METUCHEN HIGH SCHOOL
GERMAN 2
Course Outline
I.
Overview of Course
A continuation of grammar, vocabulary building and communicative skills leads the
students to a more sophisticated speaking, writing and comprehension of basic
German. The curriculum will focus on those two elements addressed in the New
Jersey World Language Content Standards:
7.1(Communication) All students will be able to communicate in at least one
world language in addition to English. They will use language to engage in
conversation, understand and interpret spoken and written language, present
information, concepts, and ideas while making connections with other disciplines
compare the language/culture studied with their own; and participate in
multilingual communities.
7.2(Culture) All students will demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives of
a culture(s) through experiences with its products and practices.
II.
Subject Areas Covered
Grammar, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and culture based on Chapters 8-11 of
Komm mit! I and Chapters 1-4 of Komm mit! II.
A. Grammar
1. Verbs
a. the verbs wissen, wollen, sollen, dürfen, können, mögen, essen,
geben, werden, nehmen, fahren
b. separable prefix verbs: anrufen, einladen, vorhaben, ausgehen,
anfangen
c. command forms
d. simple past tense of haben and sein
e. the conversational past tense, past participle
f. the reflexive verbs
2. Nouns, pronouns and other parts of speech
a. first, second and third person pronouns – accusative and dative
cases
b. the impersonal pronoun “man”
c. possessive pronouns, nominative and accusative
d. forms of “kein”, nominative and accusative
e. dieser, welcher, jeder, nominative and accusative cases
f. was für ein?
g. der-die-das used as demonstrative pronouns
h. dative case
i. review of accusative case
3. Prepositions
a. dative prepositions: in, an, auf
b. accusative prepositions: durch, für, gegen, um
4. Clauses and Conjunctions
a. Subordinate Conjunctions: weil, wenn, daß
B. Vocabulary
1. Nouns learned with appropriate articles in singular and plural
forms
2. Pronunciation and spelling
3. Nouns from verbs and adjectives
4. Nouns using etwas
C. Communicative functions
1. Exchanging information
a. pointing out landmarks, asking directions
b. talking about shopping
c. telling what there is to eat and drink
d. making negative statements
e. asking for information
f. talking about what you did, reporting hearsay
g. asking about friends and how they keep fit
h. talking about meals
i. talking about gifts and holidays
j. inviting friends
k. discussing vacation plans, past and present
2. Persuading
a. suggesting where to stop
b. making requests
c. talking about things to do at a party
d. making suggestions and responding to ideas
e. giving advice, urging someone to do something
f. mentioning consequences
3. Expressing feelings, attitudes and opinions
a. expressing annoyances, preference, or indifference
b. asking and telling how something tastes
c. choices about where to go
d. discussing movies
e. liking or disliking something
f. expressing surprise, enthusiasm, admiration, happiness
g. saying what you may or may not do, giving advice
h. agreeing or contradicting, expressing a need
i. expressing certainty, uncertainty, improbability
j. asking about how much something looks on someone and how
it fits
k. asking for, giving and refusing permission
4. Socializing
a. saying what you want or do not want
b. talking about the weather
c. inviting someone to a party, accepting or declining an
invitation
d. offering someone something to eat or drink, accepting or
declining
e. getting someone’s attention
f. expressing good wishes, complimenting, affirming and
reassuring
g. expressing regret, responding
h. inquiring about someone’s health, saying how you feel
i. talking about pain, expressing get-well wishes
D. Culture
1. some standard greetings
2. states in Germany
3. shopping for groceries, weights and liquid measurements
4. reading a menu
5. the cities of Munich, Dresden and Frankfurt, culture and
character
6. planning a party, inviting friends, party food, a party invitation
7. young people going out: concerts, movies, favorite stars and
groups
8. occasions for giving gifts, buying presents, birthday cards and
thank you notes
9. travel brochure, vacationing in German, popular vacation spots,
sending postcard
10. physical fitness and proper diet
11. the German weekday, meals and typical foods
12. foods teenagers like to eat most and least
13. what young Germans eat as snacks
14. allowance and jobs, spending money
15. concerns about money and fashion
16. expectations of parents; difficulties in looking for a job, types of
jobs available to teenagers
17. clothing sizes in Germany
18. problems and decisions young people face
19. conflicts and plans for the future
20. the school system in Germany
21. young people’s dreams, hopes and wishes for the future
III.
Methodology
A. Teacher-directed lessons
B. Audio-visual and eclectic approach
C. Individual, group and cooperative learning activities
D. Individual and group projects
IV.
Instructional Objectives
A. The learning of grammar is an ongoing process that unfolds within the
context of communication and in enhanced by instruction that has direct,
practical application to oral and written activities. Grammatical
instruction will be integrated in a language alive learning environment.
