German Resources

Das Alphabet auf Deutsch 
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Designed to teach the alphabet by showing examples of German words beginning with each letter; each word superimposed on screen while narrator of live-action video segment uses word in a complete sentence.
32 minutes

Anna, Schmidt und Oskar 
Two 1/2" VHS color videocassettes
Produced by the WDR, NDR, SWF and the Goethe Institute; level one (lessons 1–13) of a language learning series designed for children; provides a contextualized introduction to German language and culture via the experiences of Anna, a teen-aged music student, Schmidt, her elderly neighbor, and Oskar, a puppy; accompanying book available.
In German, no subtitles
Each video: approx. 90 minutes
Total time: 3 hours

Anna und Der König (Anna & the King)
1/2" VHS color videocassette (1999)
Loosely based on the semi-biographical novel by Margaret Landon. A young English teacher in Siam (present-day Thailand) begins he journey teaching English to the 69 children of the royal court. Soon after, she realizes Siam is in risk of colonization. The King wants to educate the royal court so that they can reason with the British. Therefore, Anna is an important asset to his kindgdon and she soon finds herself swept up in politics.
Dubbed in German with no subtitles
2 hours 28 minutes

Das Boot ist voll 
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Award-winning Swiss film starring Tina Engel, Curt Bois and Renate Steiger; suspense-filled drama where the conflict of personal conscience and the policies of a government converge; synopsis: in the summer of 1942 the Swiss government has set up strict immigration policies to stop the influx of people fleeing Nazi Germany; a Swiss innkeeper takes in a group of refugees she finds hiding on her property; when local authorities are alerted, the innkeeper is forced to rethink her decision about granting asylum.
In (Swiss) German, with English subtitles
104 minutes

A Class Act
1/2" VHS color videocassette © 1987
About teachers and foreign language teaching as a career; professionally filmed with practicing teachers and former teachers in the workplace; aimed at recruiting foreign language teachers for the future.
In English
15 minutes

Collaborations: Meeting New Goals, Realities
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Produced in 1997 by the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in conjunction with the 1997 Northeast Conference Reports volume; presents examples of classroom scenarios that each focus on one of the five goal areas (listed below) of the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning; series of accompanying discussion questions available.
54 minutes

Goals:

1. Communication Goal: Meaning Making through a Whole Language Approach
2. Cultures Goal: Using Video to Explore Perspectives, Practices, and Products of Guatemalan Culture
3. Connections Goal: Making New Connections through Interdisciplinary Lessons
4. Comparisons Goal: Using Linguistic and Cultural Comparisons to Help Students Succeed in Learning
5. Communities Goal: Using a Foreign Language to Connect with the Community

Contact
1/2" VHS color videocassette (1997)
Dr. Arroway is a gifted scientist who struggles to find funding to search for Extra-terrestrial life. In an effort to make first contact with aliens, she begins to forge aliences for the sake of science. Nevertheless, it takes a leap of faith for her research to progress. Guided by her passion to explore, Dr. Arroway makes decisions that will change the world.
Dubbed in German with no subtitles
2 hours 23 minutes

Cultural Literacy and Interactive Language Instruction
1/2" VHS color videocassette (1988)
Narrated by Marlies Mueller of the Dept. of Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University; illustrates a variety of activities designed to teach language through literature: (1) discussion of ideas via simulated news broadcasts and interviews with famous people, (2) vocabulary study, (3) grammar activities, (4) student dramatizations, (5) oral testing; begins by illustrating negative classroom techniques; ends with student discussion (in English) of the “language-through-literature” classes; all illustrations are from elementary and advanced French classes.
Narration in English
55 minutes

Deutschland: Ein Bilderbuch-Märchen
1/2" VHS color videocassette
A 1986 travelog of the land of forests, lakes and castles; sites visited include: the medieval city of Schwabisch Hall, Limburger Dom and the doll museum, the forty lake district in the Duchy of Lauenburg on the Elbe, Stade, the medieval Hanse city, Frankenwald, the Harz Mountains; in the Black Forest one sees farmers distilling their own obst schnaps, artisans cutting precious stones; also included is a visit to Kulmbach where the world’s strongest beer is brewed; addresses of local information centers appear at the conclusion of each mini-presentation of a region.
In German, no subtitles
Approx. 50 minutes

