German in Your Field and Beyond, Spring 2016
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
German 204-001 Spring 2016
MWF10:00am – 10:50am Merrill Hall 311
Course Instructor: Derek Schaefer
CRT 895; Tel.:414-467-4016
E-mail: dms@uwm.edu
Office Hours: W 1pm – 2pm, F 9am – 10am and/or by appointment
Herzlich Willkommen zu German in Your Field and Beyond!
We are happy you have decided to continue learning German as a foreign language and hope you enjoy this
course. This course continues where German 203 left off. If you earned an A or B in German 203, you have
a good to excellent foundation for German 204. If you earned a C or lower, make sure to review old material
and address problems you may be having early on! In this course, we will not only build on what we learned
in German 101,102, & 203, but expand the scope of what we learned and how we use it, both in class and in
homework assignments.
If you did not take German 203 at UWM and did not take the Placement Test, please talk to your instructor
as soon as possible to make sure that German 204 is the right course for you. If you had German in high
school, placed into this, and are taking your first college German language course you are eligible for
RETRO-CREDITS, you must earn a final grade of B- or higher to earn the 11 retro-credits . Absences can
affect your grade very much, so take this into consideration if you are trying to earn retro-credits and miss
class!
COURSE OBJECTIVE:
The primary goal of German 204 is to help you develop your ability to use German to communicate
and to do so with good grammatical and cultural accuracy. This course is designed to increase your
ability to function in German and to increase your understanding and appreciation of German
culture, and puts you in the position to venture into new thoughts, experiences and perspectives on
life.
Given the important role the German speaking countries Austria, Switzerland and Germany play in
the industrial world, a good grasp of the German language might be an excellent tool to enhance
your future career opportunities. Germany provides annually 2000 scholarships to U.S students and
offers other great options to enhance your experience beyond the classroom, get ready to explore
those as the course will offer a glimpse at certain possibilities.
CONTENT:
This course is an attempt to pull together the German grammar skills that you have acquired in the first three
semesters through reading, writing and speaking about subjects which interest you. Knowing German will
help you in almost any field in which you are interested: architecture, business, engineering, psychology,
sociology, computer science, art, music, literature, history, etc. It is now time, with the German you have, to
connect to your own field and hear what the Germans are doing and saying! We will be reading the weekly
magazine “Focus” online and “Deutsche Welle” online. Both online magazines cover the topic areas of
politics, finance, business, science and technology, environment and development, health, culture and
sports. At the beginning of the semester, each of you will pick an area on which to concentrate for the
semester. Each week you will pick an article to read in your area, and select new words (so that a
vocabulary list can be built and sent to the instructor—every three weeks you will take an individualized
vocabulary test ) and then summarize the article in German and be prepared to explain it to the class (not by
reading the summary). By talking about our articles with the class you will have a chance to voice your
thoughts and opinion about the article and the whole class will acquire a well-rounded perspective on what
currently is being discussed in the German-speaking countries Grammar mistakes that are common to all or
most of the class will be explored.
Each student will take one of his/her articles and explore it more in-depth (in German) for a final project in
class. The student is expected to find 3-5 other articles, research the topic and then integrate all the articles
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German in Your Field and Beyond, Spring 2016
into a paper that discusses the issue thoroughly and coherently. You will prepare a short Power Point
presentation for the class. You will also summarize the articles in a paper of 2.5 pages and provide the class
with a list of interesting vocabulary and terms.
All articles and written work will be collected throughout the semester to give you a chance to follow your
own progress, to showcase your work and to have your work reviewed by peers for peer reviews. You then
will report your comments, compliments and suggestions on each other’s summaries on the D2L-discussion
forum. At the beginning of the semester you will evaluate your skills and your ability to plan, compose,
review (content, format and structure) and edit your work. At the end of the semester you will be asked to
assess and reflect whether you feel more comfortable when confronted with a writing assignment in regard
to planning, composing, reviewing and editing your work and whether you have gained in-depth knowledge
about the different topics/fields.
