Aims

In consonance with the overall aims of the degrees offered in the SML, this module will:

1. Focus on further developing students' written and oral communicative competences in German gained in Level B (including fluency, grammatical and lexical accuracy and range; register and pronunciation);
2. Continue to prepare students for the future study of German (including written and oral/aural communicative skills, and intercultural awareness and competence) and/ or for their future learning experience (including independent learning and study skills - reflective skills);
3. Continue to facilitate students' ability to establish and maintain effective social and working relations with speakers of German in written and spoken media during their intercalary year. This includes students’ ability to use and understand authentic material and produce their own written and spoken output.

The module will be taught and assessed in German.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students cover a variety of topics related to contemporary German, Austrian and Swiss society, and / or relevant to Contemporary societies and cultures. Depending on student feedback, these may include:

1. Cultural differences
2. A practical guide to living and working in Germany
3. Ethical / controversial current issues
4. Culture and Traditions / Cultural issues
5. German Language and registers
6. Current Affairs

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

1. Teaching in the language seminars will focus on oral, aural and written communication skills (speaking, listening and writing). Reading and writing skills are mainly developed in preparation of and the associated work after the language seminar.

The one-hour grammar lectures will focus on study skills and the formal structures of the language. Students will work through independent study materials on a certain grammatical aspect at home before attending the grammar lecture. The lecture will provide students with the opportunity to reflect on and discuss grammatical features with others in class and consolidate the phenomena further through practice and guidance by their tutor.

2. Independent learning and learner autonomy are further developed through the means of structured homework and research activities, pair and group work in class and self-study at home via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas and the Language Resource Centre. Particular initiative is expected from students at this level, e.g. course participants will be asked to contribute their own materials to the classes and activities and to be very pro-active in their language study.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

- The written exercise (20%) will encourage work on language skills and enable students to receive formative (for learning) feedback. It will help students assess their progress and identify their strengths and areas for improvement, thus stimulating their independent and reflective learning skills throughout the year. The task will be submitted online towards the end of Semester 1 (20%). It will test the students’ ability to produce a well-structured text in the target language based on the comprehension and analysis of written source material.

- The oral examination (30%) will take place at the end of Semester 2. It will test students’ ability to conduct independent research, critically evaluate authentic material, and to produce and present their own output orally in a clear and structured manner. It will also assess their ability to speak freely, understand aural and/or audio visual input, and interact in a discussion on these findings and on general matters.

- The final written exam at the end of Semester 2 (50%) will take place during the exam period and will test the students’ ability to produce and present a well-structured text or texts in the target language. Students may be allowed to type their own answers provided that spell check / grammar check has been disabled. This formal examination provides summative information to staff and student on student's achievement in the target language at the end of this module.