Deutschland TV Report No. 4: “Impressionen und Informationen über Berlin”

1/2"VHS color videocassette
Gives a portrait of Berlin as still (1980s, early ’90s?) the focal point of political and cultural life in Germany; the first half of the program is comprised of true impressions of the city and of its people; there is little spoken German in the first half, rather many images of life in the city; the second half of the program gives more of an historical presentation of Berlin with full German narration.
In German without subtitles
Approx. 60 minutes

Die Deutschstunde
Seven 1/2" VHS color videocassettes
March, April, May, and September–December 1995 editions of the TV-magazine for American students of German produced by the Goethe Institute in conjunction with Deutsch Welle and the American Association of Teachers of German; each two-hour video includes interviews, music, cultural clips including documentary portraits of various German cities, scenes of daily life in Germany, etc.; accompanying handbooks include pedagogical tips, activities, song lyrics and some other transcripts.
Total time: 14 hours

Die Dreigroschenoper
1/2" VHS black & white videocassette
1931 G.W. Pabst film setting of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera; stars Rudolph Forster, Carola Neher, Lotte Lenya, and Fritz Rasp.
In German with English subtitles
1 hour 53 minutes

Egmont
1/2" VHS (PAL) color videocassette
The tragedy in five acts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The people of the Netherlands are suffering under Spanish dominion and seek to acquire their freedom. The people greatly desire Lord Egmont as their leader. Egmont, however, hesitates because he believes that the rights of the Netherlands can be obtained from the regent queen without rebellion and bloodshed. Despite the regent, Alba takes over the government of the Netherlanders. Egmont, then, falls victim to Alba’s criminal court; for advanced students.
In German without subtitles
2 hours 40 minutes

Expeditions Through German Culture

Seven 1/2" VHS color videocassettes
Fifty-two 15-minute programs focusing on the literature, history, rareties of art and culture, architecture and famous folk heroes of Germany; portrait of the German people, past and present, East and West; gives insight into prevailing political, economic and social conditions in Germany since Reunification; designed to be used as supplementary material in an intermediate German language course; language of series is well-paced yet sophisticated enough to be challenging to students beyond the first-year level; accompanying 207-page text Streifzüge durch die deutsche Kulturgeschichte, containing color photographs, does not duplicate narration of the video series, but uses it as a point of departure for related material.
Total time: 13 hours

German Commercials II
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Compilation of 50 German-language commercials for a wide variety of consumer products; commercials aired on German television circa 1988; brief, multiple-choice “quick quiz” card provided.
29 minutes

Geschäftskontakte 
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Produced by Langenscheidt; designed as a preparation tool for the Business German certificate, this 8-segment program illustrates the procedure involved in establishing business contacts between a Scandinavian company and a German firm; aims to teach social and cultural behavior patterns as well as business German vocabulary; accompanying 128-page Video Workbook available.
In German, no subtitles
50 minutes

Going International
Four 1/2" VHS color videocassettes
Designed to help the traveler develop cross-cultural skills required for a successful international experience.
In English

• Bridging the Culture Gap — contrasts one’s own unconscious cultural values/habits with those of the diverse cultures of the world; explains cultural taboos and accepted standards of behavior; 30 minutes.
• Managing the Overseas Assignment — shows how cultural misunderstandings can affect the traveler’s ability to accomplish goals in such diverse countries as Japan, Saudi Arabia, England, India, and Mexico; includes explanation of what went wrong in each situation and proposes ways for improving results; 30 minutes.
• Beyond Culture Shock — for the family or the individual moving abroad; explains the psychological phases of the adjustment process; provides practical suggestions for making life abroad a positive experience; 30 minutes.
• Welcome Home, Stranger — focuses on the unexpected problems of returning home and how to overcome the difficulties of “re-entry” into the workplace, community and school environment; 15 minutes.

