GERMAN 205A: THIRD COURSE IN GERMAN
FALL 2015
SECTION 1 / SCHEDULE # 21707
MTWTh 11-11:50
EBA-408
Instructor Information
Instructor: Professor Wauchope
Office: SH-220C
Office Hours: MW 1-1:50, T 2-2:50 & by appointment
Email: mwauchop@mail.sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-4235
Mailbox: SH-224A
Course Overview
German 205A is a third semester language acquisition course, which builds on first-year German skills and provides students
with the opportunity to advance their proficiency in German to the intermediate level. Basic grammatical structures will be
reviewed and new structures introduced, and intermediate-level writing, speaking, reading and listening tasks will be
introduced and practiced. Particular emphasis will be placed in this course on developing listening, speaking and writing skills –
including work with video, role-plays, and internet research. Readings, writings, classroom discussions and multi-media
supplements, including one feature-length film, will focus on issues of the everyday cultures of German-speaking communities.
Course conducted in German.
Student Learning Outcomes:
• To improve German language skills at the intermediate level with emphasis on listening comprehension, speaking, and
writing
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To improve grammatical accuracy and increase active vocabulary in spoken and written German
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To develop skills in producing formal and informal oral and written discourses of various genres
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To build on knowledge and understanding of everyday culture and key issues of regions of the world where German is
spoken
Enrollment Information
Prerequisites: German 100B or 3 years of high school German or equivalent.
Procedures for Dropping/Reenrolling: Students who do not attend the first class session and the beginning of the second MAY
BE DROPPED FROM THE COURSE BY THE INSTRUCTOR. Any student dropped by the instructor will be notified of the action by
email. It is the student’s responsibility to keep a current email address on file through the SDSU WebPortal: sdsu.edu/portal. To
reenroll, students must receive an add code from the instructor and reenroll in the course before the deadline to add classes.
NOT ALL INSTRUCTORS WILL DROP STUDENTS WHO MISS THE FIRST TWO SESSIONS. You are responsible for all courses on your
schedule. You should check your online schedule regularly and take necessary action to add or drop before any deadlines.
Course Materials
•
Augustyn and Euba, Stationen: Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe, 3rd ed. (Thomson/Heinle)
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Augustyn and Euba, Stationen Student Activities Manual, 3rd ed. (Thomson/Heinle)
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Film Das Wunder von Bern (Wortmann 2003) [will be viewed in class]
Course Structure and Methods
German 205A is based on a communicative and proficiency-based approach to language learning. Classroom activities have
students use German in realistic situations. Group and partner work and role-plays provide students with the opportunity to
practice new vocabulary and structures orally by performing meaningful tasks. To provide maximum practice in the language,
this course is conducted in German. Multi-media instructional materials reinforce classroom activities and address the various
learning styles of individual students.
This class is learner-centered, so most language acquisition will take place outside the classroom and is dependent on the
student’s involvement with the language. Ideally students should spend two hours a day practicing German. Beyond working
with vocabulary, learning grammar and completing assignments, students can participate in many German activities. For
example, students may take part in German club activities or the German program’s conversation hour, sign up for nativespeaker conversation partners at the American Language Institute, talk to German-speaking students at the International
Student Association’s coffee hour every Friday (www.isc.sdsu.edu), work with materials available in the LARC lab (computer
exercises, German movies and language videos), rent German videos (the Media Center of the SDSU Library has several), watch
news online (www.tagesschau.de or www.dw-world.de) or other German TV programs (for example, at:
http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek#/hauptnavigation/sendung-verpasst or www.ardmediathek.de/sendung-verpasst), and read
German books, newspapers, magazines, blogs (see your instructor for suggestions or see the links on the SDSU German Studies
webpage). It can also be useful to form study groups with fellow students, since practicing with others aids the learning
process.
Course Assessment and Grading
PARTICIPATION: 10%
Students are expected to attend class regularly, to come to class fully prepared (with assignments completed), and to
participate actively in classroom activities and discussions. Because participation is essential to language acquisition, students’
participation grade will be lowered one full letter grade for every 2 unexcused absences.
HOMEWORK: 20%
Homework includes workbook and other exercises assigned by the instructor.
QUIZZES: 10%
Quizzes will be given regularly to assess knowledge of vocabulary and language structures presented in textbook.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS: 10%
Two 3-5 minute videoblogs will be recorded and presented in class. The midterm presentation will be a description of oneself;
for the final presentation, a city will be described. Videoblogs will be assessed on the basis of oral proficiency and
demonstration of acquisition of vocabulary and structures introduced or reviewed in this course.
CHAPTER TESTS: 40%
Five written chapter tests will be given, covering video content, grammar structures, vocabulary, listening comprehension
activities, communication in writing, and cultural information from each chapter.
FINAL EXAM: 10%
A cumulative final exam will be given on Monday, December 14, 10:30-12:30.
