Dr. Helga G. Braunbeck
NC State University
Room 224, 1911 Building, 515-9320
Helga_Braunbeck@ncsu.edu
www4.ncsu.edu/~hgb/
Office hours: T 1:15 – 2 p.m., W 11-11:45 a.m., and by appointment
Best way to communicate with me: by email to Helga_Braunbeck@ncsu.edu, regardless from which account I may have sent you email (if you simply hit “Reply” it may go to an account that is not checked so often; if you re-address it to Helga_Braunbeck@ncsu.edu, it will get to me faster)

Graduate Assistant: David L. Smith, dlsmith@imap.unc.edu
Office hours, for both UNC and NC State students: by appointment, contact David by email

FLG 307 WebCT component: http://webct.ncsu.edu and http://webct.ncsu.edu/guest
(only accessible for registered students)

Course Description

Business communication has its own practices and patterns in each culture. In this course we will learn how to function in German in a variety of business settings. We will do both: learn and practice standard communication forms, and get acquainted with the cultural specifity of the German business context, as opposed to American practices. We will cover topics such as: communication through phone, emails, letters for many purposes; resume, application, job interview; ordering and marketing; banking; product presentation; company organization forms and doing a presentation on your company. We will use books, an audio program, the internet and an extensive video series showcasing many types of real-life workplace situations and business interactions. Occassionally we will discuss issues of the German or European economy, but for the most part the course will focus on practical issues and plenty of training through dialogue, group work, role play, writing, and student presentations.

Prerequisites

At NC State University you need to have completed FLG 202 or have placed into the 300 level; in more general terms, four semesters of college German have to be completed.

Student Learning Objectives

By the end of the course you should be able to:
• communicate successfully in many common business situations that require oral skills such as telephone conversations, job interviews, company visits, product or company presentations for prospective clients, etc.
• write a variety of business letters, emails and other documents in German for transactions such as ordering, making an offer, advertising a product or a position; write an appropriate resume and job application letter.
• understand, describe and explain various German business practices that differ from those in the American business culture.
• apply with confidence for an internship in a German company, if you wish.

Texts

Required

Michael Hager: Deutsch im Berufsalltag (Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2002), ISBN 0-03-025561-9. Includes an audio CD. $66.95.
Website accompanying this text: http://deutsch.heinle.com/sitesources.html

Udo Miebs und Leena Vehovirta, Kontakt Deutsch: Deutsch für berufliche Situationen, Kursbuch (Berlin und München: Langenscheidt, 1997), ISBN 3-468-90520-3. 15,50 EUR.

Udo Miebs und Leena Vehovirta, Kontakt Deutsch: Deutsch für berufliche Situationen, Redemittelbuch (Berlin und München: Langenscheidt, 1997), ISBN 3-468-90521-1. 11,95 EUR.

A good-size dictionary, such as the New College German Dictionary (Langenscheidt); even better: PONS Handwörterbuch für die berufliche Praxis, Englisch-Deutsch (Vollständige Neuentwicklung 2001), Stuttgart: Klett, 2001. 44,00 EUR.
You may also use on-line dictionaries such as: http://dict.leo.org, http://www.langenscheidt.aol.de/, and http://www.linguadict.de; there are others on the web (Google will turn them up), but these may be the best or biggest ones. For help on German Computer Language check out http://www.goethe-verlag.com/computer.htm.

Optional

Kontakt Deutsch also has an audio cassette, a CD-ROM (especially for self-study), and the video series available for purchase. The videos are available for viewing on your campus; we will not use the audio cassette or CD-ROM in class, but if you wish to purchase them for additional training, here is the information:

Audio-Kassette (90 min.): ISBN 3-468-90525-4; 14,50 EUR.
CD-ROM (Hybrid for PC and Macintosh): ISBN 3-468-90536-X; 62,00 EUR.
Videokassette 1 (NTSC, 150 min.): ISBN 3-468-90532-7; 62,00 EUR.
Videokassette 2 (NTSC, 150 min.): ISBN 3-468-90533-5; 62,00 EUR.