Hand-Held Delight
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Produced in Summer 2000 by the Boston College Audiovisual Department in association with the Boston College Lambda Psi chapter of Pi Delta Phi (National French Honor Society); this video, produced in conjunction with the Lambda Psi chapter’s exhibit of the same name at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College (June 14–September 24, 2000), highlights several of the 18th and 19th-century European fans from the permanent Mr. and Mrs. Frederick B. Hicks Collection at Boston College; also includes a study of 18th-century fan construction as illustrated by the Eventailliste (Fan-Maker) plates from the Encyclopédie of Denis Diderot.
English-language captions and period music
Approx. 27 minutes.

Heinle & Heinle Satellite Videoconference #2: On Mentoring Foreign Language TAs, Lecturers, and Adjunct Faculty 
1/2" VHS color videocassette
The October 25, 2000 second-annual national videoconference on issues in language program direction sponsored by Heinle & Heinle Publishers and broadcast from the Georgia Center for Continuing Education; based on the AAUSC (American Association of University Supervisors, Coordinators and Directors of Foreign Language Programs) volume Mentoring Foreign Language TAs, Lecturers, and Adjunct Faculty edited by Benjamin Rifkin; videoconference moderated by Robert Terry (University of Richmond) with featured speakers: Elizabeth Bernhardt (Stanford University), Tom Blair (City College of San Francisco), Lara Lomicka (Penn State University), Susan Navey-Davis (North Carolina State University), Rebecca Oxford (University of Maryland); in addition to delivering formal presentations and participating in discussions on the topic of mentoring, speakers respond to viewers’ questions.
2 hours

Heinle & Heinle Satellite Videoconference #3: Teaching in Today’s Multilevel Classroom
1/2" VHS color videocassette
The February 6, 2002 third-annual national videoconference on issues in language program direction sponsored by Heinle & Heinle Publishers and broadcast from the Georgia Center for Continuing Education; videoconference moderated by Robert Terry (University of Richmond) with featured speakers: Kerry S.G. Driscoll (University of Iowa and Coe College), Jean-Louis Hippolyte (Kansas State University), Patti J. Marinelli (University of South Carolina), and Kimberley A. Sallee (University of Missouri-Columbia); in addition to delivering formal presentations and participating in discussions on the topic of placement in the multilevel classroom where students of varying abilities/backgrounds in the target language come together, speakers respond to viewers’ questions.
2 hours

Der Herr der Ringe: Die Gefährten 
1/2" VHS color videocassette (2001)
Based on the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy. The fate of the world is on the shoulders of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the shire, who possesses the One Ring. He is in pursuit by the dark sorcerer Sauron who wishes to obtain the ring’s great power. Accompanied by 8 diverse companions, The Fellowship, he journeys to Mount Mordor to destroy it.
Dubbed in German with no subtitles
2 hours 51 minutes

Interact ’89
1/2" VHS color videocassette
The satellite teleconference, “Using Technology in the Modern Language Classroom,” from California State University at Chico (May 10, 1989). Participants include: Frank Otto of Brigham Young University, Rick Altman and James Pusack of PICS, Lee Ann Stone of UC at Irvine; their discussion includes task-based activities for the language lab, use of video and authentic foreign television programming and the availability of videodisc.
In English
90 minutes

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Three 1/2" VHS color videocassettes
EuroTel; each 30-minute video profiles a different period in the life and work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: (1) Der junge Goethe (1749–1775), (2) Von Weimar bis Rome (1775–1789), (3) In ein neues Jahrhundert (1789–1832); presentation combines literary analysis and biography; transcript booklet available.
Total time: 90 minutes

