GM101 German Beginner A1 - Fall Term 2022 Syllabus - Course Instructor Aleks Kudriashova

Sep 28, 2026

GM101 German Beginner A1 Fall Term 2022 syllabus sets expectations for reaching basic German proficiency through communicative practice, including speaking and writing, listening to dialogues, and working with short texts. It outlines required course materials and recommended grammar resources, specifies meeting times for Groups B and C, and defines attendance and participation requirements. The document also describes excused absence conditions, self-reporting limits, grading impacts for unexcused absences, and the homework and testing workload.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Course Materials

Course books and recommended resources

Course Description and Goals

Communicative competence and CEFR A2 outcome

Attendance and Participation

Excused absences and grading impact

Homework Assignments and Testing

Weekly workload expectations

GM101 GERMAN BEGINNER A1 Fall Term 2022 Syllabus subject to change Instructor: Aleks Kudriashova, [a.kudriashova@berlin.bard.edu](a.kudriashova@berlin.bard.edu)[ ](a.kudriashova@berlin.bard.edu)[Office hours:](Office hours: Mondays)[ Mondays](Office hours: Mondays), 12:15 pm or by appointment Classroom: Kuckhoffstraße 24, Seminar Room 12 Meeting time: Group B Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 09:00-10:30 Group C Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:45-12:15 COURSE MATERIALS Course books to be purchased before or during the first week of class: • Stefanie Dengler, Tanja Mayr-Sieber et al.: Netzwerk neu A1.1. Kurs-und Arbeitsbuch. Stuttgart: Klett Sprachen, 2019. ISBN 978-3-12-607154-3 • Stefanie Dengler, Tanja Mayr-Sieber et al.: Netzwerk neu A1.2. Kurs-und Arbeitsbuch. Stuttgart: Klett Sprachen, 2019. ISBN 978-3-12-607155-0 ** Bookstore near campus: Buchhandlung Chaiselongue, Dietzgenstr. 68, 13156 Berlin. Phone: 030 476 111 31, Email: [info@chaiselongue-buch.de](info@chaiselongue-buch.de)** Recommended: • English Grammar for Students of German. Eds. Cecile Zorach, Charlotte Melin. Olivia Hill Press, 2001. ISBN: 0-934034-31-1 • Essential Grammar of German with Exercises. Ed. Monika Reimann. Max Huber Verlag, 2012. ISBN-10: 3192015756 Other resources: • The Bard Center for Foreign Languages and Culture provides various language learning materials on the website at [http://flcl.bard.edu/resources/german/](http://flcl.bard.edu/resources/german/) • Check out the “Resources” section at the Bard College Berlin German Studies Program website. It provides an overview of useful links and online resources on German language, literature and media at [https://berlin.bard.edu/academics/german](https://berlin.bard.edu/academics/german)program/ COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS This course is designed to bring your communicative competence in German to the level of a basic user. As a basic user you will be able to understand and use very basic expressions to satisfy concrete needs, introduce yourself and ask others questions about personal details and interact simply. By “communicative,” we mean that you will learn to refine expressing your own ideas orally and in writing, and to develop advanced strategies for understanding spoken and written discourse—as opposed to merely memorizing vocabulary lists and grammar rules. By“competence,” we mean that your acquisition of the language must show a high level of grammatical, lexical, and cultural accuracy. Our goal is not simply a list of rules and words, but real communication between speakers. To achieve these goals, you have to engage in as many communicative exchanges as possible. The course will give you ample opportunity to do so: in small groups or with a partner, in direct interaction with me, in listening to dialogues between other speakers on audiovisual media, in expressing your ideas in writing, and in understanding and discussing short texts. Note: Classroom interaction will be in German, because input and use are the chief engines of foreign language acquisition. Upon completing this course successfully, you will have reached the A2 language proficiency level, corresponding to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) that range from A1 for beginners to C2 for language skills at the highest level. ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION Active and consistent classroom participation is crucial to your success at acquiring the language. A language cannot be “crammed” in. So as to get the most out of this class, you need to constantly use and practice the language. Because Bard College Berlin has an intensive, student-centered and seminar-based educational model, attendance at all sessions of courses is mandatory. However, you may encounter circumstances that prevent you from attending classes for which you may be excused, meaning that the absences will not impact your grade. These circumstances include illness, r

FAQs

What communication skills does the course focus on to achieve the A1-to-A2 progression?

The course emphasizes refining ideas orally and in writing, improving understanding of spoken and written discourse, and engaging in real communicative exchanges rather than only memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules.

Which meeting times apply to Groups B and C?

Group B meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 09:00-10:30, while Group C meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:45-12:15.

How are excused absences handled, and what are the grading consequences?

Absences may be excused for specified circumstances such as illness or religious observance, and students can self-report four times. Unexcused absences reduce the final grade stepwise, and seven unexcused absences lead to automatic failure.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Alexandar