German 4020: Advanced German Composition 

(SPRING 2010)

 

Dr. Lawrence F. Glatz

Office: Plaza 360H

Phone: (303) 556-4268

E-Mail: glatz at mscd.edu

Syllabus | Objectives and Course Content | Required Text | Student Evaluation | Course Wiki | Attendance | Examinations | Course Calendar 

 

Syllabus

 

Please read the content of this syllabus carefully. It contains most of the general information which you will need for this course.

In this Syllabus, you will find information on the objectives of the course, required and recommended texts, student evaluation, attendance policy, examinations, and a Course Calendar.

The semester is broken into the chapters and assignments which we will cover, outlined in the Course Calendar.

To contact me outside of class or office hours, you can also make arrangements by phone or Email. In order to contact all students individually and as a group, please check your MetroConnect account regularly.

Please also review the policies of the Modern Languages Department at: http://www.mscd.edu/mdl/about/policies.shtml.

The NC (No Credit) option is available online until the Monday after the 10th week of the semester. For Spring 2010, the last day for indicating an NC is April 5, 2010.

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Objectives and Course Content

 

The goal of this course is to help advanced students learn to write more precisely, idiomatically, and accurately. We aim at finding the best possible way to express ourselves in various situations.

The exercises guide the students to state and defend their point of view, to contrast and compare, and to draw conclusions. Certain grammar points, word substitution and word usage exercises will always be an integral part of each composition.

This course will review grammar and expand vocabulary. While it is primarily an Advanced Composition course, the discussions of the reading selections and various exercises will reinforce communicative abilities.

This course is an advanced study of the application of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and grammatical structures necessary for effective written communication. It includes review and expansion of various grammatical topics, exercise on stylistics, and considerable expansion of the student’s vocabulary. Class is conducted in German.

If you have questions that you need to ask outside the class time or office hours, feel free to contact me!

Specific, Measurable Student Behavioral Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:


1.    Discuss readings in German with fourth year proficiency.

2.    Use the spoken present perfect forms with fourth year proficiency

3.    Use the subjunctive with fourth year proficiency.

4.    Use the written past tense in essays with fourth year proficiency.

5.    Write about assigned topics dealing with the modern German way of life, customs, holidays, sports, leisure time, and make comparisons to the United States.

6.    Demonstrate a deepened understanding of the cultures of the German speaking countries and discuss them with fourth year proficiency.


Detailed Outline of Course Content


1.    Expressing and Eliciting Opinions / Word Order

2.    Expressing Agreement / Adjective Endings

3.    Expressing Disagreement / Dependent Clauses

4.    Asking for and Giving Explanations / Gender and Plural Forms

5.    Referring to Observations and Drawing Conclusions / Relative Pronouns

6.    Expressing Certainty and Doubt / Helping Verbs

7.    Stating Facts and Exceptions / Reflexive Verbs

8.    Expressing Possibility and Impossibility / Subjunctive

9.    Expressing Agreement / Indirect Discourse

10.    Offering Suggestions and Advice / Passive Voice

11.    Expressing Probability and Improbability / Dependent Infinitives

12.    Comparing and Contrasting / Extended Adjective Modifiers


Teaching Goals

I strive to:

• exhibit knowledge of my subject matter

• show enthusiasm for my subject matter

• impart that enthusiasm to students

• maintain rigorous academic standards

• have a positive impact on students' learning and professional development

• show a commitment to teaching

• cultivate accessibility and open rapport with students

 
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Required Text

 

The one required text is a very good advanced German language workbook with excellent reading selections:

Der Treffende Ausdruck: Texte, Themen, Übungen, by Briggitte M. Turneaure (Norton, 1996).

(Shortened to DTA in the Course Calendar.)

A good (current, large) German-English/English-German dictionary is also recommended!

German Grammar Terms are at: http://www.lawrenceglatz.com/germ4020/grammatischetermini.htm

 

 

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Student Evaluation

 

Students will have a Final Course grade (100%) based on the following work:

30% - 10 Essays (best 10 of 12 - 10 @ 3% each)
***Any late submission can be penalized!
20% - 10 Revisions (best 10 of 12 - 10 @ 2% each)
***Any late submission can be penalized!

15% - Participation in class
15% - Participation in Class Story writing in the Course Wiki

10% - One Mid-term Examination

10% - One Final Examination

Typed Form for all essays:

Document naming: glatz_e1_v2.doc
Name / Version [Example: L. Glatz / First Essay, Second Version]; indented paragraphs;
double spaced, 12 point / Times Roman font; 1 inch margins, full justification;
Gender/Number/Case of each noun labeled [Example: im Haus (NSD) ];
20 lines on 1 page; use of Umlaut; roughly 225 to 250 words

Submission:

Essays (first version) are to be submitted in Blackboard by 8:00am each Thursday;
Essays will be graded and uploaded back into Blackboard by the following Monday at 8:00am.

Revisions of the returned essays are due the next Thursday at 8:00am;
Revisions will be graded and uploaded back into Blackboard by the following Monday at 8:00am.

Users can log directly into the course by using the following URL:

http://metrostate.blackboard.com/webct/logon/7648201769011
 

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Attendance Policy

Attendance is a must! 

Attendance is very important owing to participation in the discussions and learning from the various activities and exercises.

 

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Examinations

 

The course material will be tested in two examinations consisting of short answer and essay questions. The first examination in the eighth week of class will cover the topics up to that date and be 10% of the total course grade. The second examination during Finals week will be comprehensive, covering the entire semester, and count for 10% of the total course grade.

 

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Course Calendar

 

 

DTA = Der treffende Ausdruck

 

Week One:

20.01. - Introduction, Objectives, Resources

 

Week Two:

25.01. - 1. Kapitel: DTA 1-7; DTA 14-19

27.01. - DTA 19-23; 1. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3

 

Week Three:

01.02. - 2. Kapitel: DTA 26-32; DTA 41-45

03.02. - DTA 45-48; 2. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 1. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Four:

08.02. - 3. Kapitel: DTA 51-58; DTA 66-72

10.02. - DTA 72-75; 3. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 2. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Five:

15.02. - 4. Kapitel: DTA 78-84; DTA 89-96

17.02. - DTA 96-99, 4. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 3. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Six:

22.02. - 5. Kapitel: DTA 103-108; DTA 114-21

24.02. - DTA 121-24, 5. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 4. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Seven:

01.03. - 6. Kapitel: DTA 127-34; DTA 142-48

03.03. - DTA 148-51, 6. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 5. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Eight:

08.03. - Review

10.03. - Mid-term Examination

 

Week Nine:

15.03. - 7. Kapitel: DTA 155-64; DTA 170-75

17.03. - DTA 175-78; 7. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 6. Aufsatzthema
 

Spring Break!

22.03. - No Class

24.03. - No Class

 

Week Ten:

29.03. - 8. Kapitel: DTA 181-86; DTA 194-202

31.03. - DTA 202-06, 8. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 7. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Eleven:

05.04. - 9. Kapitel: DTA 209-16; DTA 222-28

07.04. - DTA 228-31, 9. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 8. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Twelve:

12.04. - 10. Kapitel: DTA 235-41; DTA 248-52

14.04. - DTA 253-56, 10. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 9. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Thirteen:

19.04. - 11. Kapitel: DTA 259-66; DTA 270-76

21.04. - DTA 276-80, 11. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 10. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Fourteen:

26.04. - 12. Kapitel: DTA 283-91; DTA 295-302

28.04. - DTA 303-06; 12. Aufsatzthema: 1 oder 2 oder 3; Revision of 11. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Fifteen:

03.05. - DTA 311-14; Semester Review

05.05. - Semester Review; Revision of 12. Aufsatzthema

 

Week Sixteen: Final Examinations:

Exact Date to be announced!

 

The above outline is tentative, but essay (Aufsatzthema) submission dates are firm.

The assignments in the textbook for a given week may change somewhat.

In any case, you will be kept informed throughout the semester!

 

  

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This homepage was created by Dr. Lawrence F. Glatz.

 

Please send your suggestions or comments to him at: glatz at mscd.edu

Last modified: January 31, 2010