Pirate Academic Success Center. Book an appointment via tutoring@ecu.edu or 252-737-3009.
• Keep up. College language classes move fast and require sustained engagement. Students most often fail language courses because they fall behind. Make sure to:
  • Show up. Even with make-up assignments, missing one or (even worse) several sessions in a row makes everything you learn afterwards harder. Make things easier on yourself and be here when you can. Be absent as sparingly as possible!
  • Complete all assignments on time. Missing a day's worth of homework won't just cost you points, it will leave you unprepared for the next day's lesson and the next assignment.
• Learn smarter, not longer. Studies show that people retain knowledge better and quicker when they learn small amounts at a time and review repeatedly. With a little foresight and planning, you can save time and frustration if you:
  • Build a routine. Set aside a time every day, every other day, or every few hours to do your work. Make it a habit.
  • Small tasks. Cramming is much less efficient than breaking assignments into a series of smaller, manageable tasks that allow your mind time to digest what it just learned.
  • Be opportunistic. Use time that you might waste (e.g. standing in a long line, eating by yourself, waiting for class to start) practicing vocabulary instead of viewing cat photos on your phone.
  • Take breaks. Give yourself time to let things sink in when studying. Schedule a break every so often so that you don't work for more than an hour at a time.
  • If you get stuck, revisit later. If a particular lesson or exercise frustrates you, put it aside for a while, work on something else for a while, and let your brain reset. It may make sense later.
  • Put in the time. Language learning isn't hard, but it does take time. We expect you to work up to 6 hours a week outside of class on coursework.
  • If you need more than 6 hours/week to keep up, or just feel overwhelmed, get help! Come and see me in my office hours, so that we can hash out methods that will work specifically for you.
• Find study partners. Get to know your classmates and form groups in which you can collaborate on day-to-day assignments, and study for tests. But make sure you still do your own work!
• Master the basics. We learn the most basic language first because it is the most important, so be patient. Before you can sprint, you need to know how to crawl.
  • Put effort into your homework. Homework teaches you the basics, which we will then practice in more sophisticated ways in class. Putting a genuine effort into homework is vital to your success.
  • Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary! Having a strong working vocabulary makes everything easier and faster. Learn a few words every day. Use our Quizlet utilities or (even better) old-fashioned paper flash cards – find what works for you!
• Make learning fun! Make class fun and welcoming for yourself and your classmates by participating in lighthearted yet respectful ways.
• Celebrate your progress! You are doing something amazing: Over the next 15 weeks you will learn what took you years in your first language. Celebrate that every once in a while.

In the Classroom

Our class will be a respectful environment, where all students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. Please let me know if anything in or outside of class makes you feel uncomfortable.

• Bitte keine Handys! Please stay off phones, laptops, and tablets unless required for class activities. Texting in class will take a point off your participation grade for that day.
• Check email and GroupMe frequently as I use them for class communication.
• Pronouns and Preferred Names. Let me know if you have a preferred name that differs from your legal name listed in the university's records, or if you have specific pronouns that you would prefer.

Academic Integrity

Accommodations

East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must be registered with the Department for Disability Support Services located in Slay 138, 252-737-1016. Accommodation Information & Processes: https://accessibility.ecu.edu/students/dss-guidelines/

Emergency Information

In the event of a campus emergency that disrupts academic activities, course requirements, deadlines, and grading percentages are subject to change. Information about changes in the course will be communicated as soon as possible by email and on Canvas. If we are not able to meet face-to-face, students should log onto Canvas and read any announcements and/or access alternative assignments. (http://www.ecu.edu/alert). Emergency info hotline: 328-0062

Semester Schedule