THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
GER 500: Reading German for Comprehension
Spring 2008
MW 4:10 – 5:25 Caldwell 151
Office Hours:
W 1-2, F 12-1 & by appointment
Dr. Claudia Bornholdt
Bornholdt@cua.edu
McMahon 206b; (202) 319-5240
Required Texts:
1. Hubert Jannach and Richard Alan Korb, German for Reading Knowledge, 5th ed., Boston: Heinle &
Heinle, 2005. Pp. x + 328.
2. You will need a good German-English dictionary as published by Langenscheidt, Webster, HarperCollins, or Oxford.
Additional Resources:
You may find some of these websites and web-based resources helpful:
1. The companion website to the textbook contains grammar charts, help for reading comprehension,
and, most importantly, the answer key for the practice sentences that accompany each chapter:
http://www.heinle.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&flag=student&product_isbn_issn=9781413003703&discipline_number=305
2. Various flashcards on the vocabulary and the individual chapters in the textbook (no guarantee for
accuracy, however!):
http://www.flashcardexchange.com/search?t=2&q=german+for+reading+knowledge&search=Search
3. Explanations of grammatical terms and some information as to how to use the dictionary, German
script, etc. (Note: You won’t be able to do any of the online grammar exercises, however!):
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/arens/tutorial/index.htm
Course Objectives:
The course will provide an introduction to German for reading and translation for beginners or near
beginners to the language. This intensive course teaches and practices the structure of the German
language, helps students acquire basic vocabulary, and introduces them to the techniques needed to
comprehend and prepare translations of German texts. By the end of this course, students will have
acquired a basic knowledge of German sufficient to begin independent reading of specialized literature in
their respective fields of study.
Attendance and Preparation:
It is in your best interest to regularly attend class and to come well prepared to each class meeting. A
thorough reading and preparation of each chapter in Jannach, including the translation exercises and the
readings, is expected before those topics are discussed in class each day. While you should do your
translations alone, you are encouraged to form study groups to review material, practice, and have a look
at additional texts for translation practice. Feel free to ask questions both in class or during the instructor’s
office hours. Please come and see the instructor as soon as you encounter a problem! Don’t wait until
the end of the semester!
Each chapter in the textbook comes with a number of Übungssätze (practice sentences). You are expected
to translate these sentences at home and then check the accuracy of your translations on the publisher’s
website. We will go over selected Übungssätze in class. You will also be asked to translate a few of these
sentences in the final exam.
About half way through the semester you will be asked to bring a sample text from your area of study.
Excerpts from these texts will be included in assignments for translation practice.
Assessment:
There will be five quizzes and you will hand in 10 typed translations of longer texts. You will furthermore
take a final translation exam with the help of a dictionary. All assignments will be graded on a scale from
0-100%. To receive a passing grade in this course, you have to earn an average grade of at least 75%.
5 Quizzes
10 Translations of Longer Texts
Final Exam
05%
25%
70%
Syllabus:
Topic
M:
01/14
W:
01/16
M:
01/21
T:
01/22
W:
01/23
M:
01/28
W:
01/30
Homework
Introduction & Pronunciation
Chapter 1: Gender of nouns. Definite
articles. Sein. Interrogatives
Chapter 2: Case (Nom. & Acc.). Present
tense of regular verbs and haben.
Numbers.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jun. Day
No Class!
Chapter 3: Case (Dat. & Gen.). Plural of
nouns. Past tense of regular verbs and
haben.
Chapter 4: Ein-words. Present tense of
strong verbs. Compound nouns. Ordinal
numbers.
Chapter 5: Der-words. Past tense of
strong verbs. Irregular weak verbs.
Werden. Word order.
QUIZ I (Chapters 1-5)
Chapter 6: Prepositions. Indefinite
pronouns
Review Chapter 2 and Read Chapter 3. Translate the Übungssätze for
Chapters 2 and 3. Read Johann Sebastian Bach and Das Leben des Galilei
Read Chapter 4. Translate the Übungssätze and Kurze Geschichte der
deutschen Hochschulen, pp. 43-44.
Read Chapter 5. Translate the Übungssätze.
TRANSLATION I: Die Geschichte, pp. 57-59.
Review Chapters 1-5.
Read Chapter 6 and translate the Übungssätze. Memorize the prepositions,
their meaning and cases!
M:
02/04
Chapter 7: Adjective endings. Adjectival
nouns.
W:
02/06
Chapter 8: Adverbs. Verbs with
separable prefixes. Nouns singular &
plural.
M:
02/11
Review Chapter 1. Translate the Übungssätze (practice sentences). Read Aller
Anfang ist schwer.
Read Chapter 7 and translate the Übungssätze.
TRANSLATION II: Die Romantik, pp. 76-77.
Read Chapter 8 and translate the Übungssätze. Read Dioramenmaler, pp. 8687. Underline all verb parts and write down the infinitives of the verbs.
