MODERN LANGUAGE CENTRE MODULE SYLLABUS Title and code number: GERMAN Stage 7 (6AALGN07/7AALGN07) Credit/Value: Prerequisite for entry: Course delivery Credit Level 6 = 15 credits Credit Level 7 = 20 credits German 6, or two years post A-level German with a C or above, or equivalent 2-hour face-to-face tuition x 20 weeks in two semesters. Credit Level 7: as above, plus ten onehour Applied Linguistics seminars. Students are expected to spend approx. 5-8 hours per week in self study depending on the credit level, including homework, speaking practice, and interactive exercises. See website for semester dates, timetable and teachers surgery hours: www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc
EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE MODULE This module aims to enable the students to: develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing to a high level so that they understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. express themselves spontaneously, fluently and precisely in formal and informal situations, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations. use German effectively, flexibly and effortlessly for social, academic and professional purposes, with idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms. use linguistic and analytical skills to evaluate utterances and texts. develop a deeper understanding of the cultural contexts of German and a high degree of intercultural competence. develop an insight into the nature of language, culture and society and a greater degree of intercultural competence. LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE MODULE This course is broadly equivalent to C2 - Proficient User, Mastery level of the Common European Framework for languages. The students will be able to demonstrate intellectual, transferable and practical skills appropriate to a Credit Level 6 module and in particular will demonstrate the ability to: understand any kind of spoken German, whether live or broadcast, even when delivered at fast native speed, provided the listener has had time to get familiar with the accent. understand with ease a wide range of demanding, abstract, structurally or linguistically complex texts such as manuals, specialized texts, literary works, etc. produce clearly structured, original oral and written text on complex subjects, using a variety of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. understand the relationship between the practices/products and the perspectives of culture being studied, as well as critically analyze and debate issues relating to their own and other languages and cultures. analyze and critically review abstract texts, concepts and ideas to listeners/readers on a variety of topics relevant to German with no guidance. research a topic, evaluating and extracting information for relevancy and validity from a range of complex written and spoken sources. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the societies of the countries where the language is spoken, including examples of literature, cultural practices, linguistic contexts, politics, geography and social and economic structure by researching one of those aspects, preferably linked to their core studies, and sharing their findings through blogs or class presentations in L2. 2
At Credit Level 7, in addition to the language learning outcomes above, students will also: interact creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team. research and analyse a linguistic topic, evaluating and extracting information for relevancy and validity from a range of complex written and spoken sources. engage in evaluative, analytical thinking and complex problem solving etc. using their own knowledge and skills. work autonomously, with minimal direction from the teacher. acquire linguistics skills, tools and knowledge to become independent life-long learners by using German for target academic activities and personal enrichment. appreciate linguistic concepts and aspects of applied linguistics. develop an insight into the nature of language, culture and society and a greater degree of intercultural competence. express ideas confidently and spontaneously in formal and informal discussions on a range of linguistics related topics. CLASS DELIVERY AND TEACHING METHODS Although every class is designed taking into consideration the above objectives, the structure of particular sessions may vary. The general approach to all Modern Language Centre classes is communicative - the language is dealt with in social situations and students are encouraged to participate as much as possible. German will be used for communication in class and students will be asked to participate in classroom activities and to contribute to short role-plays, games and other language-centred activities. TOPICS LEXICAL CONTENT Inter-cultural Communication Discourse Analysis Cultural Affairs Current Affairs, Politics, Economy and Society Media and Communication Literature Analysis Theatre and Reviews Art and Art Reviews Higher Education Work and Employment LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS - PRAGMATICS 3