Kalkül und Leidenschaft: Die Epoche des Sturm und Drang 
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Study of the Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) period of German literature facilitated by conversations between Yukio, a Japanese student, and Arnim, a German student who are both studying at the Künstler-Akademie at Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart; includes references to works of Schiller, Goethe, Herder, Lenz, and Wagner as illustrations of the period’s rebellion against traditional norms and conventions of society and literature; videoscript available.
In German, no subtitles
30 minutes

Languages at Work
1/2" VHS color videocassette (1989)
Narrated by Marlies Mueller of the Dept. of Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University; illustrates a variety of activities for the language classroom: warm-up, grammar-related, role-playing, group work, warm-down activities; illustrations are given in French, Italian, and Spanish by Harvard faculty members in elementary-level language classes.
Narration in English
35 minutes

Lola rennt (Run, Lola, Run)
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Tom Tykwer (1998)
Starring Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu; With edgy cinematography and a pulsating soundtrack, this fast-paced thriller tells the story of Lola (Potente) and Manni (Bleibtreu), her boyfriend, who has just lost the huge sum of money he owes his mobster boss; Manni and Lola must race against the clock to replace the money within 20 minutes in order to save their lives; also available in Region 2 (PAL) DVD format with option of German subtitles.
In German with English subtitles
81 minutes

Maria Stuart
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Bayerischer Rundfunk production of Friedrich Schiller’s tragedy in five acts; no subtitles; accompanying text of play includes biographical and historical notes.
Approx. 2 hours

McGraw-Hill Satellite Teleconference #1: From Theory to Practice: The Natural Approach
1/2" VHS color videocassette
The February 23, 1994 McGraw-Hill satellite teleconference (from California State University at Long Beach) on second language acquisition theory and how to apply it to the classroom; program, moderated by Dr. Gerard Ervin of Ohio State, features presentation by Dr. Stephen Krashen and panel discussion/questions-answers with Jeanne Egasse, Erwin Tschirner, Mary Rogers, Magdalena Andrade, and Elías Miguel Muñoz; topic of discussion: Tracy Terrell’s Natural Approach to language instruction; available: multiple copies of teleconference handout containing biographies of conference panelists, outline of Krashen’s presentation, and Natural Approach theory.
2 hours

McGraw-Hill Satellite Teleconference #2: A New Look at Authentic Materials
1/2" VHS color videocassette
The February 15, 1995 second-annual McGraw-Hill satellite teleconference (from California State University at Long Beach) on second language acquisition theory and practice; program, moderated by Dr. Gerard Ervin of Ohio State, features presentations by Dr. Wilga Rivers (Harvard University) and Dr. June Phillips (Weber State and ACTFL), and panel discussion/questions-answers with Drs. Robert Blake (University of California, Davis), Robert Di Donato (Miami University), Raymond Elliott (University of Texas, Arlington), L. Kathy Heilenman (University of Iowa), and Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku (University of California, San Diego); topic of discussion: use of authentic materials in the foreign language classroom; features videotaped examples of teachers using realia, authentic readings, and video in the classroom; available: copy of teleconference handout containing outline of program.
2 hours

McGraw-Hill Satellite Teleconference #3: Integrating Technology into the Language Curriculum
1/2" VHS color videocassette
The October 23, 1996 third-annual McGraw-Hill satellite teleconference (from California State University at Long Beach) on second language acquisition theory and practice; program, moderated by Dr. Gerard Ervin of Ohio State, features presentations entitled The Role of Technology by Dr. Robert J. Blake (University of California, Davis) and Technology and the Communicative Language Classroom by Dr. Bill Van Patten (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) followed by panel discussion/questions-answers with Drs. Gail Robinson-Stuart (San Diego State University), Richard Kern (University of California, Berkeley), Christopher M. Jones (Carnegie-Mellon University), James P. Pusack (University of Iowa), Karen Price (Harvard University); topic of discussion: attempt to answer the following 4 questions: What is technology good for? Where does technology live? What is the process for integrating technology? How does the language instructor get good materials?
2 hours