From Langenscheidt Publishers, Inc.: 718-784-0055 or try http://www.ibiservice.com, a good distributor of German books and teaching materials.

The video material is also available on 7 VHS tapes together with printed scripts from EuroTel, inc. / attn. KONTAKT DEUTSCH, P.O. Box 2031 / Corvallis OR 97339, for $140.00 + $10 s/h. No phone or credit cards accepted, send check or money order. FAX (541) 753-2444.

Multimedia Materials

At NC State: the videos for Kontakt Deutsch are available for individual viewing in the Foreign Language Technology Center (FLTC) in the Laundry Building, LAU 214, on the corner of Stinson Drive and Current Drive. The center also has many computer work stations for word processing or any other task requiring a computer. Check http://fllab.chass.ncsu.edu for opening hours and info on the FLTC.
At UNC: the video tapes are on reserve at the Foreign Languge Lab, 1504 Dey Hall.

Course Requirements and Evaluation

Attendance Impact on grade is defined below in “Class Attendance Policy”
Class Work 15%, see below for details
WebCT Diskussionen 10%, see below for details
Written Homework 15%, see below for details
Presentation 10%, see below for details
Final Project 10%, see below for details
Midterm Exam 20%, exam on material from first half of semester
Final Exam 20%, exam on material from second half of semester

Class Work
For your participation in class, your grade will be determined using the following criteria:
A = you are well prepared, often with written notes, and participate actively; you are attentive, respond when called upon and volunteer often with pertinent questions and comments.
B = you are usually prepared, sometimes with written notes, and always respond when called on; you volunteer on occasion.
C= you show evidence of being unprepared; you have some trouble when called on and do not volunteer often.
D = you are unprepared and/or inattentive; you never volunteer; you come to class late and/or leave early.
F= you exhibit a lack of concern for the class; you sleep in class; your behaviour may have a negative effect on the class.

At some point in the semester, you will do a 2-5 min. report on a current topic about the German or European Economy: “Wirtschaftsnotiz des Tages,” using online resources for information. This is an informal short term assignment and will therefore be part of your classwork grade.

WebCT Diskussionen
You will complete the assigned tasks and participate in the online WebCT Diskussionen. Specific assignments and discussion topics will be posted throughout the semester.

Written Homework
You will submit your homework via email to both the instructor and the graduate assistant: Helga_Braunbeck@ncsu.edu and dlsmith@imap.unc.edu. Your email absolutely needs to contain the following subject line: 307 Hausaufgabe 16.1.03 (the numbers at the end should be the due date, written the German way, i.e. day.month.year). Please attach a WORD file with your homework (if you paste it into the email, formatting will get lost, so this is not a good solution). Be sure to include your name, the assignment info, and the due date, typed at the top in your WORD document. Ask David for help if you are unfamiliar with WORD and email practices at this level.

Presentation
You will do a presentation of a product. A script for it will be handed in first and returned with feedback. Models for the product presentation can be found in KD video 6 and chapter 6.

Final Project
For your final project you will collaborate with a colleague and present your own company. Each one of you may write up and present certain parts of the project, but you should critique and coordinate each other’s work and generally collaborate like a real work team. A detailed task description can be found in DB 245-246. The product of this company should be different from the one presented before. Models for the company presentation can be found in KD video 7 and chapter 7; more information can be found in DB, Segment V, esp. pp. 202-222.

Exams
The midterm will cover roughly the first half of the semester, the final exam the second half. Exam expectation sheets will be posted later.

Grading scale for exams (in %)

Audit Only Option
Attend all class meetings until the end of the semester; be prepared for class (read, take notes, prepare daily activities) and participate in discussions. You will not have to hand in written work or take exams, but may do so, if you wish.