B. Much of the emphasis of instruction is on communicative skills. Students
will be expected to participate in daily oral exercises. Since this
participation will be assessed, absenteeism may have a negative effect on a
student’s grade.
C. In classroom activities as well as in homework assignments, students will
be encouraged to use a variety of resources and technologies to develop
the four language skills.*
D. Culture is an integral part of learning another language.
E. Links with other disciplines will enhance the learning of a second
language.
F. Exploring employment opportunities where the German language is
advantageous.
G. Encouraging the students to engage in original and spontaneous
conversation.
V.
Expectations for the Language Learner/Required Proficiencies
I = Introduced
C = Continuation of Skills
NDA = Not Developmentally Appropriate
Listening
7.1/A-1
I
7.1/A-6
C
7.1/A-6
C
Reading
7.1/A-1
7.1/B-5
7.1/B-5
C
I
I
Students will comprehend directions, questions, statements, short
conversations and authentic materials in the present and past tenses
about familiar topics and everyday situations.
Students will demonstrate the general understanding of expanded
messages, conversations and authentic materials that contain some
unfamiliar material.
Students will comprehend some familiar elements: phrases, idiomatic
expressions, setting information, etc., in everyday material produced
for native speakers for the language spoken at a normal rate of
speech.
Students will comprehend print material containing learned structures
and vocabulary.
Students will understand the concepts and details of connected prose
(narratives or dialogues) in a familiar context which may contain
unfamiliar material.
Students will understand the concept and some details of short texts
(programs, letters and cultural realia) produced for native speakers of
7.1/B-2
Speaking
7.1/B-1
C
C
7.1/B-1
I
7.1/B-2
I
7.1/B-1
7.1/B-1
C
C
7.1/A-7
C
7.1/B-1
I
7.1/B-3
I
7.1/B-4
C
7.1/C-1
C
Writing
7.1/ B-1
7.1/ B-1
7.1/ A-7
7.1/ C-1
C
I
I
C
the language. Meaning will be derived from contextual cues and
inferences.
Students will develop emerging awareness of, and ability to use,
reading strategies such as inferring meaning from context, skimming
and scanning for information, expanding vocabulary knowledge
through work families and using the dictionary.
Students will initiate and sustain with increasing ease and confidence
a simple conversation based on previously practiced material.
Students will respond briefly to questions and statements in the
present and the past tenses.
Students will be understood in a variety of familiar everyday
situations by native speakers who are used to interacting with nonnative speakers.
Students will express likes, dislikes and preferences.
Students will express basic personal needs.
Students will identify some common and distinct features such as
parts of speech and vocabulary among languages.
Students will interact with appropriate responses in limited social
settings and basic situations.
Students will express details of their everyday lives and of past
experiences.
Students will engage in original and spontaneous conversation in the
language studied.
Students will organize thoughts into coherent oral speech.
Students will write sentences and simple paragraphs in a logical
sequence, expanding upon previously taught and practiced material.
Under controlled conditions, students will write simple notes, letters,
synopses, narratives and dialogue in the major time frame.
Students will include some idiomatic expressions, using word choice,
syntax structure that are appropriate to the target language and
comprehensible to readers of the native language.
Students will write short dialogue based on previously taught
material.
Culture
7.2/A-2
C
7.2/A-2
C
7.2/A-2
C
7.2/A-2
C
Students will recognize and practice culturally appropriate social
behaviors and gestures that occur in everyday life.
Students will recognize similarities and differences between their
own and the target language culture.
Students will compare the customs of their own culture and the
studied culture.
Students will understand the role of stereotyping in forming and
7.2/A-3
7.2/A-2
7.2/A-2
7.2/A-3
7.2/A-5
7.2/A-5
sustaining prejudice.
Students will demonstrate an awareness of contributions made in
NDA
many fields by men and women of diverse cultures.
Students will recognize and understand verbal and nonverbal cues
C
within a culture.
Students will explore and discuss similarities and differences among
C
various cultures.
Students will explore and discuss representative works of diverse
NDA
cultures in many fields of endeavor.
Students will analyze interrelationships between the language and the
culture of a given group of people as evidenced in their literary works
NDA
and communications, as well as in their political, economic and
religious structures.
Students will use technology to enhance language acquisition and to
C
acquire current cultural information in order to develop more
accurate impressions of the culture studied.
Other Requirements
1. Much of the emphasis of instruction is on communicative skills. Students will be
expected to participate in daily oral exercises. Since this participation will be assessed,
absenteeism may have a negative effect on their grade.
2. Students will successfully pass quizzes, tests, midterm and final examinations.
VI.
Texts and other Materials
A. Komm mit! I
B. Komm mit! II
C. Supplementary readers such as der Verlorene Koffer
D. Teacher-prepared materials
Revised 6/2005