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==========Why this course this way? At the language proficiency level that is characteristic of students in third-year German, systematic attention should be given to the related topics of education, profession, occupation, and being able to function "on the ground" for an indefinite stay in D-A-CH as a resident, employee, entrepreneur, and participant in public culture. This includes being able to discuss and document how you got where you are in your education and employment, and what you intend to accomplish in the future. Our course will explore that grand theme in several ways. You will read and listen to resources that show you how users of German approach such essential issues as establishing a residence (and documenting residency); dealing with other matters of officialdom; interacting with employers, colleagues, and customers; arranging medical care; taxes; personal finance; family (child care, schools); being well informed; everyday cultural differences (both general and work-related). ==========Specifics about the What Each week you will research one of these topics, either with resources I provide or those which you find with my help. On Tuesdays we will discuss those topics in class and you will write or present orally about them. Most of your reading and listening will be in German. Occasionally there were be materials in English, either because it would be too difficult to handle them efficiently in German, or because they provide non-German perspectives. Depending on the general language level of the group, we may also look at several topics that or controversial in themselves or that show cultural differences between the US and D-A-CH. Examples include: labor laws (including minimum wage), religion in schools, Kindergeld, Kirchensteuer, guns, alcohol, Ladenschluß and other "blue laws" like noise regulations, speed limits, residence laws and concepts of privacy But learning German for practical purposes, including occupational use, also means being able to function in the workplace in something like a real employment environment. So every week, on Thursdays, we will carry out the business of "SpeakEasy", a student-run business entrepreneurship created by students in PSU WLL languages courses (primarily German). SpeakEasy produces language-related consumer articles that feature sustainability, such as multilingual greeting cards printed on natural fiber paper, and travel mugs and disc flyers made from 100% recycled plastic. Participating in SpeakEasy is like being in a small, local business (which SE is!), except that all the people in the business communicate in German rather than English. Here "workplace" and "business" are defined broadly: not just the corporate world, but also small independent enterprises and the activities of free-lancers and the world of those who earn their way in life in the professions, the academic world, and the arts. In your SpeakEasy activity you will be discussing products and processes; developing ideas about design, marketing and sales; and helping make decisions about where the enterprise will go in the future. You'll learn some basic business terminology ("contract", "profit", "loss"), but even more you will reinforce your proficiency at the level of everyday grown-up language ("fold", "margin", "pack", "deliver", "font", "print", "save", "thumb drive", "cursor"). You will also learn about small D-A-CH companies, both the familly-owned, multigenerational businesses (Mittelstand) that are the backbone of much of the economy in those countries, and Schülerfirmen, which are student-run companies conducted in middle and high schools. The intent, beyond language proficiency, is that you will learn more, from a ground-level view, about teh working world, both in general and German-specific, and thus be more competitive for employment and more informed as a citizen. Each week you can expect to read the equivalent of 20 pages in German, drawn solely from authentic sources, not textbooks. You can also expect to hear German audio in one or more segments that total about 10 minutes (though you will likely need to listen to the segments several times). The segments will be authentic, but I will select them to suit the level of third-year German. Your reading and listening will be the source of class discussions and individual writing, but you will also do some translating (and in the case of audio, transcription, since third-year German ears can still be very unreliable and easily fatigued). Most of the SpeakEasy discussions will not require advance preparation in German, though I will offer food for advance thought. Some of the writing activities will be devoted to SpeakEasy topics. I will regularly present grammar topics that target important features of the language at the third-year (ACTFL: Intermediate-High) level. An example in the first week will be how to sequence two actions that are separated in time, by using equivalents of "before" and "after(ward)". These constructions are constant problems at this level and are essential to moving to the next higher level of proficiency (ACTFL: Advanced). I will also introduce vocabulary in context, aimed at the current theme and also at the generic vocabulary of education, profession, occupation, employment and the workplace. When, for example, our topic is education and employment, vocabulary will include "training", "skills", "graduate", "complete", "progress", etc. During each class I will note what other words and structures come up, and will revise the meeting notes to include those lists. ==========Grading and Assessment Your assignments will be evaluated according to either or both of the common sets of standards in foreign languages: ACTFL and EU (which will be discussed in class) You will be encouraged or even required to revised your work, and you can raise your grade significantly by doing so. KEEP ALL YOUR ASSIGNMENTS AND ALL VERSIONS OF THEM. Toward the end of the quarter you'll be assembling your work into a portfolio that can be used to support applications for employment or scholarships. Grading will consist of: 40% regular writing and listening assignments 10% portfolio in finished form 10% class participation and attendance 40% final (real-time) presentation (oral and written) of your accomplishments in the course I reserve the right to introduce quizzes and a midterm if I think effort is insufficient, and to adjust the percentages listed here. ==========Some recommended resources: Fischer & Richardson, German Reference Grammar (PDF, free via this link) Fischer & Richardson, German Pictorial Dictionary (PDF, free via this link) Farrell, R.B. Dictionary of German Synonyms (link to Amazon source of print versions). More more than it sounds. Not a list of German synonyms for German words, but rather a well-considered collection of key but difficult English words (learn, knowledge, change, move) and their many German equivalents, with explanations of difference in meanings, and illustrations of usage. I will probably give you occasional pages. Nees, Greg. Germany: Unraveling an Enigma (link to Amazon source of print and e-book versions). Used in Fall 2013 version of GER 301. Wonderful presentation of culture (everyday and deep) as it relates to language, with attemption to the workplace and the economy. A comprehensive history, in English, of D-A-CH or at least D. There are many goods ones; one of the absolute best is Ozment, Steven. A Mighty Fortress: A New History of the German People (link to Amazon source of print versions - don't know why it isn't out for Kindle). Nees does a good short-short version, but Ozment gets far more depth and detail. From here on in your study of German you simply must have a detailed grasp of the history. A comprehensive study of German cultural and intellectual history, or at least a close look at a key period. Highly recommended: Watson, Peter. The German Genius: Europe's Third Renaissance, the Second Scientific Revolution and the Twentieth Century (link to Amazon print and e-book versions). Regular time spent with on-line German-speaking news media, whether from website of the various networks (ARD, Deutsche Welle, ÖRF) or news broadcasts delivered by apps like TuneIn. More info later in the quarter. For short but incisive coverage, in English, of political, economic and cultural happenings and trends in the German-speaking world, I highly recommend the weekly magazine The Economist. It does far more than its title says. I will probably give you articles from it occasionally. ==========About language learning and how we spend out time in class By this state in your language learning (and, actually, much earlier) the time you spend in a classroom is woefully insufficient to produce much language learning. This has two implications: 1) You have to do a lot of German outside class (not just studying, but also encountered the language and the people directly. 2) If we spend some classtime dealing with important matters in English, that is not inappropriate. Two areas come to mind: a) learning about learning, so that you can engage more efficiently with the language; b) discussing complex social and cultural issues. But when we use German, which will be most of the time, you have to jump right in and give it your attention and energy. I'll do my best to make sure you have to do that. Silence is the biggest mistake you can make in this course. |