McGraw-Hill Satellite Teleconference #4: Grammar in the Communicative Language Classroom
1/2" VHS color videocassette
The Fall 1997 fourth-annual McGraw-Hill teleconference (from California State University at Long Beach) on second language acquisition theory and practice; program, moderated by Dr. Gerard Ervin of Ohio State features presentations by Dr. Diane Musumeci (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) and Dr. Michael H. Long (University of Hawaii, Manoa); also includes panel discussion/questions-answers with Drs. Elizabeth Bernhardt (Stanford University), Patsy Lightbown (Concordia University, Montreal), Theodore Higgs (San Diego State University), and Bill VanPatten (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign); topic of discussion: attempt to answer the following 4 questions: Should grammar be explicitly taught in the communicative language classroom? Does grammar instruction make a difference in the acquisition of a second language? If so, what are the effects? What approach to grammar instruction should be followed?
2 hours

Minna von Barnhelm
1/2" VHS (PAL) color videocassette
The comedy in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
2 hours 27 minutes

Neue Horizonte 4th Edition
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Containing eight modules which reinforce and expand on the themes, vocabulary and structures presented in every two chapters of the Neue Horizonte, 4th edition (Dollenmayer, Hanson) (GM 1.022) textbook; each module includes: (1) a situational, live segment featuring recurring characters whose speech is semi-scripted; (2) opening and closing realia segments related to the module’s theme; filmed in Berlin; Videoecke sections of Neue Horizonte, 4th edition textbook provide custom-designed support via pre-viewing and viewing activities as well as key vocabulary for each video module; 2 copies available.
Approx. 38 minutes

Neue Welle Deutschland
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Closely coordinated with the D.C. Heath first-year text Neue Horizonte, 3rd edition(Dollenmayer, Hansen) (GM 1.019). Shot on location in Berlin, the eight modules each feature authentic, functional scenes in natural settings, a brief review of a grammar topic, and thematically-related documentary shots; Video Workbook contains pre-viewing, viewing and post-viewing activities; Instructor’s Edition of Video Workbook contains general and chapter-specific teaching suggestions for using Neue Welle Deutschland, a complete video transcript, and an answer key for workbook activities.
Approx. 60 minutes

Modules:

Ist das Zimmer noch frei? (renting a room)
Ohne Frühstück geht’s nicht! (breakfast)
Wie war deine Vorlesung? (student life/night life)
Gehen wir doch einkaufen! (shopping)
Treibst du gern Sport? (sports and leisure)
Das vergesse ich nie. (birthday, memories)
Fährst du mit in die Schweiz? (travel and vacation plans)
Ich bezahle das Abendessen! (dinner in a restaurant, women’s issues, guest workers)

Die Niebelungen — part I: Siegfrieds Tod; part II: Kriemhildes Rache
1/2" VHS black & white videocassette
The 1924 silent film by Fritz Lang; English titles between scenes of Siegfried; German and English titles between scenes of Kriemhilde, music; a cinematographic masterpiece of the most famous German legend.
Part I: 2 hours
Part II: 1 hour 38 minutes

Poetry and the Teaching of Foreign Languages
1/2" VHS color videocassette (1991)
Demonstration of teaching techniques where poetry is examined as a literary genre and as a means of expanding communicative skills in a foreign language; divided into three parts: Celebrating Poetry, Understanding Poetry, Creating Poetry; actual, unrehearsed classes in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and English as a Second Language presented; shot on location at Harvard University with appearances by Harvard professors Wilga Rivers and Marlies Mueller, as well as Prof. Claire Kramsch of the University of California at Berkeley.
60 minutes

Porträt Friedrich Schiller: Ein Genie findet Worte 1759–1783
1/2" VHS color videocassette
A Joachim Burkhardt film on the life and works of Friedrich Schiller; accompanying text provides video transcript and additional documents.
No subtitles
Approx. 2 hours

Schauplatz Deutschland: Dresden
1/2" VHS color videocassette © 1994 Deutsche Welle
Narrator Sabine Sauer acts as video tour guide through Dresden and its cultural history; highlights of the tour include: Frauenkirche, the Semper Opera, Zwinger Palace, Neustadt, Europe’s largest microchip factory of the future, the story behind the STASI files, a portrait of the author Erich Kästner, a day in the life of a choir member, a lesson in making the cheescake called Eierschecke.
In German with English subtitles
60 minutes

