| “With every mistake we must surely be learning.” [George Harrison] |
Essential Course Components and Logistics
Course Methods, Learning Advice and Resources
German 221/231: a study of Identity
What does it mean to be German? How do Germans see themselves? How does the world view the Germans? What about the Austrians and the Swiss? Chances are, if you have had any contact with German-speaking culture, you have probably encountered the question of German identity. In fact, there is even a word that describes Germany’s image: das Deutschlandbild. Try Googling: “Was ist (typisch) deutsch?” or “Deutschlandbild” and marvel at the multitude of articles and surveys. Why do Germans so frequently ask such questions about themselves? Is it because of the relatively late founding of the German state in 1871? the brutal use of racial criteria for citizenship under Nazi rule? the country’s division into two vastly different and opposing political systems during the Cold War? the challenges with reunification? Germany’s role in the EU? the current debates surrounding the admission of refugees? How do most Austrians and Swiss see themselves in relation to Germany?
In this intermediate German language course, we will consider these and many more questions surrounding the topic of identity. We will also consider by comparison, our own personal and cultural identities. How do we perceive and express ourselves? What factors (gender, age, ethnic heritage, etc.) have shaped our own identities, and how have these changed in our lifetimes?
Required Texts and Materials to Purchase for Class
1. Die Verwandlung by Franz Kafka. What is important: it is an “easy reader” by Cideb Editrice S.R.L., not the original text. We need the latest 2021 edition with ISBN-13: 978-88-530-2061-1 or ISBN-10: 88-530-2061-X. Make sure the picture of the book matches the one shown below.
- IMPORTANT: Get this book early! We will start reading it in the second week of the semester. To avoid getting the older edition or the original text, order ASAP via the Barnes&Noble UofM campus bookstore.
2. Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug. ISBN: 1476796637 (paperback) or ISBN: 1476796629 (hard cover). Please get the printed book, not the Kindle or audio version. It should also available at Barnes&Noble campus bookstore.
3. We strongly recommend having a dedicated notebook (best: no spirals or wire) to keep your class notes, collect grammar summaries and practice writing. Get some ink pens, at least one non-black pen or pencil, 4×6 index cards and a glue stick for note-taking at home and for in-class writing. By the end of the semester, this notebook will hopefully become your personal grammar and vocabulary reference.
Although all of the grammar review is available online, it might be helpful to have a good reference source for German grammar. If you have a book you used before and it has worked for you – great. Another great option is:
Handbuch zur deutschen Grammatik by Jamie Rankin/Larry D. Wells. ISBN: 9781305078840 (paperback). This is the most recent 6th edition, but you can easily find earlier editions of the same book, which are just fine!
Thematic Units and Assessments
Throughout the term, we will ponder and discuss the concept of identity auf Deutsch within a series of thematic units: Kindheit und Familie, Geografie und Migration, Kunst und Literatur, Film, Geschichte. Each unit involves three modes of communication:
- the interpretive (one-way communication / comprehension),
- the interpersonal (two-way communication / conversation),
- the presentational (one-way communication to an audience or readers).
What you do at home (P&P assignments) will prepare you for in-class participation. In turn, in-class activities are designed to provide students with daily interpretive, interpersonal and presentational practice building up your skills for each unit’s summative assessments. Each unit concludes with summative assessments in all three modes. The assessments resemble a variety of real-world communicative tasks. Our objective is not to see what students don’t know on a test, but rather to see what students can do in real-world situations. For example, in our first interpersonal assessment students will demonstrate their ability to converse in German for 10 minutes discussing materials and topics from the course’s first units. The first interpretive assessment will ask students to write an English synopsis of short German texts we worked with. In the first presentational assessment students will write a zine or illustrated story about a personal experience – at students’ own level of German. Leading up to these summative assessments, our aim is to review thoroughly the grammar, vocabulary and cultural content while practicing all four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) needed for success in completing the assessments. This means that all the daily course work we do in and outside of class will be with the end goal in mind.
