About German 101
Features of German 101:
(Jump ahead to German 102? 201? 350?)
- Short articles and dialogues in each chapter.
- Extra practice for each grammar concept.
- Links to an interactive video series that reviews grammar and vocabulary.
- Comic strips to promote interest, reading, and provide additional visual examples.
- Exercises for in class and out of class.
- Links to German music from the 1980s to the present day with grammar concepts to introduce music culture.
- Links to videos that reteach each grammar concept and pronounce new words.
- Proficiency interview practice at the end of each chapter.
- Quick upgrades to the text as necessary.
New words are introduced gradually in colored text boxes next to each concept. Sections can be combined or rearranged to make the desired chapter length. For example, if you wish to cover the alphabet on day one, simply do that section first. I’ve placed it in the middle of chapter one because I prefer to gradually introduce it along with pronunciation as I go so that students begin to speak quickly and don’t grow disinterested. Every effort has been made to compare similarities and differences between English and German. English speakers, especially, tend to have trouble with the concept of cases. Therefore, I focus on the nominative case and present tense verb conjugations in chapter 1 with the accusative case in chapter 2. Chapter 3 reviews both cases and reinforces the old verbs with the imperative. The dative case will not be presented until German 102, to help prevent the mixing of these cases.
As for homework, I assign some activities from this textbook and put others on Canvas to be graded automatically. This textbook has links to many online sites with automatically graded exercises, such as www.germanzone.org. Deutsche Welle’s video series, Nicos Weg, also has interactive online exercises whose scores can be saved online for homework grades.
