go to week

Course goals, structure, materials, policies. Importance of classroom for learning the spoken language. Survey of learning styles, exploration of learning strategies. Advice about studying. German from a wider perspective: Why are YOU learning German? Why do people learn German? What can German add to your studies, occupation, life? Course director or assistant presents "Big Picture" view of course.

Assignment #1: Get in touch! Is assigned on first day of class and due by next class meeting; but doing it even earlier gets you a better grade.

Assignment #2: Explore the course materials - instructors set own start and due dates.

Assignment #3: Take the online WebCAPE placement test for German - instructors set own start and due dates. This assignment is being replaced by an equivalent one. For years the PSU WLL Department had an unlimited license for the test, which was developed at another university. All our students could take it at no cost. The test has been spun off to an outside company, which wants $10 per student. So we won't do that.

Resources for Oktoberfest

Course director visits with presentation about assessment, scoring guides, tests and grading.

Practice writing test and self-evaluation tutorial, covering Kontext 1; will be conducted in class; uses the course generic Scoring Guide

Assignment #4: ••IGNORE THIS ASSIGNMENT. It will be activated later. Let's learn about your learning styles and strategies in relation to language study. Is assigned on the last day of classes the SECOND week of the course and due by the next class meeting (first meeting of third week of classes); but doing it even earlier gets you a better grade.

Listening comprehension test #1 - conducted in class, late in Week 2, IF INSTRUCTOR ANNOUNCES IT IN TIME.

Introduction to regular "Tagesschau" assignment.

Introduction to regular "practice chart" assignment.

Project 1: "German all around me" - Due in two weeks; instructors will activate the assignment and announce specific due dates for their own sections.

Resources for die Wende (German Reunification) & Kristallnacht

Talks & tutorials: how we learn; what it means to study and learn a language; course director may visit with presentation about grammar: what it is, what it is not, how to learn it, how not to learn it.

Assignment #5 Rate your own proficiency and your expectations for later proficiency. May be postponed until later in the quarter. Due 1 week after instructor activates the assignment.

Practice oral test (ungraded) and self-evaluation tutorial (graded), covering through Kontext 2; will be conducted in class.

Regular self-evaluations with writing samples begin (1 per Kontext)

Writing Test #1 - download and do outside of class; instructors will activate the test and announce due dates for their own sections.

Oral Test #1 - conducted in class; instructors will announce dates for their own sections

Tagesschau Assignment #1 (due in 1 week) - link to come.

Resources for baseball in German-speaking countries (link to come)

Project 2: "Wir und unsere Familien • About Us and Our Families" - Instructors will activate the assignment and announce due dates for their own sections.

Resources for Allerseelen / Allerheiligen / Halloween

Regular assignments about internet news and culture begin (1 per Kontext)

Resources about voting and elections (link to come)

Oral Test #2. Instructors will announce schedules for their own sections.

Writing Test #2. Instructors will activate the test and announce due dates for their own sections.

Resources about Veterans Day;
Resources about the German military

Project 3: "Meine Traumreise - My Dream Trip" - instructors will activate the project and announce due dates for their own sections.

Resources for Thanksgiving / Erntedankfest

Resources for Christmas and other winter holidays (link to come)

You may take your final with any section. If you are not taking yours with your own section, please inform both instructors involved.