Placement Guidelines

For Absolute Beginners
For Not-So-Absolute Beginners
For Students of German in High Schools (or otherwise continuing)
Fast Track Scenarios
Language Certification

For Absolute Beginners

If you have no prior exposure to German, you should start in German 1 (5 units). No matter what your motives for taking the language might be, our communicative approach will quickly bring you up to a reasonable level of proficiency in all four foreign language skills (Reading, writing, speaking, and listening), while exposing you to the links between language and culture and to the world of great thinkers and writers such as Nietzsche, Freud and Kafka. We hope that your experience in this course will motivate you to continue our language sequence in German 2, 3 and 4 (all courses can also be taken in an intensive workshop format in the summer). To allow for a maximum of scheduling flexibility, you will have the option to enroll for class meetings either five times or three times a week as of fall 2004.

For Not-So-Absolute Beginners

If you have had two years or less of high school German or simply want to brush up on prior basic knowledge, you should enroll in our new German 12 course (3 units, meets three times a week), specifically designed to meet your background. The same material as in German 1 will be covered in a condensed way and at an accelerated speed, so you qualify for subsequent enrollment in German 2. Again, we hope that your experience in this course will motivate you to continue our language sequence in German 2, 3 and 4 (all courses can also be taken in the summer and in an intensive workshop format)

For Students of German in High Schools (or otherwise continuing

Congratulations! Now you can take advantage of your prior achievements and continue with your German at a higher level - possibly you are only a few classes away from fulfilling the language requirement for a minor, major, or double major! Please start by placing yourself according to the guidelines below and attending the recommended course at the beginning of the semester. You might also want to go to the university bookstore before classes start and look at the texts for the courses you're considering.? This might give you a sense for the level. (In German 1, we cover through Chapter 6 of Kontakte; German 2 is Chapters 7-12). If you're unsure after the first class or two, consult with the instructor and, if necessary, the German Language Program Coordinator. Since we have a vested interest in making your foreign language learning experience a successful one, you can always change the level of course that you're attending as long as you do so by the beginning of the second week.

Background	Recommended Placement
Less than 1 year of High School German	German 1
2 years or less of High School German	German 12
3 years of High School German or passing Grade in UCB?s German 1 or 12 or passing Grade in another college's 2nd / 3rd semester course (depending on total numbers of units awarded)	German 2
4 years of High School German or AP score of 3 or passing grade in UCBs German 2 or passing grade in another college's 3rd semester course	German 3
AP score of 4 or passing grade in UCB's German 3 or passing grade in another college's 4th semester course(?)	German 4

Again, these are just starting points. If you've attended a class and think you might be in the wrong place, consult with your instructor and, if necessary, with the Language Program Coordinator. If you feel that your prior experience with the German language goes beyond the scenarios outlined above (e.g. heritage learner, study-abroad participation, etc.) you should contact the Language Program Coordinator (euba@socrates.berkeley.edu) for a personal placement advising appointment.

To further advance your language skills, we also invite you to

• become a regular at the weekly Stammtisch or come to our weekly Zweites Frühstück every Wednesday, 10-11 in the German Department library 5337 (Level E) Dwinelle
• visit our website regularly to surf the net and exercise those "German muscles" in your brain. You can find anything from German press to German pop music, interactive grammar exercises and e-mail partnerships
• take our advanced conversation course (German 40, 2 units; prereq=German 4; repeatable for credit) or our Intensive Grammar Review course (German 45, 3 units; prereq = German 3; not repeatable)

Fast Track Scenarios

We pride ourselves in the quality and intensity of our dynamic and innovative German language program here at Berkeley. There are, of course, downsides that come with this approach to language learning, most notably time constraints and scheduling conflicts. We try to address these concerns as best we can and ask you to come to us for advice. Nikolaus Euba, the language program coordinator, is more than happy to meet with you.? What follows are multiple scenarios for a fast track into the upper-division German language and literature courses (on the 100 level):

Scenario 1 (Fall Beginner)

Semester 1 Fall	Semester 2 Spring	Summer	Semester 3 Fall
German 1 or German 12	German 2	German 20 Workshop = G3+4(?)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 2	German 3 or German 3 and 4 Through EAP in Bayreuth	German 4	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 3	German 4		Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 4	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)		Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)

Scenario 2 (Spring Beginners)

Semester 1 Spring	Summer	Semester 2 Fall	Semester 3 Spring
German 1 or German 12	German 2	German 3(?)	German 4
German 1 and 2 Through EAP in Bayreuth		German 3	German 4
German 2	German 3	German 4	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 3	German 4	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 3 and 4 Through EAP in Bayreuth	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)	Upper-Division Advanced Course
German 4	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)		Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)

Scenario 3 (Summer Beginners)

Summer	Semester 2 Fall	Semester 3 Spring	Semester 4 Fall
German 10 Workshop (=German 1+2)	German 3	German 4(?)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 1 and 2 in Berlin	German 3	German 4	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 2	German 3	German 4(?)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)
German 20 Workshop (=German 3+4)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)	Upper-Division Advanced Course
German 4	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)	Upper-Division Advanced Course (German 101/102)	Upper-Division Advanced Course

Language Certification for German

If you need proof of your German language skills (e.g. for scholarship applications), please contact Professor Winfried Kudszus (kudszus@berkely.edu). Graduate Students in the German Department can arrange for an ACTFL oral proficiency interview and a subsequent advisory rating with the Language Program Coordinator (euba@berkeley.edu). All other and officially rated oral proficiency evaluations must be arranged through ACTFL (http://actfl.org).