German 205A: Third Course in German
Instructor: Professor Wauchope
San Diego State University / Fall 2014
Office: SH-220C
Office hours: M 12:00-1:50 & W 12:0012:50, or by appointment
Email: mwauchop@mail.sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-4235
Mailbox: SH-224A
MTWTH 10:00-10:50
Room: AH-2134
Blackboard: blackboard.sdsu.edu
German Studies: german.sdsu.edu
iLrn Heinle Learning Center (for online workbook: http:ilrn.heinle.com
Course code: BXETJT739
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Student Learning Goals:
• To improve German language skills at the intermediate level with emphasis on listening
comprehension, speaking, and writing
• To improve grammatical accuracy and increase active vocabulary in spoken and written
German
• To develop skills in producing formal and informal oral and written discourses of various
genres
• To build on knowledge and understanding of everyday culture and key issues of regions of the
world where German is spoken
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 realworld environments. Consistent with class size and learning goals, they cultivate skills in
reading, writing, communication, computation, information gathering, and use of technology.
Course Description:
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.
Prerequisites:
German 100B or 3 years of high school German or equivalent
Materials:
• Augustyn and Euba, Stationen: Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe, 3rd ed. (Thomson/Heinle)
• Augustyn and Euba, online Stationen Student Activities Manual, accessed through Cengage
iLrn: www.cengage.com
• Film Das Wunder von Bern (Wortmann 2003)
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 Fr 12 December, 10:30-12:30.
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 native-speaker 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/sendungverpasst 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.
Makeup 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.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
At SDSU students who are found guilty of cheating (obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for
academic work by the use of dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means) or plagiarism
(incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another, whether purchased, borrowed, or
otherwise obtained, and submitting this as one’s own work to fulfill academic requirements
without giving credit to the appropriate source) are subject to academic sanctions, which may
include a grade of F on an assignment or in a class, and punitive sanctions, such as probation,
suspension, or expulsion.
In foreign language study, cheating also includes the following:
• 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)
• 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:
• 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 whether an action involves cheating or plagiarism,
it is your responsibility to ask your instructor.
Students with Disabilities:
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 cannot be provided based
upon disability until your instructor has received an accommodation letter from Student
Disability Services.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
(subject to change or error; see SDSU catalog for most accurate, up-to-date information)
Grades are defined as follows:
A/AOutstanding achievement; available only for the highest accomplishment.
B+/B/B- Praiseworthy performance; above average.
C+
Slightly above average.
C
Average; awarded for satisfactory performance; the most common
undergraduate grade.
CSlightly below average.
D+/D/D- Minimally passing; lower than the typical undergraduate achievement.
F
Failing.
INC Incomplete Authorized: used only when the instructor concludes that a small,
identifiable portion of course requirements cannot be met within the
academic term for unforeseen, but valid reasons. A grade of “INC” may
not be assigned to permit a student to avoid an undesirable grade.
WU
Incomplete Unauthorized: a student who is officially registered for the
course but who has never attended or who has stopped attending after
satisfactorily completing a portion of the course will receive a grade of
“WU.” A “WU” counts as an “F” for grade-point averages, but may be
removed by repeating the course. Students who are failing the course and
who stop attending will receive an “F.”
CR/NC
Credit/No Credit: Subject to the requirements of their major and the
conditions set forth in the General Catalog, students may register for
courses on a credit/no credit basis before the deadline. Work equivalent
to “C” or above will result in a grade of “CR;” work equivalent to a “C-” or
below will result in “NC.”
Dropping this Course: 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.
General Education: German 100A satisfies the General Education requirement Foundations C.5 Humanities:
Foreign Language. 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
100A and 100B (or equivalent) are prerequisite to all three of these courses.
For more information about the German Studies program at SDSU, see the program website:
http://german.sdsu.edu or contact the German Studies adviser: Prof. Rebien, Dept. of European
Studies, SH-220B, krebien@mail.sdsu.edu, (619) 594-5128.