Report on the Demonstration Class in Elementary German Sponsored by the Linguistic Institute of the Linguistic Society of America at the University of Michigan in the Summer of 1945

Abstract

THE OBJECTIVES of this course were: 1) Correct and fluent pronunciation and ability to understand the spoken word; 2) active mastery of all except the less common word forms and sentence types; 3) active mastery of a limited vocabulary; 4) ability to carry on a simple conversation about concrete situations; 5) ability to read simple texts in conventional notation. Moulton's Spoken German, prepared under the auspices of the Intensive Language Program of the American Council of Learned Societies and published by Holt was used throughout. During the last two weeks the reading materials were amplified by selections from Hagboldt's Inductive Readings, Book II. The course ran for 8 weeks. Each week there were 4 lectures on pronunciation and grammar together with some initial drill by Mr. Kurath, and 6 or 8 hours of oral drill and conversation. The drill work was done in two separate sections by Dr. Striedieck and Dr. Wolf, both of whom had had previous experience in the Army Program at the University of Michigan. The class had 14 students, 10 of them candidates for higher degrees in Mathematics, French, Greek and Latin, Speech, Library Science. The average age of the class was about 25. Almost without exception the class displayed a gratifying interest in the work and visibly enjoyed the intensive work-out in class. During the first 6 weeks all the work was based on Moulton's excellent book. Several of the Units in the latter part of the book were omitted or dealt with more briefly, but all the regular features of German grammar, including the passive voice and the subjunctive, were systematically treated in the lectures and in the drill sessions.