Instructor: Dr. Deborah Janson
Office and Phone: G-12 Chitwood, 293-5121, X 5507
E-Mail: djanson@wvu.edu
WWW Home Page: http://www.as.wvu.edu/~djanson
Office hours: M: 2:30-3:30, W/F: 12:30-1:30 and by appointment
 

Course Description and Goals:

The purpose of this sixth-semester German language course is to advance proficiency in speaking, comprehending, reading, and writing German via an examination of German parables (Parabel). To this end we will read, discuss and write about selected parables, focusing in particular on Max Frisch's parable-play (Parabelstück) Biedermann und die Brandstifter.  The course also involves grammar review.  Course performance will be evaluated according to the guidelines given in this syllabus.

Required Texts and Materials:

                  -Max Frisch, Biedermann und die Brandstifter
                  -Gerda Dippmann, A Practical Review of German Grammar, 2nd ed. (Prentice Hall, 1995)
                  -A Three-Ring Binder
                  -A good German-English, English-German dictionary

Course Evaluation:

                  Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10%
                  Grammar Homework  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10%
                  Journal  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   15%
                  Oral Report (inc. preparation)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10%
                  Oral Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5%
                  Quizzes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20%
                  Midterm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%
                  Final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%

Participation:

Your participation will be evaluated periodically by the instructor, and you will be assigned a grade for the class period according to the criteria listed at the end of this syllabus.  As indicated there, excellent class participation requires thorough and conscientious preparation.  It is your responsibility to form and express in class opinions, questions, and interpretations about the material we are studying.  Participation also requires attending class.  Hence, absences will negatively effect this portion of your grade.

Grammar Homework and Journal Writing:

There are three categories of homework in this course: written responses to the cultural materials we are examining; written exercises from Dippmann's A Practical Review of German Grammar; and vocabulary preparation.  Assignments in all three categories will almost always be collected and graded.  I will grade grammar assignments using the following scale: * means "perfect" (complete and with no mistakes);  checkmark+ means "very good" (complete and with few mistakes);  checkmark means "good" (complete and showing good effort, but with numerous mistakes);  checkmark– means "not quite satisfactory" (complete or almost complete but with many mistakes); – means "very inadequate" (incomplete and/or with so many mistakes that little effort is evident); 0 means ""no credit given" (assignment not turned in or extremely incomplete).  For journal entries the same grade indicators will be used, but content, style and adherence to required length will be the focus of consideration.  For vocabulary preparation of Biedermann und die Brandstifter, consideration will be given to completeness and accuracy.

The journal will be due every Wednesday beginning January 21st.  I will often suggest topics for you to discuss, but you may additionally write about other issues of interest to you.  It is verboten to write these entries first in English and then to translate them into German!  The point of writing them is to practice expressing yourself in German.  I recommend that you write a first draft and then correct your own German to the best of your abilities, rewriting your entry before handing it in to me.  Each entry must be at least one page (approximately 300 words) in length.  The entries can be typed or legibly hand-written.

To receive credit for the homework it must be handed in on the due date even if you are absent on that day.  I may make exceptions in the case of certain difficult circumstances (if you discuss these with me), but for the most part you should arrange to have someone place your assignment in my mailbox or under my door if you are unable to bring it in yourself.   For every 11 homework assignments I will "forgive" 1 missing one.

Oral Report:

This component involves giving an oral presentation on a topic appropriate to the course content, and preparing for the presentation.  Preparation must include writing out what you plan to say and handing this in to me at least one week in advance of your report date; correcting the written version according to the suggestions indicated by the essay correction code I have applied to it; discussing the corrections and your ideas for the report with me in my office.  (This means, for example, that if you were signed up to give your report on Friday, April 10th,  you would hand in the written text to me no later than Friday April 3rd, I would correct it by Monday the 6th, you would correct and rewrite it by Wednesday the 8th and we would meet on the 8th to discuss it.  Since unforeseen circumstances can arise, such as not being able to meet at the time  planned, it is advisable to hand in your written version even earlier).

