30976 - German Language and Linguistics 1 (B)

Course contents

The course has two parts:
1. - 30 hours of formal classes (lezioni frontali)
2. - A language learning course (esercitazioni linguistiche) through the whole year (responsable: dott. Sandro De Martino, sandro.demartino@unibo.it).

The formal classes are held twice throughout the year: the 1-A course is thought for students with previous knowledge of German, the 1-B course for those who start studying German at the university. The contents are the same.

Both the courses take place in the second semester.

The course is not recommended for Erasmus students from German-speaking countries.

Formal classes

The course aims to introduce students to the study of the German language, focusing on phonetic and morphosyntactic aspects. The following topics will be addressed:

- German phonetics
- Inflection
- Wortarten / discourse parts (especially verbs, nouns and adjectives)
- Word formation

These issues will be addressed on the basis of texts that will be analyzed in the classroom. The aim is to initiate a conscious reflection on the structural characteristics of German in comparative key with Italian and facilitate the reading and understanding of written texts.

 

Language learning course

The part language course aims to develop the student's linguistic pragmatic, and sociolinguistic competence in German. All German language courses are based on the theoretical and methodological principles described by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR). At the end of the first year, students should have reached A2-level:

Oral production: Can give a simple description or presentation of people, living or working conditions, daily routines, likes/dislikes, etc. as a short series of simple phrases and sentences linked into a list.

Written production: Can write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors like ‘and', ‘but' and ‘because'.

Listening comprehension: Can understand enough to be able to meet needs of a concrete type provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.

Reading comprehension: Can understand short, simple texts on familiar matters of a concrete type which consist of high frequency everyday or job-related language.

Readings/Bibliography

Main course

The slides will be available on "Virtuale" (virtuale.unibo.it).

Barberis, Paola / Sarnow, Annemargret (2015): Introduzione alla fonetica del tedesco con esercizi mirati per parlanti italiani. Torino, Celid [il testo sarà disponibile presso la biblioteca del Dipartimento LILEC a partire da metà marzo 2024; i files audio indicati nel testo possono essere liberamente ascoltati all’indirizzo https://www.celid.it/fonetica-del-tedesco/]

Kaunzner, Ulrike A. (1997): I suoni del Tedesco. Deutsche Aussprache für italienischsprachige Lerner. Bologna, Clueb [testo disponibile presso la biblioteca del Dipartimento LILEC]

Further bibliographic references will be provided at the beginning of the course.

 

Language learning course (esercitazioni linguistiche):

classes A and B: Akademie Deutsch A+, Intensivlehrwerk + Zusatzmaterialien. Band 1, Hueber Verlag. 

class C: The bibliographic references will be comunicated at the beginning of the course.

class D: Kompass DaF B1+ Deutsch für Studium und Beruf. Kurs- und Übungsbuch, Klett

class E: Kontext express B1+ (Kurs- und Übungsbuch)

 

In addition, two handouts related to the oral and and the written test will be available on Virtuale:

1) "Lingua e Linguistica Tedesca 1 / Esercitazioni - Vorbereitungsmaterialien für die schriftliche Prüfung".

2) "Lingua e Linguistica Tedesca 1 -/ Esercitazioni, esame orale - Informationen zur Prüfung und Materialien".

Teaching methods

Main course
formal lessons, group work, exercises

 

Language learning course (esercitazioni linguistiche): Lessons are interactive requiring the students' direct participation. We have different learning groups each of which corresponds to a different initial level of learner competences. For this reason we ask all students to enter their names on one of the placement lists. Students with previous knowledge of German can provide one of the acknowledged certificates or have to take the placement test.

Further information concerning the placement test and the learning groups will be published on the website of the School (http://www.scuolalingue.unibo.it/it ).

Assessment methods

Main course / Online testing modality (to be confirmed)

The final exam is written. Starting from a short text, students have to identify, denominate and/or explain the notions and categories introduced in the course, in form of multiple-choice items.

Duration of the test: 45 min.

 

Language learning course (esercitazioni linguistiche)

Final exams are written and oral. Students must pass the written part before taking the oral exam.

The written test is currently delivered online (on Zoom).

Part I: Grammatik und Wortschatz
The test consists of 30 items, each of which has a missing part. You have to choose the right solution from the 4 proposed alternatives (only one of the alternatives is correct). You have 45 minutes. The questions assess the grammatical and lexical competence.

Duration: 30 Min.

Part II: Production of a written text based on predefined guidelines (informal letter/email).

Duration: 30 Min. The use of a dictionary is not allowed.

The following criteria are taken into account in the assessment: lexical adequacy, grammatical correctness, textual coherence and pragmatic adequacy.

During the oral exam the students have to discuss topics presented in the language learning course.

Assessment criteria are phonetic, lexical and grammatical competence as well as fluency and the ability to use strategies in order to overcome communication problems. The topics chosen for the oral and written exams are relevant to the study of the German language and the culture of the German speaking countries/communities. The assessment of correctness, range and control is relative to the level required for the first year.

Exams are the same for attenders and non-attenders.

The final mark of the course “Lingua e Linguistica Tedesca 1” will be the average mark between the lezioni frontali exam's result and the esercitazione mark.

Teaching tools

power point presentations, exercises

"Virtuale": virtuale.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Barbara Ivancic