21G.410 | Spring 2017 | Undergraduate

Advanced German: Professional Communication

Instructor Insights

Instructor Insights

Peter Weise engaged in conversation in his office on the MIT campus.

Below, Peter Weise describes various aspects of how he teaches 21G.410 Advanced German: Professional Communication.

Curriculum Information

Prerequisites

21G.404 German IV 
or permission of instructor

Requirements Satisfied

HASS

Offered

Every other spring semester

Assessment

Grade Breakdown

The students’ grades were based on the following activities:

  • 40% Active participation
  • 30% Homework & presentations
  • 30% Exams (2)

Instructor Insights on Assessment

Peter Weise uses video recordings and feedback from native German speakers to help students assess their language development.

Student Information

Enrollment

Fewer than 10 students

Breakdown by Year

Mostly juniors and seniors

Breakdown by Major

Variety of majors

Typical Student Background

Students are motivated to take this course for a variety of reasons. Some are heritage learners. Others took German in high school and want to continue their studies, while another group of students wants to be able to read academic literature in the original German. Finally, some students are motivated to learn German because they want to work in Germany.

How Student Time Was Spent

During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:

In Class

  • Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hours per session; 26 sessions total.
  • Class sessions included communicative activities, student presentations, and guest speakers.

Out of Class

  • Students completed homework and prepared presentations outside of class.

Course Info

Instructor
As Taught In
Spring 2017
Learning Resource Types
Written Assignments
Instructor Insights