Weekend Report - Speaking Practice in German
Master the past tense! Join a fun group of classmates to practice your conversational skills while talking about your weekend. Taught by a former German professor.
Jennifer Bjornstad, PhD (German/Writing)
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(194)
Rising Star
What's included
8 live meetings
6 in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Homework is available in the form of... 1 - a weekly verb list with example sentences 2 - the opportunity to write sentences in the past tense and get feedback 3 - a comprehensive flashcard deck (for anyone who is using Anki for spaced repetition vocabulary study)Assessment
Brief weekly quizzes given during class will help learners assess how well they are learning the verbs and their past-tense forms. A written mini-exam will be available for learners to take upon completion of the 8th lesson. Keeping track of your scores on these assessments is optional.Grading
If you wish to seek credit for this class from your school district or add this class to your homeschool transcript, feel free to ask me for any supporting materials you need, such as 1) my credentials and 2) a list of the topics covered.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Intermediate - Advanced Level
Did you have a great weekend? Did you have a crummy weekend? Would you rather make up a fictionally mega-fabulous weekend and tell us all about that? Anything goes in this class, where we focus on how to talk about things that happened in the past. In this class, we work together to practice speaking with verbs in the present perfect tense. Those are the ones that look like this: + Ich habe Eis gegessen. + Ich habe Videospiele gespielt. + Ich bin geschwommen. + Ich habe ein spannendes Buch gelesen. (I ate ice cream, I played video games, I swam, I read an exciting book.) This class is beneficial for learners at various levels: - If you have not yet learned the past tense but know some German verbs and can make short sentences, this class will teach you the basics. - If you’ve already had some experience with the past tense, this class will help you make your skills more free-flowing and automatic, freeing up “brain space” for more complex communication. You will become a past-tense speaking expert! ----- When you have completed all 8 lessons, you will receive a certificate of completion. You can repeat the class for additional practice as you like. Here’s what we’ll do each week: + learn 10 new verbs (You’ll see the words spelled out, we’ll practice pronouncing them, and we’ll use our “word detective” skills to make sure we know what they mean.) + review the verbs from previous weeks + chat about our weekends + ??? lots of other fun group activities, including class polls, guessing games, picture descriptions, charades, etc. In addition to learning our set of 10 new verbs each week, we will be sure to learn verbs specifically tailored to each learner’s particular interests. Let’s help you express your uniqueness! By the end of the 8 lessons, you will have learned 80+ verbs in the present perfect tense and have spent 8 class periods in fun, intense speaking practice. What a great way to bring your German skills to the next level. ----- Language of Instruction: German and English
Learning Goals
Students will become confident in using the past tense in German to describe what they did over the weekend (or any time in the past!)
Syllabus
8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
Lesson 1
trinken, helfen, sprechen, werden, kochen, spielen, schauen, wandern, lesen, essen
(to drink, to help, to speak, to become, to cook, to play, to look, to hike, to read, to eat) 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Lesson 2
schlafen, schreiben, laufen, schwimmen, gehen, fliegen, faulenzen, ärgern, Hausarbeit machen, Hausaufgaben machen
(to sleep, to write, to run, to swim, to walk, to fly, to relax, to irritate, to do housework, to do homework) 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Lesson 3
tagträumen, arbeiten, lernen, Zeit verbringen, stricken, anrufen, besuchen, zeichnen, reparieren, backen
(to daydream, to work, to study, to spend time, to knit, to call, to visit, to draw, to repair, to bake) 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Lesson 4
bleiben, aufstehen, Fallschirm springen, tanzen, malen, chillen, joggen, spazieren gehen, einkaufen gehen, gärtnern
(to stay, to get up, to skydive, to dance, to paint, to hang out, to jog, to take a walk, to go shopping, to garden) 45 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
This class works especially well for students with unique learning needs. We learn just 10 verbs at a time, there is a lot of repeated practice, and students can watch the class video afterwards if they like, at their own pace.
Pre-Requisites
This class is perfect for you if you'd like to review the past tense or want to learn it for the first time. In order to get the most out of the class, you should be able to make sentences in the present tense such as "Ich esse Spaghetti."
Supply List
All materials necessary for the class will be supplied by the instructor.
Joined November, 2020
5.0
194reviews
Rising Star
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Teaching Certificates
Indiana Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Indiana Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language
Doctoral Degree in Foreign Language from University of Wisconsin-Madison
I have been teaching German, composition, and arts & humanities for more than 25 years, and I speak German with near-native fluency. I have a PhD in German Literature and was the 2014 Indiana German Collegiate Teacher of the Year. I was a professor of German for 16 years and have homeschooled my own son. 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.Reviews
Live Group Course
$200
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
45 min
Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
1-18 learners per class
