GERM 1003 - Elementary German I

Listening

• Develop aural comprehension of isolated words, such as cognates, borrowed words, and high-frequency social conventions, as well as aural comprehension of short phrases, simple questions, commands, and conversations.

Speaking

• Pronounce the alphabet correctly.
• Produce isolated words and high-frequency phrases, as well as express basic courtesies and the simplest of questions.
• Practice simple dialogue with fellow students, employing active vocabulary and grammatical structures.

Reading

• Identify isolated words and common phrases including cognates and borrowed words.
• Read and discuss simple materials such as invitations, calendars, letters, short cultural dialogues, and articles.

Writing

• Identify all the symbols in the alphabetic system, including correct use of umlauted vowels.
• Write isolated words, common phrases, simple questions including the use of Wquestions, numbers, and dates.
• Produce basic sentences using varied word order of subject, verb, direct object, time, manner, and place. Produce several short paragraphs including the use of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, modals, varied word order, and the use of nominative, accusative and dative cases.

Culture

• Identify major German-speaking countries.
• Discuss certain aspects of German culture, such as greetings, major holidays, university, shopping, and the family.

• Students develop higher order thinking skills.
• Students gain greater awareness of cultural perspectives
• Students can write clear, coherent, well-organized documents, which are substantially free of errors.
• Students develop effective oral communication skills.

Vocabulary

• Greetings and farewells, family, daily activities, career and overview of German-speaking countries.

Grammar

• Articles: definite and indefinite, present tense of verbs, interrogatives: Wwords, adverbs, adjectives, opposites, imperative forms, and the nominative, accusative and dative cases. 

Learning Activities

Informational gap activities, listening comprehension, open question and answer activities, surveys, and questionnaires completed in pairs or small groups and conducted in the target language emphasizing both verbal and written responses

Assessments

Teacher directed questions to check comprehension, tests: written and oral, quizzes, workbook, and final exam

Grading guidelines

Standardized quizzes and exams are graded with a common key. Compositions and verbal assessments are graded with a rubric.