GERMAN LANGUAGE COURSE (1-6)
The „cultural deprivation cure“ on a large scale, to which major parts of Western industrial society are willingly submitting today, is more of an incentive for us to choose what many an educationalist or theorist, ironically or in inverted commas, calls education or humanism.
Language that is completely stripped of intellectual content loses its intrinsic value, for the sake of which it is worth transmitting at all.
On the basis of experience we believe that people who enter intensely into a foreign language system are able to think and want to expand intellectually.
Mental agitation, the exercise of seeing, questioning and understanding are vital for them. They should not feel lost with us, they should find humus, enough depth and sufficient space to feel comfortable and stay connected to this language system.
(Sprachkurs Deutsch 6 Neufassung, Lehrerheft, Verlag Diesterweg GmbH & Co., Frankfurt am Main, 1994)
CONTENTS
1. Topics (e.g. Economy and Ecology, Adam Smith, Sustainable Development: Professions, Field of Work: Environment).
2. Language Skills (e.g. Argumentation, Useful Phrases, Reading Skills, Editing a Text)
3. Grammar (e.g. Passive with a Definition of the Cause (of, by, with), Alternatives to Passive).
4. Vocabulary Work (e.g. Language Manipulation, Vocabulary: „Ecology“, Nouns Declined Like Adjectives, Style: Levels of a Language).
5. Text Work (e.g. Giving Headings to the Sections of the Text)
6. Writing School (e.g. Writing a Letter about an Eventful Flight. Destination, Airline, Plane, Weather, View, Service, etc.)
7. Conversation (e.g. Interpretation of Proverbs)
8. Prosody (e.g. Sentence Accent)
9. Phonetics (e.g. Long and Short Vowels)
10 Workshop (e.g.: Getting Information Material on the Topic „Energy“ and Preparing a Discussion)
11 Business German (e.g.: Work Environment and the Values)
12. Optional: Reading Course: Professional Jargon (e.g. Topic „Wind“)
(Sprachkurs Deutsch 1-6, Neufassung, Verlag Diesterweg GmbH Co., Frankfurt am Main, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1997)
FOR OUR OWN PURPOSE
Finally a small confession on our own behalf. A frequent criticism of our whole Language Course German Programme is that it presupposes too much culture and too much imagination on the part of the learners and, therefore, offers too much education and thought. We are honoured by this criticism. Our course sees itself as a contrast programme to the well-known fancy streamlines tailored to dull utility.
We link to the fact that everyone who enters a foreign language system can think and wants to expand. The stimulation of mental agility, the exercise of seeing, questioning, understanding is vital for him and increases the feeling of small or great liberation, the more he begins to experience it.
(Sprachkurs Deutsch 6, Neufassung, Verlag Diesterweg GmbH & Co., Frankfurt am Main, 1994)
REFERENCE
Ms König ran German Courses for Academics with foreign backgrounds at the private Dr Benedict School (Bergisch Gladbach), where I held the position of the Director of Education. The course requirements for the learners were high, as the courses were intended to either prepare the participants for a further academic path in Germany or to integrate them into professional life where they could use their higher education.
Ms König successfully implemented all the measures at a high level of pedagogical and professional competence. Her classes were always meaningfully structured and well prepared.
She was also very popular with both participants and colleagues.
I am happy to warmly recommend Ms König and wish her continuous success.
ULRIKE DAHL, FORMER HEAD OF EDUCATION AT THE DR. BENEDICT SCHOOL BERGISCH GLADBACH