Class Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is a university requirement. For every unexcused absence in excess of 2 (two) classes, your semester grade could be reduced by 1 point. If you accumulate 5 (five) or more unexcused absences your semester grade will be F. If you miss more than 10 minutes of a class period (unless pre-approved by me), it will count as an absence, but I encourage you to still attend the class so as not to miss the material. If you have to miss a class, please inform me about it beforehand or as soon as possible after the absence. You will still be expected to be prepared for the next class; contact me or a class mate for information on the missed material and any assignments. For information about what qualifies as an excused absence, please consult: http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/academic_regulations/attend/reg.htm

Policy on Late Assignments

Late assignments may receive lower grades: one day late = one grade lower, two days late = two grades lower, etc. Exception: pre-approved late submission or lateness in connection with an excused absence.

For both missing class and late submission of assignments: I strongly encourage you to communicate with me about any problems you’re having. I usually work with my students on helping them catch up and get on track again, if there are serious reasons beyond their control for having missed class or assignments. Being overworked, forgetting, etc. are NOT reasons that would qualify. As for technical difficulties with submission, we will address that problem together.

Students with Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. Before talking to me, you need to register with Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For more information consult http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/offices/affirm_action/dss/.

Academic Integrity Policy

Human interaction and effective communication function on the basis of trust. An atmosphere of trust, honesty and respect for each other fosters educational progress and success. Please do not give me any reason to be suspicious of your honesty; we do not want to train future Enron executives. You are to do your own work on all class assigments, presentations, projects, and exams, unless it is a designated pair or group assigment. That also means not incorporating others’ ideas and selling them as your own—this is called plagiarism. Whether you take ideas (verbatim or just as an idea) from books, the internet, or other sources does not matter: you need to acknowledge their source if they are not your own. The NC State Library has a Plagiarism Tutorial at: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/scc/tutorial/plagiarism/index.html
Please ask me about anything that remains unclear. Violations of academic integrity (plagiarism, cheating, etc.) will be prosecuted according to NC State’s policy on academic integrity, posted at: http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/provost/info/hat/current/appendix/appen_l.html
For UNC-CH students the respective UNC-CH policies will apply. Check your University's website and/or contact our graduate assistant David Smith with your questions.

Semester Schedule

KD = Kontakt Deutsch, Kursbuch; DB = Deutsch im Berufsalltag; numbers are page numbers, read and study everything; for the videos, numbers are sequence numbers (they correspond to KD chapter numbers); come prepared with exercises indicated (“Preparation”); use the other books and materials as indicated in these main texts. The scripts for the DB Hörverständnisse are in the back of the book, but I highly recommend doing the exercises without them and using them only AFTER you have completed the exercises! Always study vocabulary, a list is at the end of each “Segment.”

All submissions of homework (“Submission”) are due on the date under which they are listed, by 9 a.m. The portions are not completely even, so I strongly suggest working ahead on some of the tasks, especially when they are due on Thursdays.