High Frequency Vocabulary: The Key to Proficiency
Another key component of this course is daily work with high-frequency vocabulary (HFV). The research is compelling: knowing the 1,200 most frequently occurring words / word families makes 70-75% German comprehensible. The problem is that when linguists have measured the percentage of HFV in first-year textbooks, they find only 30-40% of those words represented. Our goal is for students to master the first 1,200 words, no matter what textbooks they have used previously. To do this, we will cover approximately 100 words per week in class. It is expected that students will spend around 20-30 minutes per day 4-5 days per week on their own making flashcards and memorizing the vocabulary after we have introduced the words and provided assistance in how to make the most of online or paper flashcards. There will be in-class activities practicing vocabulary as well as bi-weekly quizzes on Canvas to help keep students on track. There are also 3 vocabulary tests, which together make up 10% of the final grade. These tests will cover the following Kernwortschatz (KW) units/lists:
Test 1 (KW lists 1-4) =2% of final grade
Test 2 (KW lists 1-8) = 3% of final grade
Test 3 (KW lists 1-12) = 5% of final grade
Language Acquisition Requires Regular Participation
Cramming does not work for language acquisition, or for any complex skill for that matter. It takes daily practice in speaking, hearing, writing, and reading the language both in class and working at home on your own for acquisition to occur. Because our class meetings give students the chance to engage actively in the language, class attendance and participation are a critical component of the course. In other words, we take attendance and participation seriously. While several excused and unexcused absences will lower the attendance and participation grade to differing degrees (see information on A&P policy below), 10 unexcused absences mean a final course grade of E.
Grading scale
Final course grades calculated by percentage on Canvas will translate into the following letter grades:
| 98-100 | A+ | 77-79.99 | C+ |
| 93-97.99 | A | 73-76.99 | C |
| 90-92.99 | A- | 70-72.99 | C- |
| 87-89.99 | B+ | 67-69.99 | D+ |
| 83-86.99 | B | 63-66.99 | D |
| 80-82.99 | B- | 60-62.99 | D- |
| 0-59.99 | E | ||
Grading Criteria
Most assessments and weekly quizzes will be graded as “meets specifications / does not meet specifications” (or “complete / incomplete” on Canvas). Please always pay attention to the assignment descriptions for all assignments on Canvas to know grading criteria for each specific task.
Course components and grading criteria for our course are:
Formative Assessments: 50%, including Practice and Preparation (20%), Attendance and Participation (20%) and Weekly Quizzes (10%)
Summative Assessments: 50%, Presentational, Interpersonal and Interpretational assessments (40%) and Core Vocabulary Tests (10%).
Canvas Expectations
We expect you to check Canvas regularly for:
- Assignments in your Canvas Syllabus (even if there is nothing to submit!)
- All Practice & Preparation assignments and Deep Dives are due at the beginning of your section’s class time.
- Announcements: Enable notifications and check your email inbox daily OR: visit Canvas daily to check for new Announcements.
- Gradebook: Check regularly to make sure you have gotten credit for all assignments and tests you have submitted and completed well. Notify your instructor within a week of a grade being entered if you think there may be a mistake.
- ==> Gradebook comments from your instructor do not generate email notifications ==> log into Canvas to see them!
Attendance and Participation Policy
- Actively working in class is a crucial part of this course. We will keep track of your attendance and participation by an “A&P Tally” grade on Canvas, as follows:
- For each class hour, you will earn four A&P points: two “attendance points” for coming to class, and two “participation points” for being prepared and participating actively.
- If you miss a class hour unexcused, you lose all four A&P points for that hour.
- If you miss a class hour for an excused reason (e.g. documented medical, psychological or family issues; religious holidays; family events such as weddings, funerals or graduations; job interviews; musical performances or athletic events in which you are participating), you will earn the 2 attendance points but will lose 2 participation points for that hour.
- As a courtesy to your instructor, please explain ALL absences, even if the reason is e.g. oversleeping, or work for another course, a trip, going to a concert, illness etc.
- Lateness: Loss of 1-4 points for that hour, depending on how late you were.
- Inattention (inappropriate cell phone or laptop use, “zoning out”, etc.): Loss of one or both participation points for that hour.