To extend and solidify your basic German vocabulary, to help you master the grammar structures and to
better understand the inter- and cross-disciplinary thinking of the respective fields, your instructor will
facilitate your learning by providing you with a wonderful blend of authentic short films, cultural presentations,
other engaging short readings that will help you deepen your knowledge about the various topics and fields
you are interested in. Thus the course is embedded in five modules that reflect general reference to the
topics/fields you selected from the weekly magazines “Focus” online and “Deutsche Welle” online. Each of
these modules will have a specific topic, for instance science and technology etc., and its content and
structure focus will deliver general background knowledge about the various topics/fields you and your fellow
students selected with this semester.
WE ALSO WANT YOU TO HAVE FUN!! This may be your only class this semester in which you will
really get to know the other students. Take advantage of this opportunity. Visiting Kaffeepause,
Stammtisch, Brot und Spiele or one of the Filmabende will be another wonderful way to enrich your
studies.
OUTCOMES
German 204 aims to further develop and improve German language skills that have been acquired in 101203. German 204 builds on and complements those prerequisites and will focus on reading, speaking,
writing and the development of knowledge in the student’s specific area of interest.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
 Read and analyze German texts in
context
 Participate, in German, in discussions
and day to day situations
 Write short essays, summaries and
papers
 Develop a specific vocabulary in area
of interest
 Extend your basic German vocabulary
 Apply key grammatical structures
 Gain insight into the German
discussion of the student’s area of
interest
 Develop an understanding and
appreciation of different fields of
interest in German-speaking countries
.
Assessment Measures
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Written and oral summary,
comprehension questions
Oral presentation
Group discussions
Written summaries
Final project
Oral work in class
Traditional vocabulary quizzes/tests
Traditional vocabulary quizzes/tests
Traditional quizzes/tests
Short presentations/short writings
Final project
Reflection paper
Written and oral summaries and
comprehension questions
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German in Your Field and Beyond, Spring 2016
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Denk mal 2e SSPlus(vTxt) + wSAM Code(18M) Deutsch ohne Grenzen. Tobias Barske, Megan
McKinstry, Karin Schestokat, Jane Sokolosky. Boston: Vista Higher Learning 2016.
Component details: Supersite Plus Code (w/ Workbook + vText) This online textbook (vText); your
textbook's online resources (assignments, audio, video, reference tools, assessment, gradebook,
teacher-student communication, etc.); Supersite Plus assignments and tools; and your Workbook online
workbook(s). A custom ordering microsite for you has been created. You can purchase your
material for $ 100 from there. Here is the link: www.vistahigherlearning.com/store/uwiscmilwaukee.htm
Other requirements:
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“Focus” online http://www.focus.de/ (we will discuss on first day of class how to access online)
“Deutsche Welle” online http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,265,00.html?id=265
3-ring binder
German- English Dictionary (recommended)
English Grammar for Students of German: The Study Guide for Those Learning German (English
Grammar Series) by Cecile Zorach and Charlotte Melin (recommended)
High speed internet connection
Headphones with microphone
All other material or programs will be available at no cost from the various media websites
Here is the link to the website that will tell you how to navigate your supersite:
http://www.vistahigherlearning.com/supersites/student_tours/
Some important things to know about German in your Field and beyond!:
 we will work on the “4 skills”: speaking, listening, reading and writing
 this means that active participation in class is important!!
 the homework you prepare before class will help you in class
 attendance is mandatory (call or email if you can’t come to class)
 we will be speaking only German in class
 don’t be afraid to participate—we all make mistakes and mistakes are a natural part of learning a
foreign language!
EVALUATION SUMMARY:
Classroom participation + Homework
Summaries
Presentations of article
Weekly In-class Vocabulary + Grammar quizzes
Take Home Tests (Grammar, Listening, Speaking, Writing)
Final project
One Essay
Total
25%
15%
5%
10%
25%
15%
5%
100%
Grading Scale
A+
98-100*
C+
78-79
A
93-97
C
73-77
A90-92
C70-72
B+
88-89
D+
68-69
B
83-82
D
63-67
B80-82
D60-62
F
59 and below
Missed test or assignments = 0 (No* A+ for final grades)
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German in Your Field and Beyond, Spring 2016
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION (25%): This includes coming to class on time and with your reading/
homework done. It means participating in discussion during class and showing interest in your classmates’
work, etc.
