German 1 Language and Culture

Course Catalog ID:

4043

Subject Categories:

Global Language

Description

Guten Tag! This course focuses on the four key areas of German language study: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each topic consists of a vocabulary theme, grammar concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, and various interactive activities and practices to reinforce newly acquired tools and skills. Students actively engage in their language learning during highly-interactive live class sessions. In the course of studying the language, students will also study the rich cultural history of the German-speaking regions of the world. By the end of this course, students will be able to communicate in German personal information about themselves and a variety of topics including their hobbies, family, school, clothing, food and traveling. In addition to developing proficiency in the language, students will be introduced to various aspects of German culture through weekly cultural highlights and through special projects.

Notes and Requirements

Grade Levels^*:

8, 9, 10, 11, 12

(* Determined by Date of Birth and declared Grad Year. Enrollment outside these grade levels requires written concurrence from TPS Support.)

Grade 8: This high school credit course allows grade 8 enrollment. However, the rigor, pace, and workload are high school level and no accommodation is made for students who are not ready to work at a HS pace with HS standards of evaluation.

Standard vs. Honors: TPS offers German 1 and 2 in two levels: standard and honors, where this “standard” course is one day of live class per week and “honors” is two days of live class per week. How do you choose between them? The workload and level of difficulty are similar, but the honors class has more dedicated opportunity for instruction and speaking, so your proficiency will be higher after the honors course. If you are seriously considering going to German 3 or higher — or if you just love the idea of learning German from a world-class expert teacher — then you will want to take the “honors” course with two days of live class per week. If you are pretty sure you just want two basic years of German to meet your foreign language requirement, then you may prefer this excellent “standard” course with one live class per week. You can change your mind in either direction after each year, and you can still go to German 3 from either track (though you will be better prepared from the “honors” track).

Suggested Pairing: Would you like to add more German cultural activities and conversational practice to your German experience? Enroll in the German Language and Culture Club (4046) course along with this course.

Reviews from Students and Parents

“This class was the perfect blend of culture and language. The teacher did a splendid job of incorporating the Austrian and German traditions during class in addition to teaching us the concepts of the German language. This was a fun class and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.”

Emily B

Student

“This was my very first year with TPS and this was my favorite class. The book we used was great about giving lots of practice and explaining things really well. I always feel free to ask my teacher as many questions as I want in class, but it usually is not necessary because she is great about explaining everything. We always get a lot done in class and there is a great atmosphere. I can’t wait to start German 2 next year.”

Lily K

Student

“I’ve been homeschooled my entire life and this year was my first year with TPS; I really enjoyed it!! At the start I was really worried about failing. In the past I have tried to learn languages and didn’t get past the basic greetings, but in this class I found that German is one of my favorite subjects. The teachers here are really nice, and they care about you and always make sure that you understand the concepts they teach.”

Hannah M

Student

“The German courses at TPS have been some of my favorite courses throughout high school. The program has placed me at a level far above many of my peers coming from other educational environments in my ability to understand, speak, and test in a world language. The teacher creates a wonderful environment for our learning during class time where each of the students, no matter his or her abilities or skill level, can comfortably practice the German language. Through these courses, I have been exposed to opportunities that have bolstered my personal resume and allowed me to test my abilities and stretch myself. The teacher has always been extremely willing to help in any area possible so that I can grow as a student of the German language and culture. For other students searching for an enjoyable way to learn a language extremely influential in today’s world, I would fully recommend the German program here at TPS.”

Joshua V

Student