- Coming to class unprepared: all daily Practice & Preparation assignments are designed to prepare you for the in-class activities on the that day. If you come to class not having done an assigned reading or writing, or not having watched an assigned video for that hour, you cannot participate productively in in-class activities. You will lose 1-2 participation points for that hour.
- Difficulty participating: We expect mistakes! Research has shown that language acquisition happens in a predictable sequence of stages. Each stage is characterized by certain patterns of useful mistakes! At the same time, while the “A&P Tally” grade is primarily an effort grade, it does have an achievement component. If you are in class and making an effort to participate, but you have major linguistic difficulties understanding and carrying out partner activities and/or responding when called on in class, you will lose 2 or 1 participation points per week. To sum up: Difficulty participating on an ongoing basis may reduce your A&P grade. Making mistakes will not!
- Making up lost A&P points: You can earn back a maximum of 10 A&P points in the first 2 calendar months of the semester, and up to 10 more in the second 2 calendar months of the semester.
- To make up 2 attendance and participation points for a class you missed, you can submit you answers to the activities and questions from the class materials for the hour you missed (in writing or as a recording) AND get some speaking practice by attending events listed in the “Weekly Email”, such as
- German conversational hours
- Max Kade Kaffeestunde or Deutschtisch
- German Club events
- Actively engaging with an instructor in the German Lab for more than 30 minutes
- Attending your instructor’s office hours for more than 30 minutes
- Occasional special events, as announced by your instructor
- To make up 2 attendance and participation points for a class you missed, you can submit you answers to the activities and questions from the class materials for the hour you missed (in writing or as a recording) AND get some speaking practice by attending events listed in the “Weekly Email”, such as
- If you know you will have to miss some classes during the semester, contact your instructor in advance and make a plan about the best way to work around those days.
- Your instructor will enter “A&P Tally” grades weekly. If you wish to contest an “A&P Tally” grade, you must do so within one week.
- At the end of the semester, we will translate your final “A&P Tally” grade into your actual Attendance & Participation grade as follows:
- A&P Tally of 95.99 percent or less: Your final A&P grade will be the same as your A&P Tally.
- A&P Tally of 96 percent or more ==> 96 percent for the final A&P grade (i.e. an “A”)
- Only in very exceptional cases (“A+” level of participation throughout the semester), your instructor may enter a higher final grade of 97-100.
- ***If you have lost a net total of 40 or more points (= missing 10 class hours unexcused) in your “A&P Tally” by the last class day of the semester, your FINAL COURSE GRADE will be an AUTOMATIC E***
In Case of an Illness
- We encourage you to use LSA’s illness reporting form if you have to miss a class due to health reasons. Filling out this form is not an equivalent of “documentation” for an excused absence, but it will help you and your instructor to keep track of your course attendance.
- If you are well enough to participate in class but you may be contagious, or are not feeling well enough to attend class physically, ask your instructor if there is a way for you to participate via Zoom. If your instructor is OK with this, it would allow you to still earn full Attendance and Participation credit for that day. You would need to contact your instructor in advance, as soon as you realize you are not feeling well to ask if this is possible. To receive A&P credit, you would need to be out of bed and sitting upright with your camera on, and working actively with your partner during pair/group activities. If this option is not available, see the section “Attendance and Participation Policy” and/or talk to your instructor about how to make up an absence in a productive way to stay up-to-date in the course.
- If you are not well enough to participate in the class, make an appointment at the UHS clinic on campus (at no cost to students) or with your doctor to obtain documentation for your absence.
Practice & Preparation (P&P) Tally and Real P&P Grade
Similar to how your A&P grade is tallied throughout the semester, your daily Practice and Preparation scores will be recorded in a tally, and a final PP grade will be given at the end of the semester.
Your Practice & Preparation Tally on Canvas will translate into your actual PP grade for the semester as follows:
-
- Practice & Preparation Tally of 95.99 percent or less: Your final PP grade will be the same as your PP Tally grade.
- Practice & Preparation Tally of 96 percent or more ==> 96 percent for the final PP grade (i.e. an “A”)
- In exceptional cases, your instructor may enter a higher final grade of 97-100.
Academic Integrity, Use of Translation Tools, Writing in German
All work submitted, including all class preparation assignments, must be original student work produced for this course, with proper quotation and citation of the contributions of others. When in doubt, cite (see below)!
