German Post Beginners (L53) - Updated for 2018/19
Summary
Level:
You may have studied the language at school some years ago or attended a beginners' course of approximately 50 hours. You have very limited vocabulary and some understanding of basic structures. You can just about cope with predictable situations but you lack confidence in other contexts.
Main Objectives:
You will develop further competence in a range of predictable simple everyday language tasks. The course will provide additional knowledge of the structure and vocabulary of the language. The course will introduce new tenses and help you to communicate in everyday social or work situations.
Please read our Can-do Statements (link on the right of this page) to see the competences which you will be working towards and can achieve by the end of the year.
Teaching:
1 x 2 hour class per week plus some independent learning.
Course Text
Willkommen! German Beginner's course, Paul Coggle and Heiner Schenke; John Murray Learning, 3rd Ed Revised ISBN: 978-1473672659
A copy can be purchased from the University BookshopCourse Description
Based on a step-by-step approach, the course is divided into learning blocks each of which focuses on practical, useful and manageable language.
You will develop cultural awareness of the German speaking world.
You will have access to online resources for a more independent learning.
Homework tasks will be set each week to consolidate what you have learnt in class.
Syllabus
Chapters 7 - 12 of Willkommen! covers the following:
Topics
- Shopping and consumer goods;
- Talking about daily routines;
- Talking about work;
- Travel and transport around town;
- Talking about the weekend and recent events;
- Talking about the more distant past;
- Describing purchases;
- Fleamarkets in Germany;
- Comparing the past with today;
- Describing homes and where you live;
- Discussing pros and cons of town and country life;
- Describing price and location of hotels;
- Deciding on a choice of hotels;
- Giving descriptions of personal appearance;
- Talking about clothes, fashion;
- Expressing preferences;
- Discussing and recommending appropriate gifts and clothes;
- Party invitations and planning;
- Offering help and advice;
- Talking about past holidays;
- Talking about the weather;
- Discussing health;
- Telephoning;
- Writing a CV;
- Expressing opinions on the German language;
- Living in Germany;
- Talking about German-speaking countries.
Grammar
- Prepositions with accusative and dative;
- Perfect tense;
- Adjectival endings in various contexts;
- Comparative and superlative;
- Dative case;
- Direct and indirect objects;
- Personal pronouns in the dative;
- Modal verbs;
- Subordinate clauses;
- Revision of numbers.
Skills
- listening, speaking, reading and writing.
