German 320
COMPOSITION & CONVERSATION on
CONTEMPORARY AFFAIRS
Spring 2014
Mo, We 12:00-1:50 PM
Room: WPH 204
Instructor: Dr. Britta Bothe
Office Hour: Tu 4-4:50PM,
We 11-11:50&2-2:50PM
in THH 353
Office: Max Kade Institute room 208
E-mail: bothe@usc.edu
Phone: Susan Kechekian: (213) 740-2735
My direct line: (213) 743-1886
TEXT:
 Reader
 Donahue, Frank: Deutsche Wiederholungsgrammatik, Yale University Press, 2009.
 Desk size dictionary
WELCOME TO GERMAN 320!
Course Description:
The latest news and developments in German speaking countries will be the focus of this course.
We will discuss newspaper articles, video clips, films and web sites on politics and culture to ensure
that you will be introduced to “hot button issues” that are debated in the contemporary Germanspeaking world. These controversial topics will allow you to immerse yourself into current German
culture and give you the opportunity to compare and contrast American perspectives with those of
the German speaking countries.
We will cover a wide range of material (print media, music, literature, film, news clips etc.). The main
course goal is to hone your speaking and writing skills while discussing contemporary affairs. You
will increase your active vocabulary (including a more formal language register) and review the more
advanced grammar structures to integrate them into your everyday language repertoire.
German 320
Spring 2014
Dr. Britta Bothe
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Course Objectives and Assessment:
The educational objectives and testing methods used in this course are categorized below.
Objective:
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encourage students to engage with a variety of different texts in German (including news articles,
video clips, German literature & film), and develop students independent research skills
employing a range of academic resources
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enhance students capacity to analytically read, dissect, manage and synthesize information in
the target language from a wide range of material and to make connections and comparisons to
their own perspective/culture
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hone students’ ability to interpret and critically discuss (in writing & orally) these different texts in
German.
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enhance the ability of students to write a variety of different texts including interpretive analysis of
a text/film, expressing more complex arguments in German.
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enable students to give well informed presentations and enhance their capacity for partner and
group work
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at the end of the semester, students will demonstrate a solid understanding of the contemporary
issues in German speaking countries that were discussed during the course of the semester and
feel comfortable to discuss these issues at an intermediate high to advanced language level.
Form of assessment: Discussions, exams, short quizzes, oral, presentation, 3-minute
presentations, essays, blog, other homework assignments and portfolio.
1) ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION. Please take attendance and participation seriously. Not only
does your oral performance in the class account for more than a quarter of the final grade, you will of
course also profit a lot more from the course: the more students are in class on a regular basis the more
lively the discussion and the more interesting the course will be. If you cannot attend, please notify me
of your absence before class. If you have to miss a class period due to illness, you are expected to
cover the assignment for the missed class and come fully prepared to the next session. Written
excuses for class are assigned for medical reasons only. More than two unexcused absences will
affect final grades. For each additional absence your participation grade will drop by half a grade.
Class attendance is absolutely necessary in order for language improvement to take place!
2) Exams. We will have a mid-term, a final and an oral in this class. The written midterm and final
examinations will test your reading comprehension, writing and grammar skills. The MIDTERM will be a
test in class; you will be given a German text on a subject that relates to the discussion topics we
covered in class and questions. A second section will include some ID questions that will prompt you to
explain a key phrase/name etc. In addition, there will be a section with some grammar exercises. The
FINAL exam will be a Combination of in-class (Vocabulary and ID questions) and take home final,
testing your familiarity with the material and vocabulary covered in class.
The final assignments are handed to you Wednesday, April 30, 2014
(Electronic version) Due date: May 5th, 2014, 12PM
Throughout the semester we will have some SHORT (10-minute )Quizzes covering vocabulary and
grammar.
The ORAL will consist of an individual 15-20 Minute recorded conversation with your instructor. The
conversation will cover personal interests, topics discussed in class and/or a short role-play.
3) Throughout the semester, there will be various short ASSIGNMENTS that will require each
student to do some research and to report his/her findings to the class. Other assignments will
include:
German 320
Spring 2014
Dr. Britta Bothe
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A. A number of preparatory reading assignments (of short texts), which will be important for our
discussions in class. (Please take notes and prepare questions!) Every student will sign up for a
subscription of the daily Deutsche Welle newsletter (world news in German) www.dw-world.de.
