Learning German 3 (LL119)
Summary
Level:
This course will be offered to undergraduates with some prior knowledge of German (i.e. good GCSE level (or equivalent) or have successfully completed Learning German 2.
Main Objectives:
This is the third in a series of German modules at different levels to be offered as part of the University's commitment to a foreign language entitlement. The objectives of the course are to enable the students to develop competence in a range of language tasks performed in familiar work and social contexts, to extend skills in reading and listening comprehension and to consolidate and extend the knowledge and use of German grammar and syntax.
Assessment Scheme:
3 exams and an oral test. Students requiring 30 CREDITS are required to do an additional exam.
Weighting:
24 CREDITS or, with additional assessed work: 30 CREDITS
Teaching:
One seminar per week of 2 hours' duration over 23 weeks plus 2 hours independent learning per week
Availability/Location of module within courses:
This module is available as an approved option in undergraduate programmes for departments in the Faculties of Arts, Sciences and Social Studies, commencing Week 2, Term 1. It is available as a day-time or an evening module.
Course Description:
The course could lead on naturally to the next stage of learning through Learning German 4. It puts an emphasis on improving reading and writing skills in order to give students the support needed for further study of the written language of various and specialised registers. It will also concentrate on the listening and speaking skills needed to help them to improve their fluency when spending time in a German-speaking country.
Information regarding contemporary German society and customs will be provided through the audio-visual and written supports used for the course. There will also be a guided reading programme which will include texts of a wide range of registers.
The syllabus will include the following:
Communicative skills
- Talking about activities, places, work;
- inquiring, approving or disapproving;
- making comparisons;
- expressing opinions;
- making suggestions;
- expressing doubt;
- evaluating and comparing data.
Topics
- Family, relationships;
- leisure;
- work;
- German-speaking countries and people;
- health;
- business and economy;
- education.
Grammar
This will include:
- Modal verbs;
- adjective endings;
- word order;
- perfect tense;
- separable verbs;
- imperfect tense;
- future tense;
- prepositions and cases;
- comparative and superlative;
- relative clauses;
- subordinating conjunctions;
- passive;
- verbs with prepositions.
Course Text Books
- "Deutsch Plus 2", C. Schicker & R Rach, BBC Books, 1997
- "Grundgrammatik Deutsch", J. Kars and U. Häusserman, Diesterweg, 1988
- Dictionary, German-English, English-German Dictionary, Collins
Teaching:
One seminar per week of 2 hours' duration
Term(s) taught: 3 Terms - 25 weeks
This class contact time should be supplemented by at least 2 hours' structured and monitored independent learning in the Language Centre's Open-Access Suite.
Assessment:
Students will be required to complete 3 assessment tests, one per term. In addition, students requiring 30 CATS will do an extra piece of assessed work.
The assessment tests will constitute 40% of the overall marks and the examination will constitute the remaining 60% of the final mark.
The assessment tests will cover a range of skills including listening and reading comprehension, composition writing, and oral work.
Examination
The 2 hour examination will consist of a reading comprehension with multiple tasks and a short composition in German
The use of a recommended bilingual (German/English) dictionary is allowed in the examination