39978 - German Language (Course and Laboratory) I (GR. B)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students should reach a minimum level of A2 (Council of Europe framework) for spoken German, while the ideal level is B1, and a minimum level of B1 for reading comprehension – ideal level B2.

Students should be able both to understand and to express concepts and topics relating to the social sciences, political science and international politics in German.

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.

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

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

Beginners will be offered additional A1 laboratories in the first semester.

All beginner students have to attend the preparatory laboratory. At the beginning of the academic year.

The 30-hour course (lectures) is organized into two modules:

Learning materials will focus in particular on German civilization and political structures in order to develop a basic socio-political vocabulary in German and to provide an overview of German politics and socio-cultural life. From a linguistic point of view, special attention will be paid to specialised vocabulary, synonyms, polysemies and semantic fields.

Readings/Bibliography

D. Höhmann: Deutsch für Studierende der Sozialwissenschaften (in preparation - draft).

Furthermore, students have to know how to use the following online resources:

www.bpb.de

https://learngerman.dw.com

The learning materials to be analyzed during classes will be made available online weekly in electronic format on the Virtuale platform.

For the language laboratory:

Anne Buscha, Syilvia Szita: Begegnungen. Deutsch als Fremdsprache. Integriertes Kurs- und Arbeitsbuch A2+, Schubert-Verlag, Leipzig, disponibile anche in versione e-book: www.ebook.schubert-verlag.de 

or

Buscha, A. / Szita, Begegnungen B1+. Schubert Verlag, Leipzig.

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 written test has been passed): an interview in German on the learning materials used during the course and on the texts indicated in the bibliography.

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.

Office hours

See the website of Doris Anita Hoehmann