Comfort Competencies Community
support & encouragement acquiring skills togetherness
This is a German class the likes of which you've never experienced before. The three pillars of this online German class are comfort, competencies--not curriculum! and community.
Comfortable German 1 is for you if you've never learned German before but want to, if you've tried it and want to start over again, or if you have forgotten all your German from school. We're working on the basics to create you a solid foundation of sentence structure & vocabulary.
If you want to learn German in a comfortable way, this course is for you! This class runs on Saturdays at 9:30 am Central time, so bring your coffee, snuggle up in your slippers, and learn some German!
Comfort
Comfortable German 1 is designed to create comfort for you as it’s an intro class for beginners. The class will have an easy pace and clear instructions. It’s short, with 12 sessions over 13 weeks and participation is limited to 6 participants.
If you can write emails, use a word processor, and use an electronic calendar, you have the technological know-how to use the online classroom. It’s easy-to-use and state-of-the-art and I’m there to help you every step of the way.
After each of the 12 sessions you’ll receive an email with the whiteboard(s) from that day and the homework. You could spend anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours on the homework during the week and that would be perfect.
Here's an example whiteboard that you would get in your weekly email:
If you have any questions to the Hausaufgaben (homework) during the week, simply email me and I'll answer your questions.
Competencies--not curriculum!
This is a completely different way of learning. We will begin at the beginning of the book and work by topic. This means we will work through what we can based on your learning needs and the speed of the group together. We won’t be cramming in a specific amount of material, just to “get through it.”
Curriculum-based learning is probably what you're used to. You register for a class and the plan is laid out for you. Week 1 covers topics A and B, Week 2 covers topics B and C, etc. Curriculum-based learning moves along quickly whether you've learned the material or not.
This is the opposite of curriculum-based learning.
We will "loop" the material: we'll start with topic A, repeat topic A and move to topic B. We'll learn topic B, repeat A, B, and start C. This way you see how it fits together and you get the repetition you need to feel more comfortable.
You'll be using a short, intro-to-German book that’s just 5 chapters long and covers the following topics:
Chapter 1: Greetings, the alphabet, ordering a beverage in a café
Chapter 2: Countries, saying where you are from, numbers, addresses & phone numbers
Chapter 3: Shopping, food in the supermarket, prices
Chapter 4: Family, jobs/careers, conversations
Chapter 5: Places in the city, activities, time
The book is the textbook and workbook in one and it comes with pre-made flashcards and an audio CD. It’s included in the course tuition.
Community
The benefit of working in a small group is immense. You get to know your classmates, you are learning the same things at the same time, and you get to help and support one another. This makes a huge difference--knowing you're right there with everybody else. And having loads of fun!
We’ll have class time together and pair/small group work as I can send you into breakout rooms to do work in pairs. We’ll rotate pairs so you get to work with each person in the class. Every learner brings unique skills and strengths and weaknesses with them, thus it’s important to change it up and see what we can learn from one another!
And for those of you who are more introverted, rest assured that you don’t have to share everything about yourself, you may always make up an answer. Say you’re 1 meter 56 cm tall when you’re actually 2 meters tall. Say you have green eyes and purple hair—it all counts!
What's Included in Your Tuition:
- Comfortable German 1 will run at 9:30 Central time from January 14 to April 8; there is no class on March 11. Classes are 1 hour in length.
Session dates:
Tech check: January 10 (evening!)**
January 14, 21, 28
February 4, 11, 18, 25
March 4, 18, 25
April 1, 8
- Text-/workbook with paper flashcards & audio CD
- Electronic flashcards & support from Nicole
- An email after every session with the whiteboards, which pages we covered, and the homework for the week.
- Email support for questions between classes
- Welcome packet with tailor-made worksheets
- ...and a few surprises!
All-inclusive tuition: $315 per person.
The book is included, shipping is included, the online classroom is included, everything is included.
There are no further fees, no other costs, no surprises. As it should be!
** You will be required to use either earbuds with a microphone or a headset for this class; using the online classroom without a headset causes feedback and echo, which is a distraction for everyone. If you need a headset, I can make a recommendation.
Special Offer & the Fine Print:
Special offer: Bring a friend and you both save $20!
If you and a friend have been trying to find a new activity to do together, this is a wonderful way to get started. That's why, when you and a friend register together, you both save $20!
Giving it away? You may gift the class to a friend or loved one! If so, please write that in the class registration below.
The "fine print":
All courses will be invoiced via email and payment is due by January 6th, 2017. Payments may be made through PayPal or by check drawn on US funds; if payment is made by check, the check must be received by 5 pm on January 6th, 2017. Payments made later than January 6th will be assessed a $25 late fee. No refunds will be made after January 6th, 2017. Should you withdraw from the class, you may gift your spot to someone else, however no refunds will be made.
Registration closes January 6th at 5 pm Central!
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