Make-Up Exams and Late Work
Grades on assignments turned in or presented late will be lowered one full letter grade for each day assignment is late, unless
previous arrangements have been made with the instructor. No make-up tests or oral exams will be given. If students know in
advance that they will miss a test or if an emergency arises on a test day, they should contact their instructor immediately to
see what can be arranged.
Schedule of Tests, Workbook Assignments, and Videoblogs
Th Sep 10:
Student Activities Manual - Kapitel 1 due
TEST on Kapitel 1
Tu Sep 29:
Student Activities Manual - Kapitel 2 due
TEST on Kapitel 2
Th Oct 15:
Student Activities Manual - Kapitel 3 due
TEST on Kapitel 3
Mo Oct 19:
Meet in LARC lab, Storm Hall 205
Mo Oct 26:
VIDEOBLOG 1 due
Tu Nov 03:
Student Activities Manual - Kapitel 7 due
TEST on Kapitel 7
Th Nov 19:
Student Activities Manual - Kapitel 4 due
TEST on Kapitel 4
We Dec 02:
VIDEOBLOG 2 due
We Dec 09:
Student Activities Manual - Kapitel 8 due
Mon Dec 14:
FINAL EXAM, 10:30-12:30
General Education
This course satisfies General Education requirement Foundations C.5 Humanities and Fine Arts. Foundations of Learning courses
introduce students to the basic concepts, theories, and approaches offered by disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of study.
They provide the foundation to understand and approach problems in the academy, and in local and global real-world
environments. Consistent with class size and learning goals, they cultivate skills in reading, writing, communication,
computation, information gathering, and use of technology.
Language Requirement
Students may satisfy the CAL three-semester graduation requirement in a language by successfully completing one of the
following courses: German 202, 205A, 205B.
German Studies Program, Department of European Studies
For more information about the German Studies program at SDSU, see the program website: http://german.sdsu.edu or
contact the German Studies adviser:
Kristin Rebien, Dept. of European Studies, SH-220B, krebien@mail.sdsu.edu, (619) 594-5128
GENERAL INFORMATION
(subject to change or error; see SDSU Catalog and website for most accurate, up-to-date information)
Accommodations
The learning environment should be accessible to all. SDSU provides reasonable accommodations in the following situations:
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Disability: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your
accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you
have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Religion: By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses of
planned absences for religious observances.
Official university activities (e.g., Athletics): Within the first two weeks of classes, a student who expects to be part of
an official university event or activity shall notify the instructors of affected courses. At that time, the student shall
request accommodation for any missed examinations or other assignments. If scheduling changes occur, the student
shall immediately notify the instructors.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. These activities will not be tolerated in this class. If
you have questions on what is plagiarism, please consult the policy: http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html.
Consequences of cheating and plagiarism
SDSU instructors are mandated to report all instances of cheating and plagiarism to the Center for Student Rights and
Responsibility. Consequences are at the instructor’s and the Center for Student Rights and Responsibility’s discretion. They may
include any of the following:
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failing the assignment
failing the class
warning
probation
suspension
expulsion
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you:
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for written work, copy down or cut anything from a book, article or website and add or paste it into your paper
without using quotation marks and providing the full reference for the quotation, including page number
for written work, summarize / paraphrase in your own words ideas you got from a book, article, or the web without
providing the full reference for the source, including page number
for an oral presentation, copy down or cut anything from a book, article, or website and present it orally as if it were
your own words. You must summarize and paraphrase in your own words, and bring a list of references in case the
professor asks to see it
use visuals or graphs you got from a book, article, or website without providing the full reference for the picture or
table
recycle a paper you wrote for another class
turn in the same (or a very similar paper) for two classes
purchase or otherwise obtain a paper and turn it in as your own work
copy off of a classmate
use technology or smuggle in documents to obtain or check information in an exam situation
For more detailed information, read the chapter on plagiarism in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition,
2003), visit the following website http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml and talk to your professors before
turning in your paper or doing your oral presentation. The University of Indiana also has very helpful writing hints for students,
including some on how to cite sources. Please visit http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml for more information. Test
your knowledge of what constitutes plagiarism through a tutorial offered by the SDSU Library. To access the tutorial go to:
http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=28
In foreign language study, cheating also includes the following:
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Doing your written homework and then having a third party correct it, or having someone else write your homework
for you and turning that in for credit
Doing assignments with another student and turning in the same or almost the same work. (Unless you are
specifically directed to work in pairs on in groups, college-level work is always expected to be solely your own.)
Using an automated translation engine to translate your homework
Using an available translation of a text on which to base your own translation and turning that in for credit.
What IS acceptable includes the following:
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Asking your professor for help.
Brainstorming answers and/or ideas with another student; then, each student writes up the homework separately
and turns in his or her own work.
Doing your written homework and/or translation and then having a third party circle your mistakes; you then do the
corrections on your own and turn in your own work.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION OR UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT IS OR IS NOT CHEATING OR PLAGIARISM, IT IS YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR.