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Course Description:

Structures of German reviews the most challenging aspects of German grammar and prepares students for the German university’s language entrance exam for foreign students. The course provides a variety of information about German culture, but is structured specifically for students who wish to improve their proficiency in German. The course will place particular emphasis on grammatical accuracy in written German, but will also offer practice in reading, speaking, and listening skills.

Class meetings will consist of:

• grammatical explanations, review, and practice;
• discussion and review of particularly difficult grammar exercises;
• discussions of reading material;
• revisions of papers; and
• oral presentations by students.

• Dreyer & Schmidt: A Practice Grammar of German. (Pitt Book Center) [required]
• Dreyer: Lösungsschlüssel zu allen zweisprachigen Ausgaben. (Pitt Book Center) [required]
• Menasche, L.: Writing a Research Paper. U of Michigan Press (Pitt Book Center) [strongly recommended, but not required]
• FOCUS and Der Spiegel: Subscription to German magazines for 5 weeks - (pay me $25 by the second week of the semester).[required]
• Photocopied handouts from instructor.

Your Course Grade will be calculated as follows:

The effectiveness of each class session will depend on your preparation–you should plan on spending about 2 hours outside of class for each class session. Each day’s homework will include both grammar reading and exercises as well as a text or piece of cultural material to read and comment on.

Successful class participation depends not simply on quantity of participation, but also on quality of participation; be prepared to ask questions about difficult grammar exercises, to discuss texts under consideration, and to engage the material. I evaluate participation each class period (on a 0-10 scale), so I can tell you your participation grade at any time during the semester. Participation will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

7 - minimal participation (attend, but don’t contribute)
8 - average participation (contribute only once)
9 - above average participation (contribute twice or more)
10 - exceptional participation (contribute three times or more)

Since I give daily participation grades, attendance is mandatory–any student not in class, receives a 0 for that day (numerically this means that 3 unexcused absences will result in an entire letter grade drop for participation, i.e. B- Y C-). You are allowed two unexcused absences without penalty. Family and medical emergencies are excusable, but only if you contact me before class and provide an official doctor’s excuse afterward.

This will consist mainly of grammar exercises, but will also include shorter written assignments (1-2 pages) on specific topics. For the grammar exercises, read the explanatory material before answering the questions. After completing the exercises, compare them with the answer key and correct any errors in different colored ink. A portion of class time will be devoted to explaining grammatical difficulties that surface from the exercises. Please be conscientious about correcting your exercises after you do them since 1) this will help you learn the grammar better and 2) it will promote class learning as well.

I will collect homework every class period. Homework will be given a T (satisfactory), T+ (excellent), or T- (unsatisfactory) grade. To receive a T+, you should carefully complete and correct all exercises assigned for that day.

Note: I do not accept late work without prior notice. If an emergency prevents you from submitting work on time, you must contact me before the deadline.

Quizzes:

There will be a quiz every Friday (except for test days). Each quiz will cover conjugations of 15 irregular verbs. The verbs and their meanings are listed on a handout accompanying this syllabus.

Tests will cover both the grammatical material listed on the weekly syllabus, as well as cultural content (readings, oral reports, etc.) treated during the same period. Test questions might include fill-in-the-blanks and translations, but are also likely to have short answers, a longer essay, a sight-reading of a text, and creative sections where you write dialogues. You should be prepared to write in complete sentences in your best German.

Test Dates:

Test #1: Tuesday, January 24

Test #2: Wednesday, February 12

Test #3: Wednesday, March 12

Test #4: Wednesday, April 2

Final Exam: Tuesday, April 22, 4:00-5:50 p.m.

You will present a brief (10 minute) oral presentation once during the semester. This will involve:

1) selecting a topic early in the semester (either from the list below or in consultation with me);

2) discussing your presentation with me during office hours at least one week prior to your presentation date. At this time you will also submit a draft of the handout to me (see description of the handout in #4);

3) presenting (spoken extemporaneously, not read) the material in class in your best German. It should be understandable to both your classmates and the professor, and should fill but not exceed the allotted time frame (10 minutes);

4) distributing a 1-2 page handout for your classmates. This handout should summarize the salient points of your presentation and should also include a bibliography of the sources used in your research. Your bibliography should be written in accordance with the guidelines in Writing a Research Paper [Note: Do not rely solely on internet sources! The internet is useful, but often unreliable; take the time to do research at Hillman library.]

Other topics are possible, but must be approved first by the instructor.

The final exam will take place on Tuesday, April 22^nd from 4:00 to 5:50 p.m. This will be a comprehensive exam and will cover the range of grammar and cultural content covered in the course of the semester.

You will write a research paper in German of at least 8 pages in length on a topic of your choice (although not the topic of your pts;report) having to do with some aspect of German culture. This should not be an interpretation of a literary text, but a comprehensively researched study (relying on at least five book-length sources) that will provide insight into the German-speaking world. A list of possible topics is included in this syllabus. In addition, during the first part of the course we will critique examples of earlier papers so that you can see what other students have written.

Because the writing and research process is long and involved (finding a topic, learning about it, developing a thesis, structuring your paper, writing your paper, revising your paper), I would strongly advise that you start thinking about your research paper immediately. Begin searching Hillman Library, the Internet, magazines, newspapers, etc. to find a topic that interests you. Make certain that you have a number of German-language sources on this topic–trying to do your own translations of significant terms will only slow you down and will most likely cause many grammar mistakes.

In order to help you at all stages of the writing process, we will be referring to and working with Lionel Menashe’s Writing a Research Paper. Although I will not assign all sections from this book, I would strongly recommend that you read the entire book, as I will expect your papers to be written and formatted according to the guidelines in this book. In addition, I have set deadlines for the various stages of the writing process to help you finish your final paper. These are not just suggestions–consider them to be regular homework assignments.

Writing a good paper does not happen overnight; it is a longer process that involves work and intellectual development. Because of this, I have set deadlines for the various stages of the writing process to help you finish your final paper. Each of these should be written in German. These stages are not just suggestions–consider them to be regular homework assignments.

Although most of the preliminary steps will be graded on a T, T+, or T- scale (T- grades for steps in the paper_writing process must be rewritten until a grade of T is earned), the rough draft will be graded. Your final paper grade will be an average of the grades on the rough draft and the final draft. The deadlines for the preliminary steps are as follows:

• wichtige Personen (Künstler, Autoren, Politiker, Sportler, Komponisten, Filmemacher, Philosophen, Wissenschaftler, usw.) von heute oder aus der Vergangenheit
• wichtige kulturelle Epochen in der Architektur, der Geschichte, der Kunst, der Literatur, der Musik, usw. (z.B. Barock, die Aufklärung, Klassik, Romantik, der Expressionismus, Bauhaus, die Weimarer Republik, usw.)
• Feste oder Feiertage (Oktoberfest, Weihnachten, Ostern, Karnevall)
• historische Ereignisse (Tag der Kapitulation, Tag der Wiedervereinigung, Tag des Berliner Mauerbaus/bzw. Mauerfalls, usw.)
• Geschichte und Beschreibung einer wichtigen Institution (eines Museums, einer Universität, einer Firma, eines Bauwerkes, usw.)
• historischer Wandel (der deutschen Nation, der Stadt Berlin, usw.)
• die Geschichte einer bestimmten deutschsprachigen Gruppe (Amish, Mennoniten, Harmonists, Rußlanddeutschen, Siebenbürger Sachsen, Old Economy)
• die Biographie einer in die USA eingewanderten Person aus einem deutschsprachigen Land
• Besprechung eines zeitgenössischen Problems (Ausländer in Deutschland, Österreich oder der Schweiz, Jugendgangs in den Großstädten, Neonazis)
• Besprechung der heutigen deutschsprachigen Musikszene mit Beispielen
• Deutschland und/oder Österreich in der Europäischen Union

In evaluating class participation, homework, exams, oral reports, and papers, I will grade according to the following principles:

1) Content quality: quality ideas, clearly defined arguments, well-supported with specific examples;

2) Clarity: well-structured arguments, correct grammar and vocabulary usage, pronunciation; and

3) Format: fully answering the questions asked, using the specified format, etc.

In accordance with the Academic Integrity Guidelines of the College of Arts and Sciences, any student who is caught giving or receiving assistance on an exam or assignment will receive an F=0 on that exam or assignment. A second occurrence will be referred to the CAS Dean’s Office. I consider any instance of plagiarism the same as receiving assistance on an assignment, so please be vigilant in documenting all sources that you rely on, whether directly or indirectly. If you have any questions as to what constitutes plagiarism, please speak with me.

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you should inform both me and the Office of Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890/(412) 383-7355 (TTY) as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

Should you ever need a new copy of this syllabus, of a "Wochenplan," or of discussion questions, they are all available online at http://www.pitt/edu/~jblyon/courses/grm1102.html.