A First‐Day Realia Activity: “Was ist in dem Umschlag?”

Abstract

The first day of class is in many ways the most important one of the term. Our students come into our classrooms that first day alert to everything around them, eager to piece together clues that will answer their ill-defined yet urgent question: is this course going to be What we say and, perhaps more importantly, we do on the first day of class is crucial, creating a first impression that sets the tone for the rest of the term. We know, of course, the anxieties, uncertainties, and skepticism that often lurk behind the question is this course going to be What our students are really wondering about-beyond how many vocabulary items they'll have to learn each week, when and how often they will be tested, and percentage of their grade the final exam will be worth-are much deeper issues: Will I like my instructor? If the instructor speaks in German, will I understand is going on? What are my classmates going to be like? How will I measure up to the rest of the class? Will I enjoy class time, or will it be the most boring part of my week? If I make an embarrassing mistake, will everyone laugh at me? Will I be able to succeed? My goals for the first class period, beyond matters the syllabus can easily explain, focus on providing an adequate answer to the students' unspoken questions. On that very first day, I want my students to feel invited to enter a community of learners with me and their fellow students; I want them to experience the classroom as a place that will feed their enthusiasm for the German language and culture; and I want them to learn to conceive of themselves as competent, able language learners with a generous fund of knowledge and skills already in place. These goals are not as easy to achieve as communicating straightforward course requirements, expectations, and policies--especially within the space of the average class hour-but it is not an impossible task. One activity I have used successfully on the first day of class ata variety of levels, Was ist in dem Umschlag?, addresses all three of these goals in a natural, efficient, and enjoyable way. When combined with a brief communicative activity in German that establishes the proficiency-oriented nature of the classroom and a somewhat detailed look at the syllabus that takes care of practical matters, I have found this activity to be an effective and enjoyable way of starting the term that gives the students a clear picture of what the course will be like.