GER-90007 - Module Specification
Language Centre
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

German 6 or equivalent (e.g. AS-level grade B, A level grade D or lower, CEF level B1)

Barred Combinations

Description for 2020/21

This module is aimed at students with a good knowledge of German and will be taught predominantly in the target language. All basic skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing) will be practised in the contact hours, and your communicative skills, vocabulary base and knowledge of grammar will be consolidated and expanded. The course is based around a series of texts focussing on life in contemporary Germany which will afford you an insight into the cultural background of German society, dealing with issues such as education in Germany, and social and political problems.
You will move from being able to communicate in everyday situations to discussing more complex issues with a degree of confidence. This will be practised in the classroom situation in a variety of ways: pair work and debates, as well as listening comprehensions and audiovisual material that familiarises you with authentic linguistic features. In self-study time, these skills will be consolidated with the help of exercises on KLE, and German Internet sites that will expand your vocabulary base and further your understanding of German life and culture. The language learning process will be charted in the reflective diary and provide valuable tools to improve language acquisition. Feedback on formative and summative assessments will be provided at regular intervals.
The language level of this module corresponds to work leading to Level B2 in the European Common Framework for Languages (CEFR -B2)

This module aims to build on students' existing knowledge of German and consolidate all areas of grammar, while at the same time expanding the vocabulary base to enable students to confidently discuss various aspects of contemporary German society, such as education in Germany and social and political questions.

Intended Learning Outcomes

understand the main points in extended speech: 1,2
interact with a degree of spontaneity and fluency that makes regular interaction with native speakers possible: 1
present clear descriptions on a wide range of subjects: 1,2
write clear text, expressing points of view: 2
demonstrate accurate usage of the language with regard to register, vocabulary and grammar: 1,2
understand and discuss a variety of cultural issues that have shaped contemporary Germany: 1
exploit resources to research topics (newspapers, German webpages etc): 2
read articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints: 2

Study hours

20 hours of synchronous and asynchronous class time
100 hours class preparation and revision and private study
22 hours revision for and completion of written exam
8 hours preparation for and attendance at spoken interaction exam

School Rules

Admission to the module must be confirmed through completion of a language level self-assessment form
Students are only permitted to take one German language module per semester.

Description of Module Assessment