Sonoma State University
Language Festival 2008
German Program
Poetry Contest

Individual students participate in this part of the contest. This year, students may choose their own poem. If you have students who wish to write their own poem, that is great! Either way, your students will need to send me (grobbel(at)sonoma.edu) the text of their German poems by Friday, March 21, 2008.

We will project the poem in German behind the student so that the audience will be able to read along. Encourage your students to recite the poem as expressively as possible, and not shy away from using gestures that help bring the poem to life!

Before the recitation, the students will be asked to introduce themselves and name their school. They will also need to present the name of the poet, the title of the poem, and describe the topic of the poem in about three sentences (in English).

Stage 1 (German 1 and 2):

Please keep in mind that your Stage 1-students should recite a minimum of 8-10 lines. They may have the text of the poem with them but may not simply read it off the script. The recitation will be evaluated on the basis of pronunciation, clarity of speech, and the ability to demonstrate that the student understands the poem well enough to “act” it out.

Stage 2 (German 3 and 4/5):

Please remind your Stage 2-students that their poems should contain a minimum of 10-15 lines. At this advanced level, students must memorize their poems, and they may not have a copy of the poem with them.  They may, however, bring a friend who can function as a prompter (sitting in the front row). As for the Stage 1-students, the recitation will be judged on the basis of pronunciation, clarity of speech, and the ability to demonstrate clearly that the student understands the poem well enough to “perform” its content.

Evaluation Criteria:

Our judges, Dr. Kate Foley-Beining and Marcell Johnson (SSU German student), will evaluate the recital based on

1.    pronunciation and intonation (rhythm, pauses, etc.),

2.    expression/performance (demonstrating that the poem is understood), and

3.    overall quality of delivery.

Suggestions for preparing students to participate in the poetry contest:

• include poetry in your curriculum
• ask students to find information about their poet’s life and work;
• encourage students to write their own poems;
• model the reading of the poems for them, paying attention to clarity, diction, and expression;
• analyze the texts carefully so students have a good understanding of what they will be reciting;
• make sure students pick a text that matches their proficiency;
• have them practice in groups and individually;
• organize a mock contest in the classroom or, if you can, in the school auditorium;
• have students take turns judging each other's performances.