A Few Tips: How to Succeed in German Class

Languages are used for communication and foreign language learning works best as a team effort. As part of the team, your instructor will do his or her best to make the class atmosphere creative, lively, and accepting of your best efforts. You have to do the other part:
1. Prepare all assigments for each class. The focus during class time is on practicing what you studied at home. It is nearly impossible to "cram" for this course and do well. Learning a language is like building a house of cards: each one must be well in place before adding the next. Spend at least 30 minutes on German per day, rather than studying all at once before exams. Regular repetition of small quantities of information is the most successful method for learning a foreign language.
2. Attend class regularly. Learning to speak a foreign language is an interactive process and you must interact with your instructor and your classmates in order to progress. Bring your book to class every day; it is essential that you have your own book for partner or group activities.
3. Participate actively in each lesson. Mentally answer each and every question whenever a classmate is responding. The more you participate, the better your grade will be, and the better your German will become.
4. Speak German as much as possible in the classroom, even before class when chatting with classmates. If you should need clarification in the classroom, the following expressions will be helpful:
Wiederholen Sie, bitte! Repeat, please.
Wie sagt man "…" auf deutsch? How do you say "…" in German?
Was bedeutet "..."? What does "..." mean?
Ich weiß nicht. I don't know.
Tut mir leid, ich verstehe nicht. I’m sorry, I don't understand.
Ich habe eine Frage. I have a question.
5. Take notes in class whenever appropriate. A lot of us are "visual" learners. By writing things down you will remember them much more easily and also give yourself a chance to review them after class.
6. Use memory tricks, songs, chants or other devices to learn new material. Say the answers to homework exercises in addition to writing them. This will train your mouth to form the right sounds and will also reinforce memorization when you hear the sounds; it helps your brain connect the sounds with the words on the page.
7. Take risks. Speak out. The more you speak, the more you will get out of the class. Making mistakes is a necessary component of the learning process. Let your instructor and your classmates assist you and make learning a joint and cooperative experience.
8. Be a good team partner in partner work or group activities. Turn your chair to create an easy setting for interaction with your partner(s). Volunteer information, keep the work moving along, but don't dominate. Help your partners, if they are having a more difficult time: helping others is an excellent way to learn for yourself. In order to be a good team player you need to be well prepared for class. Stick to German whenever possible.
9. Enjoy language learning and have fun with the language. You can create a whole new persona for yourself in the foreign language. Be playful and creative in ways that contribute to everyone’s pleasure and learning experience.
10. Stay in touch with other classmates by phone or e-mail and study together outside of class. Students in study groups often do very well. Contact a fellow student for information about a missed class, so you will be prepared when you return.
11. See German movies in theaters or on video. Video stores have them and the Media Center in D. H. Hill Library has a nice collection, a list of which is posted at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/colmgmt/aboutcolmgmt/Media_Center_Holdings.html. You can watch them there, but not check them out. A few good ones to start with are: Lola rennt/Run, Lola, run; Die weisse Rose/The White Rose; Das schreckliche Mädchen/The Nasty Girl; Das Versprechen/The Promise, this one by director Margarethe von Trotta. Ask your instructor for more suggestions.
12. Participate in a German Club. We have our own at NC State and then there is one in the Triangle. The NC State German Club / DeutschKlub has weekly Stammtisch (conversation) meetings; parties; film viewings; hikes; and other activities. It is free and you can attend as many or as few events as you like. You’ll meet other students of German and also usually a few exchange students from the German-speaking countries. Check out their website at http://www4.ncsu.edu/~clhinso2/ncsuDeutschKlub/. Contact faculty advisor Sylvia Smith, 515-9304, sasmith7@social.chass.ncsu.edu, for more information.
The German-Austrian-Swiss Club of the Triangle (GAST) can be checked out at http://www.orgsites.com/nc/gast. They have monthly meetings and other activities.
13. Consider going for a German Minor. You’ll need only five courses: FLG 201, 202, and three courses at the FLG 300 level. For more details, see the German Section Web Page at http://sasw.chass.ncsu.edu/fl/german/ or contact the German Section Coordinator, Helga G. Braunbeck, 515-9320, Helga_Braunbeck@ncsu.edu.
14. Transform yourself by studying abroad! International experience is an invaluable asset in today’s global job market. NC-State has a large number of opportunities available, some with stipends, ranging from a five week summer program to a full year abroad. Your German does not have to be perfect for this. The Study Abroad Office (2118 Pullen Hall, 515-2087, http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/stud_affairs/study_abroad/) has more information. Check out their programs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by using the links on the German Section webpage at http://sasw.chass.ncsu.edu/fl/german/ . Especially nice are NC-State’s summer program in Vienna, Austria, (see http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/stud_affairs/study_abroad/vienna.htm) and the exchange program between the UNC system and the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany for a semester or a year abroad (UNC-EP, http://www.uncep.org/bw.htm). NC-State advisor for UNC-EP is the German Section Coordinator, Helga G. Braunbeck. Also talk to your instructor, to fellow students who’ve been abroad, and to students from the German Club to learn more!

Viel Glück mit dem Deutschstudium!
We wish you a lot of luck with your German Studies!