In German 231, our goal is to build up your OWN mastery of grammar topics learned in your previous German courses. We want you to develop your own speaking and writing skills that will prepare you for each unit’s summative assessment. Google Translate or artificial intelligence cannot do this for you and their use is not allowed for completing any writing assignments.
To get credit for any written work in our course, adhere to the following expectations:
- Read carefully the detailed expectations about writing in German provided in the first couple of assignments on Canvas and outlined on the Canvas course site.
- Always start with your own “rough” draft: just writing down what YOU CAN at this point without looking up anything. Try writing this first draft by hand, without the distraction of autocorrect or grammar check. You will edit and polish your writing before submitting an assignment.
- This is the third semester German course and we do not expect you to produce perfect German beyond what a language learner on this level can do. In this course, the main goal is to “write at your own level” and only look up things you absolutely need afterwards. No online translators. Keep looked up words to a minimum. Cite.
- You will get the most out of writing by creatively using the German you have already learned and making it “your own.” When you write about a German text you have read or film you watched, always try to express ideas more simply in your own words.
Citing resources
Note all of the following situations in which you should put words or phrases in BOLD (or, alternatively, underline them) in your writing, and then CITE the source at the end of your assignment.
- You may ONLY use an online translator like Google Translate for single words and short phrases (however, a good dictionary with usage examples and sample sentences are a better choice – see below). Clearly indicate looked up words, include the English phrase you were checking, and then cite the translating tool or the dictionary.
- **Important: If your submitted writing is clearly above the level of your work in class and on tests, your instructor will hand it back to you and ask you to rewrite it.
- If you consult any additional resources (e.g. Wikipedia or other online sources), even if you did not quote from them directly, cite these.
- You can ask your instructor, an instructor in the German Lab, or some other proficient speaker 3 or 4 specific questions on how to say something. Cite their name and the date you got help.
- Put any direct quotes in quotation marks.
- If you have no sources to cite (you didn’t look anything up in a dictionary, no one helped you, and you consulted no other sources), please write “No sources used” at the end!
- Situations in which you DON’T need to cite:
- It is good practice to look up the genders and plurals of nouns, and the conjugation patterns of verbs you use in your writing.
Working with others on Practice & Preparation assignments: You are allowed (and even encouraged!) to get help from others and to collaborate with classmates on assignments preparing you for in-class activities.
This course is governed by the prevailing Codes of Student Conduct and of Academic Integrity of the University of Michigan and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA).Violations of Academic Integrity will be taken seriously and can in serious cases result in a failing grade for the course and/or referral to the LSA Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education. Official LSA policies on Academic Integrity, and also a quiz on Academic Integrity, can be found at: lsa.umich.edu/lsa/academics/academic-integrity.html
Kothe Hildner Prize
Throughout the semester, students will work on a creative writing project (Zine, or an illustrated story), adding to their writing and refining it as they review grammar in the course. At the end of the semester, instructors will nominate the best writing project from each section to compete for the Kothe Hildner Prize. All entries will be evaluated by a group of judges consisting of the faculty and graduate students in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures and the prize money of $400 will be split among the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
Here are a number of prize-winning projects from previous semesters. Up until Fall 2022, the Kothe Hildner Prize was awarded for the best group video project.
Course Methods, Resources and Learning Advice
Learning By Speaking; Language Learning Anxiety
The best and most motivating way to learn all aspects of language (vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, fluency, etc.) is by speaking. We will use as much class time as possible to let you speak. We use a lot of partner and group activities designed to let you actively practice vocabulary, so that you can speak for most of each class hour. You will learn the most by relaxing, having fun, and experimenting with new words and structures without worrying too much about mistakes. This will save you a lot of memorization time before the assessments – AND it will make it much easier to learn and practice grammar!
We spend little time explaining grammar in class, but we will constantly be practicing it. Research has shown that grammar is acquired most efficiently and lastingly by using it to communicate, not by explanations and drills. You will review grammar explanations at home before/while trying out the diagnostic exercises. At home – take notes! Write down, or copy/cut/paste most important charts and information into your notebook. There are many grammar resources available online and on our Canvas site. When the class needs it, your instructor will provide explicit explanations. Please ask questions.
