39979 - German Language (Course and Laboratory) II (Gr. A)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students should be able to follow a lesson in German, read complex texts related to social or political sciences, and deliver an oral report on those texts in German. To achieve this, they need to attain a minimum proficiency level of B1 (according to the Council of Europe framework) for both spoken and written German, with the ideal level being B2. Additionally, for reading comprehension, a minimum of B1 is required, while the ideal level is also B2.

Course contents

The course is organized in lectures and workshops.

Lectures (30 hours) aim to enhance students’ reading, writing, and speaking skills, while also expanding their cultural skills and knowledge in the German-speaking context. They will provide a brief introduction to discourse analysis and focus on sites of memory (French: lieu de mémoire) in German-speaking countries, with particular attention to framing theory and the formation of political concepts.

Language workshops (40 hours) offer practical exercises in written and spoken German.

Therefore, a total of 70 classroom hours are scheduled for each student.

The course participates in the University's teaching experimentation project.

Readings/Bibliography

Höhmann, Doris: Höhmann, D.: Deutsch für Studierende der Politik- und Sozialwissenschaften (in preparation – drafts);

Students have to know how to use the following online resources:

www.bpb.de

https://learngerman.dw.com

For individual work and consultation:

Butler, Ellen / Kotas, Ondřej / Sturm, Martin / Surn, Barbara / Wolf, Nita Esther / Würtz. 100 Stunden Deutschland.
Orientierungskurs - Politik, Geschichte, Kultur. Kurs- und Übungsbuch mit Audios online. Klett (ultima edizione: 2025);

Kuppelwieser, Marlene / Pfeiffer, Hans : Deutsch rundum. Kleine Landeskunde der deutsch­sprachigen Länder und Gebiete (ultima edizione). ISBN: 978-3-9505942-0-1

Dreyer, Hilke & Richard Schmitt: Lehr- und Übungsbuch der deutschen Grammatik – A Practice Grammar of German – Aktuell (ultima edizione); English or German edition [English edition: ISBN 978-3-19-327255-3; German edition: ISBN 978-3-19-307255-9];

Dreyer, Hilke & Richard Schmitt (2019 o more recent): Lösungsschlüssel zum Lehr- und Übungsbuch der deutschen Grammatik – aktuellLösungsschlüssel zu allen Sprachfassungen. Neubearbeitung. (ISBN 978-3-19-407255-8);

Siepmann, Dirk (2020). Wörterbuch der allgemeinen Wissenschaftssprache. Wörter, Wendungen und Mustertexte für Schreiber und Sprecher. Deutsch und Englisch. Dictionary of Academic Usage. Words, Phrases and Modell Texts for Writers and Speakers. English and German. Bonn: DHV

Further learning materials to be analyzed during classes will be made available online.

Teaching methods

Lessons, exercizes, group work.

The course will be held mainly in German.

Assessment methods

Overall assessment will be based on two written mid-term tests and a final oral exam. Both mid-term tests include a reading comprehension and a grammar and vocabulary test.

Oral exam (which can only be taken after the mid-term test have been passed): an interview in German on the learning materials used during the course and on the excercises carried out by the student to achieve the expected level of learning.

It is strictly forbidden to use AI during the different parts of the exam. Any violation of this rule will be considered a serious breach of academic ethics.

In particular, the level of in-depth knowledge and communicative adequacy attained is assessed, with a focus on comprehension and interaction skills in German.

30-30L: Excellent level.

27-29: Good level. The candidate shows a solid command of the required skills and competences.

24–26: Generally sound level. The candidate displays significant shortcomings, indicating a reasonable command of the required skills and competences.

21-23: Adequate level. The candidate displays significant shortcomings and only an adequate command of the required skills and competences.

18–20: Minimum level. The candidate only meets the minimum level required and shows a minimal command of the required skills and competences.

< 18 Fail

Teaching tools

PC, Virtuale, internet.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Doris Anita Hoehmann