Teaching German as a World Language

Course Description: DLL 503 Teaching German as a World Language

The overall goal of this course is for teachers to learn the elements of the German language and how the form and function of linguistic parts work together in communication. Teachers will learn the semantic classes, the nouns and functions of the article, the formal properties of gender, number, and case, the connection between the preposition and the following case, and why standard pronunciation is important. The course will culminate with a 3-week final project (Practical Exploration Project or PEP), in which the new theoretical approaches of the DLL unit are reviewed and assessed in the teacher’s own teaching practice. This course is conducted in German in partnership with the Goethe-Institut USA.

By the end of the course, the learner will submit a portfolio that demonstrates understanding and the ability to: Participants can describe their own teaching philosophy.

• Participants know the elements of the German language and how the form and function of linguistic parts work together in communication.

• Participants know the semantic classes, the nouns and functions of the article as well as the formal properties of gender, number, and case.

• Participants can explain the connection between the preposition and the following case.

• Participants are familiar with important models for representing sentence structure and how the parts of a sentence are related to each other.

• Participants know why standard pronunciation is important and which important features characterize German intonation.

• Participants can compare the phonetic system of German with that of the first language of their students and anticipate potential pronunciation difficulties.

Pre-requisite: The entry requirement is German at level B2 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or Advanced Low ACTFL Proficiency Level. Please take this assessment and email a screenshot of the results to info@idiomaconsulting.com. 

Required Texts 

There is no required textbook for this course. All materials are digital and will be provided in the online course.

Course Delivery: Online weekly learning modules, collaborative discussion boards and instructor feedback.  This course is not self-paced and has 3 live virtual sessions. 

Students who matriculate into an Instructor-Facilitated course should adhere to the dates listed on the website. Final coursework should be submitted within one week after the course end date. Course extensions beyond one week are subject to a $50 fee.

Miriam Swatuk, Instructor. Read more about Miriam here.

Click here to request a syllabus.