Language Learning Anxiety
Researchers have found that about 1/3 of students feel anxious when learning a new language, in part because their limited language proficiency keeps them from “being themselves” when using the new language. They suggest two things that may be helpful in this context:
- Know that you are not alone. Consider letting your instructor know how you feel: use “Letter to your instructor” assignment at the start of the semester or talk to your instructor at any point of the term about your concerns.
- Anxiety is often connected to perfectionism. As we will keep telling you throughout this course, your goal in speaking German should not be to “avoid mistakes,” but rather, to “keep talking”!
Study advice
- ASK QUESTIONS!! For every question you ask, there are likely to be several people in the class who will be grateful you asked it.
- German Lab: Mon – Thu 1-4 pm. Sign up for the German Lab here – some instructors will have a virtual option, some will meet with you in person. You can make an appointment with the German Lab for any German-related question. You can ask for help with assignments, for grammar explanations, or you can just go to practice speaking.
- Course Coordinator: Vera Irwin (3120 MLB; veremeev@umich.edu); Language Program Director: Hartmut Rastalsky (3214 MLB; hmr@umich.edu). Your instructor may pass some questions on to Vera or possibly Hartmut. Let Vera know if you find a great learning resource or broken links in any materials!
- Reading: During the first unit, we will read the book Die Verwandlung. Make use of the “Reading Strategies” page on the Resources site. Most importantly:
- Skim texts once before you read them thoroughly. This will save you time: it is the first thing you will hear in any speedreading course.
- Fight the urge to look up every unfamiliar word. Use your knowledge and common sense to help you fill in the gaps. Remember how efficiently you do this in English e.g. when you are having a conversation in a noisy place!
- Find a study partner. You’ll have more fun, you can share a pizza (or Bratwurst), two heads are better than one, and you never learn a thing as well as when you try to explain it to someone else. Research data shows that students who work in study groups are more successful language learners.
- Set aside a time every day to think (an maybe journal!) in German about what you are doing (“Ich stehe auf. Ich putze mir die Zähne. Ich bin der/die Beste…”). This is great practice for the oral exams. Look up words for things you care about. Try a diary in German!
- LS&A Academic Advising ((734) 764-0332; 1255 Angell Hall). If you are falling behind or doing poorly in one or more courses, or just want advice on how to study more effectively, please make an appointment to see an academic advisor as soon as possible: the earlier you try to address the problem, the better your chances of solving it. If you are not an LS&A student, please consult the Academic Advising Office for your school.
Recommended Texts, Sites, Resources
- Explore the many resources on the Resources site, including Self-Study Advice.
- Best bilingual dictionaries online:
- Useful dictionaries:
- Wiki-Dictionary for German comes with a lot of useful grammar information and examples.
- LEO provides easier access to noun plurals and verb conjugations, covers more technical terms, and has a great forum for tricky questions.
- BEOLINGUS provides messy results, but useful examples.
- Monolingual dictionaries / resources: dwds.de, duden.de, canoonet.eu, redensarten-index.de
- Google Images can make vocabulary learning fun. Do an image search of a word or phrase you want to learn. dict.cc offers images, too. Very entertaining!
- Google (not Google translate). If you wonder about a phrase you have created, try googling it. If little pops up, chances are it is awkward. For entertaining fun, type a German word in the Google search bar to see what Google wants to add to it. Adventure awaits!
- For titles, concepts, idioms, try Wikipedia, then click on Deutsch in the lower left column. Wikipedia sites in German are amazing resources for harvesting vocabulary on any topic.
- If you want a paper dictionary, try:
- Langenscheidt Standard Dictionary German(Get the paperback version: much cheaper and easier to use!)
- Harper Collins Beginner’s German Dictionary(Helpful usage examples; especially easy to read and use)
- Rankin/Wells. Handbuch zur deutschen Grammatik (grammar text), 6th Edition, mentioned above under as a recommended text. All the grammar you are required to know is in the course materials online, but this book is an excellent reference.