B. Essays: Topics will normally be assigned on Wednesdays and are due the following Monday.
The minimum length of each composition is one typed double-spaced page. A second draft is
mandatory. No exceptions are made and no late work will be accepted.
C. Presentation: Each student will lead the discussion for one class session. You will introduce
your classmates to a topic relating to the news or current public discourse in one of the German
speaking countries /or German-American relations. After your short presentation you will lead the
discussion of the topic for the day. Every student has to talk about his/her ideas to the instructor
before starting work on the project. You will have to choose your topic by week four of the semester
– your presentations will take place in April. Part of the presentation will be material you hand out to
your fellow students (one class meeting in advance of your presentation) to give them a chance to
acquaint themselves with the issue and a vocabulary primer for the discussion - a copy of all the
material has to be handed in to the instructor at least a week before the presentation. A written
summary of approximately two pages in length must be submitted as part of your portfolio. The
summary will cover content and a self-evaluation on what you wanted to achieve with your
presentation and how it was received. (The self-evaluation part of the presentation summary can be
written in English).
D. 3-Minute Presentations: These presentations are not formal presentations but rather short
commentaries about an article/topic that will serve as an introduction to the class discussion that day
or short “panel discussions” where the pros and cons of an issue are debated. Each student will be
responsible for two of these mini-presentations. Please base your analysis on research to present
the class with well-founded arguments.
E. Portfolio: Each student is responsible for an individual e-portfolio. This will consist of all the
essays and homework assignments, vocabulary lists for topics we covered in class, the
Presentation-essay, Presentation and Oral Audio files and a final statement about your learning
experience.
F. Blog: Each student will contribute to the class blog. Every week you will write at least one entry
on current news, texts, pod casts or videos we cover in class or texts that you explore independently
from the class. The blog will prepare you for the class discussions and will function as a reading
journal and discussion forum for the class.
G. Vocabulary lists: Each student is responsible for compiling a vocabulary list using unfamiliar
words covered in class (the format will be discussed in class) – you will hand in an electronic version
every two weeks.
4) ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: The University Student Code of Conduct prohibits all forms of academic
dishonesty. In compliance with this policy, no form of cheating will be tolerated. At the instructor's
discretion, students who are believed to be violating this policy will be questioned immediately.
Possible consequences include a failing grade (F) on the assignment, course failure, and/or referral
to judiciaries. This code applies to ALL aspects of this course.
Examples of Academic Misconduct include, but are not limited to:
• THE USE OF ANY TRANSLATION SOFTWARE
• PLAGIARISM
• FAILURE TO CITE SOURCES IN AN ESSAY
• ANY EDITING/WRITING HELP FROM ANY PERSON other than USC instructors
On the following webpage are some guidelines on how to properly document outside sources and
how to avoid plagiarism:
http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/forms/tig.pdf)
German 320
Spring 2014
Dr. Britta Bothe
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5) Grading Policy
Attendance /Participation
Homework/Blog (150 pts.) Essays (150pts)
Midterm
Oral
Final
Short vocab/grammar quizzes
3-minute presentations
Presentation
Portfolio
15%
30%
10%
5%
15%
5%
5%
10%
5%
6) Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
C-
94 – 100
90 – 93
87 – 89
84 – 86
80 – 83
77 –79
74 – 76
70 – 73
D+
D
DF
67 – 69
63 – 66
60 – 62
59 and under
7) Important Deadlines
Jan. 31
Jan. 31
Jan. 31
Last day to register and add classes
Last day to drop a class without a mark of "W,"
Last day to change enrollment option to Pass/No Pass
or Audit
Last day to drop a class with a mark of W
April 11th
8) Tentative Course Outline
We will discuss current news events – Hence, I will not be able to provide a weekly outline. Some of
the topics will include:
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Gays in professional sports/Homosexuality in German society
New German Government
“Danger-zone” in Hamburg – constitutional?
Right wing extremism (NSU-Court case)
Germany and the EU
NSA affair/Merkel visit in Washington D.C.
Migration/integration (work-immigration or fleeing poverty?)
Winter Olympics in Sotschi
Renewable energies
Gedenkjahr: 25 years reunification, 100 years World War I, 75 years WWII
100th anniversary of Bertha von Suttner’s and August Macke’s death
Freiheitsindex 2013/social justice poll
Recent news from the Feuilleton page (Music, Art, Literature)
German 320
Spring 2014
Dr. Britta Bothe
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