Welcome to German Language and Culture!  This course is the first course in the second-year sequence at Western Maryland College.  The main focus of the course is oral practice in the language.  In order to express yourself correctly,  it is necessary to understand what you hear and what you read.  Therefore, the course will also emphasize listening comprehension and reading comprehension.  The course will be enhanced by selected videos that are closely related to the material in Kaleidoskop.  You will also have the opportunity to write essays and answer essay questions on tests in German.

After successful completion of this course you will be able to:

• discuss German topics in a variety of situations
• understand German texts such as short stories, poems, newspaper and magazine articles, and Internet pages
• compose essays on topics related to the readings
• give oral presentations in German
• understand and appreciate some new aspects of German culture and some of the problems that are facing Germany and its neighbor countries (environmental pollution, problems related to the reunification process in Germany, problems and opportunities associated with the European Union and the unified currency (the Euro).

Required Books:

• Kaleidoskop, 5th edition (textbook only)
• A German-English, English-Germany Dictionary (any publisher)

How time flies!

Time management is crucial for every college student.  Plan your week ahead of time. Learn to say NO! to people and the temptation of college life when you have assignments due. Prioritize!

Requirements

Chapter Tests	30%
Homework & Essays	20%
Daily Preparation & Class Participation	15%
Oral Presentations	15%
Final Exam	20%
TOTAL	100%

Official Grades
 

98 - 100% 93 - 97 % 90 - 92%  88 - 89 %  83 - 87%  80 – 82%

A+ A A- B+ B B-

78 – 79% 73 – 77% 70 – 72% 68 – 69% 63 – 67% 60 – 62% Below 60%

C+ C C- D+ D D- F

Attendance: Regular attendance is essential for academic achievement. Therefore, attendance is mandatory. Three unexcused absences will lower the final grade by 3%, four by 6%, five by 9%, and so on. Excused absences are at the discretion of the instructor. Absences caused by college-related activities are excused only if the instructor in made aware of them in advance.

Tests: You will have four scheduled tests based on the material studied in Kapitel 1-4 and Themen 1-4. There will also be some unannounced tests, both written and oral.  The material in Kapitel 5 and Thema 5 will be tested as part of the final examination.  Missed tests may not be made up and will be recorded as zeros unless a valid excuse is presented to the instructor.  If possible, please explain any absence on a test date in advance.

Homework & Essays: Doing your homework is absolutely vital. Specific assignments will include grammar exercises, essays written in German, reading of selections in the textbook and answering questions related to these readings, and preparing for class activities and presentations.

Daily Preparations & Class Participation: Daily preparations and active participation in class discussions are absolutely vital to academic growth. You must have read the assigned pages for the day and you should have prepared the vocabulary and assigned exercises. Students who come to class unprepared will lose points in the area of class participation.

Presentations:  You will be expected to participate in projects and creative activities that culminate in classroom presentations. Ideas for these projects will be discussed in class.

Final exam: There will be a final examination in the week of May 12-16. The final exam will cover selected materials from Kapitel 1–4 and Themen 1–4 and Kapitel 5 and Thema 5. The date and time of the final exam will be announced later.

Important: Do not ignore problems. Ask questions. Do not fall behind. Complete all required readings on time. Be active in your class participation and in work with a partner or a group. Send me an e-mail or call me for an appointment.
 

This web page has been designed by: Dr. Mohamed Esa, mesa@mcdaniel.edu