- Zorach & Oberlin: English Grammar for Students of German, 7th ed. This book explains English grammar simply, with lots of English & German examples to compare and contrast. It’s the ideal remedy if you’re having difficulty understanding the grammar explanations you encounter in class and preparing for class at home. We recommend that you read the relevant sections of the book quickly, like a novel, but that you read them multiple times, to let the material slowly sink in. Additional resources are available on the book’s website (e.g. a review booklet & answer key). The book is available at the campus bookstores, or you can buy the eBook version. You can borrow a copy in order to decide if you would like to buy the book – just ask your instructor!
- Tschirner & Möhring: A Frequency Dictionary of German, second edition, 2019. (ISBN: 978-1138659780) The gold standard in high-frequency vocabulary lists.
- Gabriel Wyner: Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It (ISBN: 0385348118)
Respectful Classroom Environment
This class depends on all of us being comfortable interacting informally with each other, experimenting with the language, taking risks, and being playful. That means that what is important in every college classroom is especially important for us: an environment in which everyone feels welcome and respected. That means thinking about the things we say, not perpetuating stereotypes, and apologizing if you said something you didn’t mean. It also means that we really want you to let your instructor know, in class or outside of class, in person or via email, if something happens in class that makes you uncomfortable, so that we can talk about how to make things better.
- If there are students in your section whom you know from your previous German course(s), then of course it’s great if you continue to enjoy working with these old friends. But we also hope you will make an effort to meet new people in this section!
- In this context, please bear in mind the University of Michigan’s non-discrimination policy: The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
Gender Pronouns in German
One simple way to maintain an open and inclusive classroom environment is to be mindful and respectful of our classmates’ gender identity and preferred pronouns for class discussion and speaking activities. The German language does not yet include any generally accepted pronoun options for non-binary gender identities (in part because the case system makes this complicated), but many options have been proposed. One of these is to use the English pronoun they (them, their), usually with singular verb forms (unlike its use with plural verb forms in English). Since this is particularly easy for English speakers to learn, we will use this pronoun in this course. If you identify outside the gender binary or have any concerns about gender pronouns, your instructor will be happy to meet with you to find a solution that empowers you to comfortably participate in in-class language practice. This will include planning for how best to communicate this solution to your classmates, and how to set realistic expectations in a context where language mistakes of all kinds are an important and expected part of the learning process.
In the German language, nouns denoting people and professions also frequently have different forms based on a binary grammatical gender (e.g. der Student = the male student, die Studentin = the female student). In addition to being inherently problematic as regards non-binary gender identities, this has in the past led to absurd conventions such as using the male plural for mixed-gender groups, or ignoring the female forms of nouns when making general references to students, members of a profession etc. Your instructor will attempt to model an inclusive use of gendered nouns. This can be difficult to do consistently in German, and people differ as to how it should be done. Your instructor may also intentionally use multiple approaches. Please let your instructor know if you have any questions about this as you proceed through the course!
Max Kade Haus: A Place for German-Speaking Community
- The Max Kade Haus is the University’s German-speaking residence, located in North Quad. You are encouraged to attend events here and to meet interesting people who love German. You may want to consider living here!
- When visiting Max Kade events, tell the Resident Advisor or facilitator to write down your name. They will inform your instructor that you were there; each full conversation hour you attend can make up A&P points.
- You can learn about the time and location of Max Kade events from “weekly emails” you will get from the German Department about activities in German outside the classroom.
Conversation Hours, German Club
- German Conversation Hour and Schokoladenstunde will each take place weekly. Please see weekly emails for the locations and times. All students at all levels are welcome to come and chat in German.
- German Club works to connect students of all levels with a passion for German language and culture to opportunities for language practice, cultural events, and networking! We encourage you to come to as many or few events as you would like! 101-232 students can make up absences by participating in German Club events. E-mail the German Club E-Board at germaneboard@umich.edu for more information and follow @umichgerman on Instagram to see what the club is up to!
- Look for a sign-in sheet at all these events. When you sign in, the facilitator will inform your instructor that you were there. Each full hour you attend and participate actively can make up 2 participation points (in addition to covering the material of the missed class).
Additional essential information
Please click on the links to familiarize yourself with all of the information and resources listed below!