B2605 - Culture and Civilization of German-Speaking Countries (Second Language)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, students know the basic elements of the culture and civilisation of German-speaking countries; they are able to independently develop further knowledge and analytical-cultural skills related to the society of German-speaking countries.

Course contents

The course deals with the macro areas of DACHL countries.

Topics covered include geography, economy, politics, history and linguistics (history of language and pluricentrism), culture (concept of culture and its connection with language, the current cultural landscape), society and religion.

Readings/Bibliography

Online-Quellen

 

Landeskunde:
https://idvnetz.org/dachl-im-deutschunterricht/dachl-infos

Politik/Geschichte DTL:
https://www.bpb.de/

Einzelmaterialien:
https://deutschlernerblog.de/landeskunde-der-deutschsprachigen-laender-dachl-landeskunde/

Literaturgeschichte:
https://blog.zeit.de/schueler/literatur/?wt_ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecosia.org%2F&wt_t=1690726140616

Teaching methods

The course consists in lectures given by the two trainers to introduce individual topics that will later be explored in depth by students, e.g. through group work and presentations.

The course is divided into two parts: part A, taught by Valentina Codevilla, and part B, taught by Bianca Prandi.

The teaching and learning process is dynamic and requires the active participation of the students.

Attendance is mandatory at 70%.

Assessment methods

The exam will be on the topics covered during the semester.

The final grade for the integrated course is determined by the average of the marks given in the "Culture and Civilisation of German-speaking Countries" and the "Literature of German-speaking Countries" tests.

_____

The evaluation criteria are the following:

- knowledge, organization and reworking of content;
- morphosyntactic correctness;
- lexical property and variety;
- communicative effectiveness

Learning Rating Scale:

30-30L: excellent evidence demonstrating excellent acquisition of expected knowledge, demonstration of excellent command of the language.

27-29: above average evidence, with minor errors or otherwise compensated for by more than sufficient demonstration of the knowledge and skills to be acquired.

24-26: valid proof, but with some problems regarding grammar and vocabulary.

21-23: sufficient proof but with conspicuous limitations in the knowledge and skills to be acquired.

18-20: evidence that meets only the minimum criteria of knowledge and skills to be acquired.

insuff.: insufficient proof that does not demonstrate adequate acquisition of the expected knowledge and skills; the exam has to be retaken.

Teaching tools

Teaching is supported by new media (e.g., audio and video podcasts) and PowerPoint presentations.

All materials used during lectures and useful for exam preparation will be uploaded on the Virtual platform.

Office hours

See the website of Bianca Prandi

See the website of Valentina Codevilla