Chapter 9: Perfect tense.
Read Chapter 9 and translate the Übungssätze. Start memorizing the list of
irregular verbs (pp. 294-297).
TRANSLATION III: Die Anfänge Bertolt Brechts, pp. 97-98.
W:
02/13
Chapter 10: Present and past participles
used as adjectives and nouns. Infinitives
used as nouns.
M:
02/18
Chapter 11: Comparison of adjectives.
Superlatives.
W:
02/20
QUIZ II (Verbs: backen – helfen)
Chapter 12: werden at its functions.
Future & future perfect tenses.
M:
02/25
Chapter 13: Passive voice (present &
simple past). More functions of werden.
W:
02/27
Chapter 14: Passive voice (perfect tense,
future tenses). Review of tenses and of
passive voice.
Read Chapter 10 and translate the Übungssätze. Continue memorizing the list
of irregular verbs!
Read Chapter 11 and translate the Übungssätze. Continue with the irregular
verbs.
TRANSLATION IV: Wiederholung 2, pp. 107-109.
Read Chapter 12 and translate the Übungssätze. Practice the irregular verbs
from backen to helfen. Read Die Welternährungskrise, pp. 129-130.
Underline all forms of werden and be able to explain their use.
Read Chapter 13 and translate the Übungssätze.
TRANSLATION V: Sturm und Drang, pp. 137-138. Please also explain
each use of werden.
Read Chapter 14 and translate the Übungssätze.
TRANSLATION VI: Ostdeutschlands Frauen suchen Selbständigkeit, pp.
145-146.
March 1-9: Spring Recess
M:
03/10
QUIZ III (Verns: kennen – schwören)
Chapter 15: Reflexive pronouns and
verbs. Suffixes –bar and –lich.
Read Chapter 15 and translate the Übungssätze. Practice the irregular verbs
from kennen to schwören.
W:
03/12
Chapter 16: Modal verbs
Read Chapter 16 and translate the Übungssätze. Memorize the meaning of the
modal verbs.
TRANSLATION VII: Paracelsus, pp. 155-157.
M:
03/17
Chapter 17: More tenses and functions
of modal verbs.
W:
03/19
QUIZ IV (Verbs: sehen – zwingen)
Chapter 18: Conjunctions. “False
friends” and “true friends.”
M:
03/24
W:
03/26
M:
03/31
W:
04/02
Easter Monday
Chapter 19: Relative pronouns &
relative clauses.
Chapter 20: Demonstrative pronouns.
More practice with relative clauses.
Review of conjunctions.
Chapter 21&22: Verb-first. Imperative.
Feminine suffixes. Infinitive with zu.
Read Chapter 17 and translate the Übungssätze. Read Größter Raub, pp. 174175 and underline all modal verbs. Be prepared to explain their function in
the sentence.
Read Chapter 18 and translate the Übungssätze. Read Der Zeppelin, pp. 183184 and underline all conjunctions. Explain whether they are coordinating or
subordinating. Practice the irregular verbs from sehen to zwingen.
No Class
Read Chapter 19 and translate the Übungssätze.
Read Chapter 20 and translate the Übungssätze. Memorize the irregular
verbs!
Read Chapters 21&22 and translate the Übungssätze.
TRANSLATION VIII: (Text to be distributed)
M:
04/07
QUIZ V (Irregular verbs!)
Chapter 23: Extended adjective
constructions.
Read Chapter 23 and translate the Übungssätze.
Know the entire list of irregular verbs!
W:
04/09
Chapter 24: More extended adjective
constructions.
Read Chapter 24 and translate the Übungssätze. Review Chapter 23 to get a
firm grasp on the extended adjective constructions. Feel free to prepare
additional sentences for practice.
W:
04/16
Chapter 25: Even more extended
adjective constructions. Participial
phrases.
Chapter 26&27: Da- and wocompounds. Es. Subjunctive.
M:
04/21
Chapter 28: Subjunctive in indirect
discourse.
Read Chapter 28 and translate the Übungssätze. Start thinking about items
that you would like to review!
TRANSLATION X: (Text to be distributed)
W:
04/23
Chapter 29&30: Special uses of
subjunctive I. Lassen. Idiomatic
expressions with es.
Read Chapters 29&30 and translate the Übungssätze for each chapter. Begin
with your comprehensive review!
Review Session
Review for the final exam! Note down questions and difficulties you
encountered. Translation of Practice Exam
M:
04/14
M:
04/28
W:
04/30
S:
05/10
Read Chapter 25 and translate the Übungssätze.
TRANSLATION IX: (Text to be distributed)
Read Chapters 26&27 and translate the Übungssätze. Read Das Attentat zu
Sarajewo, p. 261, and underline all subjunctive forms.
Reading Day
No Class
Final Exam 4:00-6:00pm
Don’t forget to bring a dictionary!