Review

Author(s): Carol Anne Costabile-Heming

Review by: Carol Anne Costabile-Heming
Source: Die Unterrichtspraxis / Teaching German, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Spring 2011), pp. 58-59
Published by: Wiley on behalf of the American Association of Teachers of German
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41302921
Accessed: 27-08-2016 00:47 UTC

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 58 UP 44.1 (Spring 2011)

haltbar. Im GroBen und Ganzen lasst sich der Ein- XVIII. Intermediate and Advanced German
fluss umgangssprachlicher Normen auf neuere Textbook (Adult, B2-C1)
Grammatiken, wie auch der vorliegenden, deut-
lich nachweisen und das ist zweifellos legitim. Der Sander, Use, et al. Mittelpunkt. Intensivtrainer
Konjunktiv z. B., der zu den schwierigeren Gebie- Lese- und Horverstehen. Strategien und
ten in der traditonellen, normativen Grammatik vertiefende Ubungen. Level B2. Stuttgart:
gehort, kommt meist nur noch in der Konjunktiv Klett, 2009. Paper, 103 pp. + 1 CD-ROM,
II-Form oder als tuiirde-Umschreibung vor. Die 13.99. www.klett.de
Autoren der Kompaktgrammatik konnen deshalb Backhaus, Anke, Use Sander, and Johanna Skrodzki.
guten Gewissens den Konjunktiv I vernachlassigen Mittelpunkt. Intensivtrainer schriftlicher
und es fur ausreichend halten, wenn Studierende und mundlicher Ausdruck. Textsorten fur
die Formen in Texten erkennen und verstehen" Studium und Beruf. Level B2+ CI . Stuttgart:
(30). Der Empfehlung, dass man den Genitiv nicht Klett, 2009. Paper, 112 pp. + 1 CD-ROM,
zu lernen brauche, weil er nur selten gebraucht 13.99. www.klett.de
werde, diirften allerdings viele Lehrende nicht zu-
stimmen. Manchmal ist die gelieferte Information Both volumes of Mittelpunkt Intensivtrainer
unvollstandig. Beim Futur wird z. B. auf dessen are geared toward adult learners of German who
modalen Gebrauch eingegangen. Hier miisste have surpassed the intermediate level of language
aber erwahnt werden, dass in den meisten Fallen proficiency. Though designed to complement the
nicht das Futur die modale Bedeutung erzeugt, Mittelpunkt B2 and Mittelpunkt CI texts from Klett,
sondern die beigefiigten Abtonungspartikel (schon, these two workbooks also can be implemented in-
wohl, etc.). Die folgenden zwei Satze sind nicht dependently as supplements to other classroom
austauschbar: Sie wird uns heute Abend besu- materials. Moreover, the inclusion of an answer key
chen. / Sie wird uns wohl heute Abend besuchen. " makes their use for independent study possible.
Das erste Beispiel wiirde man nicht im modalen Both volumes also include an audio CD.
Sinne, d.h. als Vermutung verstehen. Diese Art von Mittelpunkt. Intensivtrainer Lese- und Horver-
Partikeln kommt vor allem in der Umgangssprache stehen contains twelve chapters devoted to the
sehr haufig vor, auf die in der auf Umgangssprache development of reading comprehension (four
ausgerichteten Kompaktgrammatik kurz eingegan- pages each) and twelve chapters for listening com-
gen werden sollte. prehension (two pages each). The reading texts
Das schon erwahnte Layout bewahrt sich be- draw from a variety of genres including gen-
sonders im Abschnitt Satze und Texte". Runde eral-knowledge articles, informational texts, and
und eckige Umrahmungen von Satzgliedern ver- Internet texts. Each chapter focuses on specific
deutlichen noch viel starker als Unterstreichungen strategies for the development and intensification
oder Fettgedrucktes zentrale Eigenheiten des deut- of reading comprehension ranging from working
schen Satzbaus, z.B. die Satzklammer. Der infor- with a dictionary, to reading for detail, to analyzing
mative Anhang enthalt eine Diskussion iiber ver- authorial point of view. The listening activities fol-
schiedene Aspekte der Laute und Zahlen, Listen low a similar framework, with each focusing on a
von Verben mit Prapositionen und unregelma!3i- specific listening strategy; these strategies range
gen Verben sowie einen Abschnitt uber das Verfas- from global listening, to note taking, to reconstruct-
sen von Briefen, E-Mails und Faxe. Abgeschlossen ing dialogues. Because of its emphasis on employ-
wird der Text mit einem zuverlassigen Stichwortre- ing different strategies for increasing comprehen-
gister. sion, this volume can serve as an excellent supple-
Zusammenfassend lasst sich sagen, dass es sich ment for learners who need intense practice in one
bei der deutschen Kompaktgrammatik um einen of these skill areas.
anregenden Text handelt, der im Grunde ohne Ein- Mittelpunkt Intensivtrainer schriftlicher und
schrankungen empfohlen werden kann. mundlicher Ausdruck is, ideally, geared to students
Walter Tschacher preparing to study in Germany who need to im-
Chapman University prove their written and oral communication skills.
The text begins by differentiating between oral and
written text types, and progresses through a series
of increasingly complex writing strategies begin-
ning with the composition of formal e-mails and
concluding with "Hausarbeit" or a research paper.

