German 202.01, Intermediate German II

The Citadel, fall 2007; 3.0 credit hours; MWF 0800-0850, BO 159

Prerequisite

GERM 201 or equivalent

Instructor

COL A E Gurganus (BO 159, Tel 953.5023, email )

Office hours MTWR 1430-1530 and other times by appointment

Texts

Brecht, Bertolt. Der kaukasische Kreidekreis. Frankfurt/Main: Suhrkamp, 1963. Not required but most helpful in writing compositions is a decent dictionary, such as Pons Schülerwörterbuch, which the bookstore stocks. Your old Deutsch heute or Treffpunkt Deutsch text should serve nicely as a reference grammar.

Objectives and Rationale

In the first three courses of the elementary-intermediate cycle you learned the rudiments of German vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and idiom. You have dealt with verb tense, voice, and mood; the case system; declension of nouns and adjectives; comparison of adjectives and adverbs; coordinating and subordinating conjunctions; relative pronouns; and a host of other topics. To reach this level, you demonstrated on chapter tests and exams that you comprehend a good deal of German when it’s spoken to you or as it appears in short reading passages. If you dutifully completed the assignments, then you have written thousands of German sentences by now. This semester you will use what you have learned already to read a sophisticated text, discuss it in class, and write compositions drawing on the readings and discussions. By so doing you will attain practical proficiency in German.

Expectations

Perfect attendance, careful preparation of reading assignments, daily participation in discussion, and meticulous attention to mechanics are critical for success. The readings form the heart of the course. You must look up the words you don’t know and learn them in their context. The use of a translation of the text is an honor violation! Finer points of grammar and style will be addressed as they occur in the text. In class discussion you must listen carefully to the questions and answer or comment so as to demonstrate your comprehension of the reading and your command of grammar. The subjects of the compositions will derive from the text. You will be given a rubric of grammatical constructions and linked vocabulary to employ in each essay. Here too you must show what you know. The use of any online dictionary, translating or copy-editing software or website is an honor violation!

Grading

Expect daily quizzes testing vocabulary and content. The quizzes will occur in the first five minutes of class (don’t come late!). The three lowest quiz grades will be dropped. Should you miss a quiz without prior arrangement, it becomes one of your drop grades. You will receive a daily participation grade: shrugged shoulders, blank looks, speechlessness, or “ich weiß nicht" rate an F. Compositions are to be handed in at the beginning of class on the date they fall due; no late papers will be accepted for any reason other than a dire emergency. After compositions are scored, we will meet to discuss your mistakes. Errors of tense, case, gender, number, and word order are major mistakes now. Compositions are to be done absolutely independently, ie, without assistance from anyone other than the instructor (don’t risk an HV!). The quiz average, participation average, each of the four compositions, and the final exam figure equally in the final grade.

Nota bene

Those who through bad judgment or poor advising have failed to complete the cycle in successive semesters and are taking this course after a lengthy separation from the language have a poor chance of passing. You needn’t tell me that you will not graduate in May if you don’t pass this course. I already know that; it’s you who must realize it.

Stundenplan

AugMi22:Einführung

Fr24:DkK, S. 61-910

Mo27:DkK, S. 911-1218

Mi29:DkK, S. 1219-1616

Fr31:DkK, S. 1617-2017

SepMo03:DkK, S. 2018-244

Mi05:DkK, S. 245-2714

Fr07:DkK, S. 2715-313

Mo10:DkK, S. 314-3420

Mi12:Besprechung

Fr14:1. Aufsatz fällig, Grammatisches

Mo17:DkK, S. 351-3813

Mi19:DkK, S. 3814-4130

Fr21:DkK, S. 4131-4422

Mo24:DkK, S. 4423-4722

Mi26:DkK, S. 4723-5110

Fr28:DkK, S. 5111-5428

OktMo01:DkK, S. 551-5733

Mi03:DkK, S. 581-6027

Fr05:2. Aufsatz fällig, Grammatisches

Mo08:DkK, S. 6028-6334

Mi10:DkK, S. 641-6717

Fr12:DkK, S. 6718-7031

Mo15:DkK, S. 7032-746

Mi17:DkK, S. 747-7610

Fr19:DkK, S. 771-7933

Mo22:DkK, S. 7933-8231

Mi24:DkK, S. 8232-867

Fr26:3. Aufsatz fällig, Grammatisches

Mo29:Besprechung

Mi31:DkK, S. 868-8934

NovFr02:DkK, S. 901-946

Mo05:DkK, S. 947-9732

Mi07:DkK, S. 9733-10016

Fr09:DkK, S. 10017-10317

Mo12:DkK, S. 1041-10715

Mi14:DkK, S. 10716-11031

Fr16:DkK, S. 11032-1154

Mo19:Urlaub

Mi21:Urlaub

Fr23:Urlaub

Mo26:DkK, S. 1155-11828

Mi28:4. Aufsatz fällig, Grammatisches

Fr30:DkK, S. 11829-12014

DezMo03:Besprechung und Bewertung