By the end of all four parts of the German 1 course, you will be able to…

+ IDENTIFY common objects, actions, and ideas in German

+ PRONOUNCE German with enough accuracy so that a patient and interested native speaker would be able to understand you

+ engage in SIMPLE CONVERSATIONS in German on a variety of everyday topics

+ UNDERSTAND the basics of authentic texts such as a letter from a friend, a shopping website, or a song, and scan for particular information

+ describe, narrate, and state your opinion in SIMPLE WRITTEN GERMAN

+ enjoy an increased understanding of the German-speaking countries and their CULTURES

I have been teaching German, writing, and arts & humanities for more than 25 years, including 18 years of full-time work at Valparaiso University and 4 years now on Outschool. I have a PhD in German Literature, and I am a trained and licensed high school German teacher (grades 5-12). I bring first-rate content knowledge and pedagogical expertise to the online classroom, plus a genuine love of working with young learners.

Because I have extensive experience at the college level, I know just where high school students are headed and can expertly guide them as they prepare themselves for the next step. My focus on learning strategies and study skills is an added benefit, useful for any learner.  

See my Profile Page for my resume.

1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Homework
Frequency: included
Feedback: included
Details: Because this is a four-day-a-week class, most of the learning happens in the classroom.

In addition to attending class, students are expected to spend time in regular vocabulary practice (around 10-15 minutes per day) and to study for the chapter exams (around 2-3 hours for each exam).

A weekly average, then, might be around 2 hours per week of homework time.

Additional homework assignments will be available, but not required. Many students do not need extra work to achieve the class learning goals. Other students can really benefit from extra reinforcement.
Assessment
Frequency: included
Details: Formal assessment is optional. Students are encouraged to take the quizzes and chapter exams, as they are excellent learning opportunities and provide feedback on how well students are learning the material.

About once a week, we will take a quick self-graded quiz (during class). The quizzes will test vocabulary and basic grammar points.

At the end of each chapter, we will take a written chapter exam (during class). The exams will test vocabulary, grammatical structures, reading, and writing.

Exam Schedule:
Part 1: Chapter A exam on Thursday, 10/17/24
Part 2: Chapter B exam on Thursday, 12/19/24
Part 3: Chapter 1 exam on Thursday, 1/30/25; Chapter 2 exam on Thursday, 2/27/25
Part 4: Chapter 3 exam on Thursday, 4/10/25; Chapter 4 exam on Thursday, 
Grading
Frequency: included
Details: A Quarterly Report will be provided families at the end of each quarter, containing 1) information on the class content, 2) instructor credentials, 3) student exam grades, and 4) a narrative on the student's progress in the class.

If you need a letter grade for the quarter, I can provide that.

If you need any additional information for your homeschooling transcript or for your high school guidance counselor, just let me know.

This class works well for students with unique learning needs. In addition to face-to-face interaction, we use a textbook and PowerPoints, so students have written material in front of them. Instruction is very clear, in English and German.

This class is intended to follow German 1, Part 2. 

If you have some experience with German and think you might be able to jump in with Part 3, send me a message and let’s talk.