Speak Easy
1/2" VHS color videocassette
14 short mime sketches in which two characters interact in real-life situations; sketches move from service-related interactions between strangers, to encounters between strangers, to more personal situations involving close friends or members of family; for all levels of language student; a Teacher’s Manual is available.
Each sketch: 3–5 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes

Titles:

Speed 
1/2" VHS color videocassette (1994)
LAPD officer Jack Tavern (Keanu Reeves) falls prey to the personal vendetta of a domestic terrorist. In order to keep other citizens from being killed, Tavern attempts to stop a bus rigged with explosions. However, if the bus goes below 50 mph, it will explode!
Dubbed in German, no subtitles
1 hour 52 minutes

Technology: Tool or Method? 
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Recording of a “Baker’s Dozen Roundtable” discussion broadcast April 12, 2001 via satellite from Duke University and sponsored by the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in collaboration with Washington and Lee University and Duke University; 13 experts in applied linguistics, pedagogy and technology discuss (1) theory and practice in technology, (2) expected and assured outcomes with technology use, (3) changes in knowledge acquisition as it pertains to the technological interface, (4) technology as a transparent tool and/or method; discussion participants: Ms. Pegge Abrams (Duke), Dr. Bryan Alexander (Centenary College of Louisiana), Dr. Robert Blake (UC, Davis), Prof. Miriam Carlisle (Washington and Lee), Dr. Lise Desmarais (Canadian Foreign Service Institute), Dr. Robert Fischer (CALICO), Dr. Nina Garrett (Yale), Dr. P. Richard (Dick) Kuettner (Coordinator and Host, Washington and Lee), Dr. Jerry Larson (Brigham Young University), Dr. Jimmie Purser (Millsaps College), Dr. Clare Tufts (Duke), Prof. Ken’ichi Ujie (Washington and Lee), Dr. Clara Yu (Middlebury).
60 minutes

Test The West!: Metamorphosis In East Germany
Two 1/2" VHS color videocassettes
Two-part documentary focusing on the metamorphosis East Germany and its people are going through while shifting from one system to another - Part 1 (1990): First Encounter with a New System (30 minutes); Part 2 (1993): The Rebuilding of a Country (48 minutes); includes interviews with a variety of everyday people who talk about changes in their lives, about hope and frustration in these times of transition, thus providing a look at German Reunification from an insider’s perspective.
Total time: 1 hour 18 minutes

The Three Penny Opera
1/2" VHS color videocassette (1931)
Loosely based on the 1928 musical theater by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. Macheath marries Polly Peachum even though her father does not approve. Due to Mr. Peachum’s political influence in the town, the couple’s life together is threatened.
In German with English subtitles
1 hour and 53 minutes

Treffpunkt Deutsch 2nd Edition
1/2" VHS color videocassette
20 video clips taken from German television; includes news, talk show, documentary, sports programming; coordinated with the chapters of Treffpunkt Deutsch Grundstufe, 2nd and 3rd eds. (© 1995, 1999 Prentice-Hall) by Widmaier and Widmaier; accompanying pre- and post-viewing activities available in text’s Instructor’s Resource Manual; 2 copies.
Approx. 40 minutes

The World Says Welcome
1/2" VHS color videocassette © 1987 Monterey Institute of International Studies
A fast-paced, informative video program using real-life interviews with young Americans living and working throughout the world; designed to stimulate interest in foreign language and to provide expert advice on how to prepare for an international career; accompanying materials include: teacher’s guide, counselor’s guide, suggestions for use in classroom, and an international careers bibliography.
Approx. 27 minutes

Zahlen und Farben auf Deutsch 
1/2" VHS color videocassette
Designed to teach numbers and colors while narrator describes scenes shot on location in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
15 minutes