Please note that regular attendance is required. Three absences are allowed for the semester. Absences
after that will affect your final grade. Your final grade will decrease by one percentage point per absence
after the two absences.
There will be a regular self-assessment of your preparation and participation that will figure into your final
participation grade.
Please call or email me before class, if you cannot make it to class! Missing class hurts the whole class, not
just you.
Please also note, that not coming to class does not excuse you from (a) turning in assignments due on the
day of absence; (b) knowing about assignments given on that day; (c) tests given on that day (if your
absence is excused, we may be able to work something out with tests, but that will occur on an individual
basis). Please keep in mind, that it is your responsibility to stay informed about the course.
SUMMARIES (15%): Each week you will be asked to write a summary of your article, in German. Your
summary should be at least 250-300 words long (1 inch margins, 12 point font, double-spaced). It should be
comprehensible, grammatically correct, and should reflect the content of your article. You are also asked to
turn in at least ten new vocabulary words that were new to you in the respective article. You can utilize
Quizlet or Excel for keeping track of your new vocabulary. You will have to know your personal vocabulary
for the quizzes, as they will be tested just as all the other topics and general vocabulary will be tested.
Please see summaries rubric for further detail. You will create a running list of your grammatical errors that
occur and use it for future revising of your written work or for peer editing.
Any work that shows academic misconduct or dishonesty, such as cheating, plagiarizing or the
illegitimate use of materials beyond reference material will receive an automatic F grade. You may
also face legal charges from the university.
PRESENTATION OF ARTICLE (5%): Each week you will have to be prepared to orally present your article
to the class. Your name will be selected randomly or per schedule. This cannot be a reading of your
summary. You should point out and present important vocabulary words for the comprehension of your
presentation, before you begin. The summary should be comprehensible, succinct and cover all the points
of your article. Please see presentation rubric for further detail.
TAKE HOME TESTS (25%): After each Module, you will be quizzed on the grammar concepts and content
that were covered during the month by. Each test will assess your listening, oral, grammar and writing
skills. The basic vocabulary which you will encounter during class sessions and your own vocabulary from
the articles will be integrated in these quizzes.
ESSAYS (5%): You are expected to write one short essay (draft and rewrite) at the beginning of the course
which you can choose one out of several topics.
WEEKLY IN-CLASS QUIZZES (10%): To encourage you to keep up with the new vocabulary or other topics
weekly announced and unannounced quizzes are included.
FINAL PROJECT (15%): Each student will take one of his/her articles and explore the specific subject
more in-depth (in German) for a final project in class. You are expected to find 3-5 other articles, in
German, to summarize them with a vocabulary list and then to integrate all the articles into a paper that
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German in Your Field and Beyond, Spring 2016
discusses the issue thoroughly and coherently (2.5 pages). You are also asked to present the content in a
short power point presentation that will be up-loaded to D2L for the whole class and provide your fellow
students important information about your project and with a list of interesting vocabulary and terms.
OTHER PARTICULARS:
Student time investment statement:
According to faculty document 2838, you should be prepared to spend two hours outside of the classroom on
course materials for every credit hour or hour spent in the classroom. For this three-credit course, you
should expect to invest, on average, at least 144 hours in a semester [(3 hours in-class time * 16 weeks) + (6
hours/week outside class * 16 weeks)]. Although every one of you learns at a different pace you can expect
to invest approximately 32.5 hrs. on Lecture, 36.5 hrs. on weekly summaries, 15 hrs. on required reading,
39 hrs. on discussions, homework and other assignments, 10 hrs. respectively for the final presentation, and
11 hrs. studying for quizzes and tests.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics intends to comply with the UWM policy on Academic
Misconduct and the Students with Disabilities Act. For additional university policies, see Appendix C in UWM
Timetable.
The following link will provide you also with a link to the Secretary of the University Web site
(http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf) and contains the following University policies:
1. Students with disabilities
2. Religious observances
3. Students called to active military duty
4. Incompletes
5. Discriminatory conduct
6. Academic misconduct
7. Complaint procedures
8. Grade appeal procedure
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German in your Field and Beyond!, Spring 2016
Notes (Notizen):
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