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 BOOK REVIEWS 59

Each XIX. Advanced German

chapter gu
stages Textbook
beginning(Adult, CI)
type, followed by
the specific
Perlmann-Balme, Michaela, Susanne Schwalb, and ge
practice Dorte Weers. EM Abschlusskurs.
in Deutsch als
com
Abundant Fremdsprachefur die Mittelstufe
vocab Niveastufe
port CI. Ismaning: Hueber, 2008. Paper, 128 pp.
students in
and push17,95. them
beyond the comf
The Fremdsprachefur
oral commu
ilar stufe CI. Audio-C
fashion, foc
cation 2008. 2 audio CDs.
commonl
studentswww. hueber. de
includ
section likely is
The EM Abschlusskurs Deutsch
learners; thoug als Fremd-
prompts and
sprache fur die Mittelstufe CI (here referred toac
as
materials,
Abschlusskurs) constitutes theanthird part of a in
feedback and interaction which occurs in a class-
three-volume sequence that prepares adult learn-
room setting. ers of German who are at the B2 level for the
Both volumes live up to their names of provid-Goethe-Zertifikat CI. The monolingual textbook
ing intensive training in these four skill areas, and
(referred to as "course book" by the authors) builds
motivated students likely will find them stimulating.upon the subject matter covered in the preceding
volumes and is accompanied by a workbook, a test
Students unfamiliar with the other Mittelpun kt vol-
umes, or those unaccustomed to textbooks from
training booklet, and two audio CDs for the listen-
ing texts contained in the workbook and test train-
Germany, almost certainly will find these texts chal-
lenging. I have used excerpts from them in an ad- ing booklets. The textbook consists of ten chap-
vanced conversation and composition course and ters - called Lektionen - that cover relevant topics
found that students who had studied at DaF institu- ranging from world news and politics, finances,
tions in Germany could easily understand and and psychology, to science, art, and globalization.
complete the assignments; those students who had Overall, the textbook and the accompanying mate-
studied German only in the US struggled a bit with rials are very well organized and easy to navigate.
the structure. While I cannot imagine using them The
as topics, texts, and dialogs chosen for each chap-
the sole textbooks in a typical college classroom,ter reflect authentic language use which students
they can serve as supplemental material for ad- will encounter outside the classroom (e.g., newspa-
vanced courses aimed at moving learners to ad-
per articles, journalistic reports, telephone conver-
vanced levels of language proficiency and/or pre-
sations, interviews, etc.). Pictures and illustrations
paring them for study abroad. nicely contextualize the texts and activities.
Carol Anne Costabile-Heming Every chapter includes six components target-
Northern Kentucky University ing the four language skills (reading, listening, writ-
ing, and speaking) as well as activities - many of
them are communicative - to practice vocabulary
and grammar. All activities are well contextualized
within the topics and information provided in the
reading texts. To give a specific example, learners
have to create a pro- and contra-chart based on a
reading text, or they have to underline different
variations of the word sagen and determine why
these variants are used in certain contexts.
The textbook is a classical language course
book at the advanced level and not suitable for
self-study, as many activities are designed for part-
ner or group work. The workbook provides a list of
new vocabulary covered by each textbook chapter,
and it includes both in-class and homework activi-

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