Beginning German I is the first of two semesters of elementary German, which will acquaint the student with the basic vocabulary and structures of the German language. There is no prerequisite, but both semesters must be taken in order to fulfill the language requirement (5 credits each term).

At the end of the course the student will be able to understand, speak, read, and write basic German sentences, using all sentence forms, including questions as well as commands. At the end of the first semester, the student will be able to use correctly the genders, numbers, and case endings of German nouns, pronouns, and the changing cases after each preposition; students will be able to use the correct verb forms of regular and irregular verbs. The correct word order of statements, questions, and commands will also be mastered.

The student is required to follow strictly the syllabus in preparation for each class session. Reading ahead in order to be aware of what is discussed in class as well as being able to present the daily assignments orally or in writing is important.

The student may be required to visit the language laboratory frequently and to complete the exercises in the laboratory using the audio tapes and/or computer software. Lab books may be collected for correction.

There will be a test after each chapter in the book.

The final grade will be computed as follows:

Class participation 33%

Tests and graded assignments 33%

Final Examination 33%

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