The report itself must be 10-15 minutes duration and must include a "testing component."  The test and discussion may go beyond 15 minutes but should never exceed 25 minutes.  I will give more detailed guidelines later in the semester.  One report per class session will be given on Fridays starting March 6th, as well as on Monday and Wednesday of the last week of classes, April 27th and 29th.  Possible topics include:
                 -Märchen (their definition, how they differ from Parabel, examples);
                 -Sagen (their definition, how they differ from Parabel, examples);
                 -Fabeln (their definition, how they differ from Parabel, examples);
                 -parable/s not discussed in class, information about their genesis, author, etc.
                 -lives of authors discussed in class (Franz Kafka, Bertolt Brecht, Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach, Max Frisch)
                 -Friedrich Dürrenmatt (another Swiss author who influenced Frisch and wrote parables)
                 -Switzerland (perhaps as compared with Germany)
                 -historical examples of citizens' collective tendency to bury their head in the sand when catastrophes loom
 
Oral Test:

Besides attending to the German you speak in class, your oral proficiency will be evaluated by an oral test, conducted as a conversation in my office during the week of March 30-April 3.

Quizzes:

There will be numerous grammar and vocabulary quizzes.  No make-ups will be given, but your lowest quiz score will be dropped.  If a quiz is not taken, the zero received for it will be the score dropped.
 
Examinations:

                The Midterm will be given on February 27th and will cover all material we have studied up to that point;
                The Final will be given from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. (!!) on Monday, May 4th and will cover the grammar we
                have reviewed since the midterm and the cultural content (Parablen, Biedermann, etc.) we have studied
                all semester.

If you miss a regularly scheduled examination for a reason I consider valid, an opportunity will be provided to make it up.  In this instance, you must contact me either before the exam is to be given to the class as a whole, or within a few days (preferably a few hours) thereafter.

Academic Honesty: The work you do for this course must be entirely your own.  While you are welcome to ask qualified individuals for help with pronunciation or with understanding a text or a grammar point, it is not acceptable to have them correct or rewrite your work. You are, however, encouraged to ask me for help with any of the assignments.

The three-ring binder should provide a home for the course material, organized according to the different course components and including a place for this syllabus and other organizational hand-outs, as well as for class notes.
 

Criteria for Class Participation

Rating                                                                                                              Points

Superior                                                                                                          21-25

             -You greeted people and took leave using German expressions.
             -You used English only after asking for permission and after attempting to express yourself in German.
             -You listened attentively when others spoke and showed respect for your peers.
             -You actively participated in all activities and discussions and had a positive attitude.
             -You came prepared to class everyday.
             -Your presence made a positive impact on getting tasks done.

Average                                                                                                          16-20

             -You greeted people and took leave using German expressions.
             -You sometimes became distracted, did not pay attention when others spoke, and were occasionally disrespectful.
             -You occasionally used English, especially in pair and group work, or without attempting to express yourself
             in German first.
             -You showed interest in activities and participated, though sometimes passively rather than actively.
             -You generally came prepared to class.

Unsatisfactory                                                                                                 0-15

             -You used more English than German in class.
             -You did not pay attention during activities and explanations.
             -You sometimes slept, read the newspaper, did homework, etc., during activities or explanations.
             -You were often distracting and disrespectful toward your peers or your instructor.
             -Your presence in group work had little impact on accomplishing the tasks at hand.
             -You were frequently unprepared for class.
 

Please regard this syllabus as a contract and reread it frequently to remind yourself of what is coming up.  Make sure you have read and understood all its components!
 

Mutual expectations: It is my intent to establish and maintain a positive learning environment based upon communication and mutual respect.  Any suggestions as to how to further such an environment will be appreciated and given serious consideration.  The class will be conducted in accordance with the University's commitment to social justice and academic honesty.  Therefore, the policies and procedures of the WVU Student Handbook (the Mountie) are expected to apply throughout the course.
 

  To return to the Courses Page.