German 1

In this course, students begin their foreign language study through listening, speaking, reading and writing activities based on pedagogically proven methods of foreign language instruction. In first semester, subjects include greetings, the numbers 0-20, likes & dislikes, leisure activities, family & pets, physical descriptions, school subjects & schedules, and time. In second semester the topics of study are clothing & shopping, ordering & eating in a cafe/restaurant, giving opinions, leisure activities, household chores, weather, food, and the city. Students learn to express themselves using an ever-increasing vocabulary, present tense verbs, articles and adjectives. Grammar is introduced and practiced in innovative and interesting ways with a variety of learning styles in mind. Culture is sprinkled throughout the course to help the learner focus on the German-speaking world and their culture, people, geographical locations and histories. The course is a high school level course and is aligned to the national Foreign Language standards.

Learning Targets

1. Listening – Students will understand the main idea and supporting details of spoken language that incorporates familiar vocabulary and structures and respond appropriately.
2. Reading – Students will understand selected written materials on various topics.
3. Speaking – Students will apply knowledge of German pronunciation and intonation patterns in various situations.
4. Writing – Students will respond to statements or questions in German; write compositions and conversations on selected topics, which incorporate description, detail and accurate grammatical structures.
5. Culture – Students will explain how aspects of the German-speaking culture differ from their own and discuss the influence of the German-speaking culture in the global community.