Heartland Community College
Course Syllabus
Division: Humanities and Fine Arts
COURSE PREFIX & NUMBER: GERM 101. 01
COURSE TITLE: German I
CREDIT HOURS: 4
CONTACT HOURS:
LECTURE HOURS: 4
LABORATORY HOURS:
Days and times the course meets: T R
8-9:50 (ICN 2304)
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Include specific prerequisites):
This is a beginning course in German, with emphasis on the development of basic listening,
speaking, reading, and writing skills. Basic vocabulary, essentials of German grammar and
syntax, correct pronunciation and intonation, and the use of actual speech patterns are
covered.
Instructor information:
Instructor’s name: Dr. Bodo Fritzen
Phone number to contact the instructor: 309-268-8619
Instructor’s email: bodo.fritzen@heartland.edu
Location of instructor’s office: ICB 2017
Hours and days of instructor’s office hours: MW 10-11:30, F 9-11
TEXTBOOKS:
Widmaier, E. Rosemarie, Fritz T. Widmaier, and Margaret Gonglewski. Treffpunkt.
6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2008.
Widmaier, E. Rosemarie, Fritz T. Widmaier, and Margaret Gonglewski. Student
Activities Manual. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2008.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND
TRANSFERABILITY:
GERM 101 fulfills 4 hours of elective credit for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. It should
transfer to most colleges and universities as an elective course. However, since this
course is not part of either the General Education Core Curriculum or a baccalaureate
major program described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative, students should check
with an academic advisor for information about its transferability to other institutions.
COURSE OBJECTIVES (Learning Outcomes)
The objectives of this course are for students to interpret oral and written German and to
respond correctly within the German culture. In addition to personal study, the method to
achieve this end is to use the classroom as a safe environment where the students are
challenged to speak German and to respond orally and in writing to stimuli in German.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. CO3: Students listen in order to comprehend information, critique and evaluate a
message, show empathy for the feelings expressed by others, and/or appreciate a
performance.CO1: Students compose a message and provide ideas and information
suitable to the topic, purpose, and audience.
2. DI4: Students explain the contributions of diverse perspectives to development of
various fields of inquiry and to society as a whole, and re-examine their own values
and beliefs in light of the insights they have gained from their study of other cultures.
3. CT1: Students gather knowledge, apply it to a new situation, and draw reasonable
conclusions in ways that demonstrate comprehension.
4. PS4: Student analyzes the situation, explores different outcomes from multiple
frameworks, applies the appropriate solution, analyzes the results, and refines the
solution.
5. CO4: Students are self-reflective of the communication process.
COURSE OUTLINE (Order is variable):
 Vocabulary relating to greeting, meals, eating out, classroom objects, family
relations, daily activities, the house, colors and descriptive words

Numbers up to ten thousand

German pronunciation and syntax

Gender of nouns and forming plurals of nouns

Using definite and indefinite article with nouns

The German alphabet

Verb Tenses: present tense and conversational past

Tell time, days, months, season, dates, and holidays

Weather expressions

Possessive adjectives

Nominative, dative, and accusative case

Use of prepositions

Conjugation of regular and irregular verbs

Cultural topics such as the use of a formal and informal “you”, holidays, greetings,
goods, meals, the German-American heritage
METHOD OF EVALUATION (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
Students’ grade will be a compilation scores of quizzes, exams and class
participation. The oral method of evaluation will consist of oral presentations to the
class. The written evaluation is based on exams, quizzes, and written homework.
Final grades will be determined according to the following scale:
92 to 100% = A
83 to 91% = B
74 to 82% = C
65 to 73% = D
Below 65% = F
Make up of tests and assignments only in emergencies with written documents or evidences.
Quizzes cannot be made up, no matter what.
Attendance and participation in class is required and vital in the outcome of the final grade.
REQUIRED WRITING AND READING:
For this class the student should plan to spend a minimum of four hours per week
completing paper homework assignments, listening to audio materials, studying
vocabulary and grammar, preparing written and oral assignments, conversation and in
class activities. Students will read the major written article for each chapter. Many of the
learning activities and much of the assessment of student learning are based on practices
such as the following:

Role playing activities

Oral and written practice drills on vocabulary and grammar concepts

Choral repetition

Small group interaction

Lecture presentation

Textbook and workbook exercises

Watching videos and responding to them

Conversation between instructor and student, and between students

Discussion on the German culture

Listening and imitating sounds and word patterns
Course Calendar:
Chapter 1: August 20, 22, 27, 29; Sept. 3
Chapter 2: September 5, 10, 12, 17
Chapter 3: September 19, 24, 26; October 1
Chapter 4: October 3, 8, 10, 17
Chapter 5: October 22, 24, 29, 31
Chapter 6: November 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21
Review: November 26, Dec. 3, 5
Note: Pending on the progress of the class I may spend more or less class
time on each chapter which may change the listed sequence of treating
each chapter.
The final exam date will be announced in class.