Discussing social, cultural, political and economic matters at an advanced level Analysing language Taking part in complex conversations on different subjects Communicating very detailed information Communicating in a working environment Reading and writing contracts/reports Reading and writing complex instructions Expressing detailed ideas, opinions and points of view Understanding, interpreting and discussing subjective statements Expressing agreement and disagreement at a very advanced level Giving oral presentations on familiar professional topics Dealing with, and responding to, correspondence using appropriate formal register GRAMMAR AND USE OF LANGUAGE Revision and consolidation of grammar aspects introduced at lower stages Detailed use of different moods and tenses (indicative, conditional, subjunctive) Idiomatic use of language Formal and informal text types Connectors and complex sentence structure, subordinate clauses Advanced use of passive structures Advanced use of reported speech Descriptive and narrative styles Literary and journalistic language CREDIT LEVEL 7 Additional Tasks Applied Linguistics lectures will be available online One assessed essay in English (1500 words) based on the lectures COURSE BOOK(S) No course book is used in this class. Dossiers and relevant materials taken from a variety of sources (i.e. other course books, newspapers, and authentic handouts) will be provided by the teacher. 4
RECOMMENDED MATERIAL FOR SELF-STUDY Deutsch als Fremdsprache Dictionary Langenscheidt Verlag The only German monolingual dictionary designed specifically for non-native speakers. It contains 66,000 entries, simplified definitions, and many usage examples. An excellent learner's dictionary, as well as reference for advanced speakers of German. Collins German Dictionary Collins This dictionary covers all the vocabulary of current issues, with evidence drawn from Collins' multi-million word databanks of contemporary German and English in partnership with the German publisher, Langenscheidt. Concise Oxford Duden German Dictionary Oxford University Press With over 150,00 words and phrases, over 250,000 translations, this dictionary provides coverage of general, scientific, and technical and literary vocabulary, based on the British National Corpus. Wolfgang Rug, Andreas Tomaszewski: Grammatik mit Sinn und Verstand Klett: ISBN 978-3-12-675422-4 Karin Hall, Barbara Scheiner: Übungsgrammatik für Fortgeschrittene Hueber: ISBN 978-3-19-007448-8 IT resources for independent learning: KEATS material + MLC resources on-line Hör- und Lesetexte, Wortschatzübungen auf C2-Niveau http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/s-2055 Generelle Übungen für Wortschatz und Grammatik auf C1-Niveau http://www.schubert-verlag.de/aufgaben/uebungen_c2/c2_uebungen_index.htm LANGUAGE RESOURCES CENTRE In order to support independent learning and the contact with the culture of the language(s) they are learning, students are encouraged to use the resources in the Language Resources Centre LRC (K-1.072, first basement), which provides a friendly learning environment with state of the art facilities. During the first weeks of the course, the module teacher will arrange an induction session for the class in the LRC so that students can familiarize themselves with the facilities. During term time the LRC will facilitate free speaking practice sessions as well as a range of workshops on language learning. For a list of topics and all dates and times, including the opening hours of the LRC, please go to the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/olc/index.aspx 5
ATTENDANCE Attendance is compulsory for all language modules. If a student s attendance falls to unsatisfactory levels s/he may be removed from the module or prevented from taking the assessment. For further information on the attendance requirements of the module please see the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/compuls.aspx If students miss a class because of illness or urgent personal matters, it is their responsibility to catch up on the contents of the missed class by checking the KEATS module and/or contacting the teacher. ASSESSMENT For all details regarding deadlines and dates for assessment see the website www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/assess/bymod/index.aspx Formative Assessment Formative assessment takes place during the Reading Week in Term 2. It does not count towards the final mark, but failure to submit the work may result in the student being withdrawn from the module or prevented from sitting the examinations. It is strongly recommended to complete the formative assessment as it will provide viable feedback on the student s progress. Test: 2 hours 0% Feedback All pieces of formative assessment are normally returned to students within 2 weeks, and the teacher will provide feedback in groups and/or individually. In addition students can book themselves for individual feedback during surgery hours. Contact details and applicable surgery hours can be found here: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/people/index.aspx Final (Summative) Assessment Oral exam: 25-30 min Exam period: During Revision week, immediately before the start of Exam Period 2 (May) Written exam: 3 hours Exam period: Period 2 Credit Level 7: Linguistics essay: 1500 words Submission period: Period 2 40% - if UG student 30% - if PG student 60% - if UG student 40% - if PG student 30% - PG students only 6
Dictionaries or notes are not allowed during the final examination. Past papers are available on KEATS. For more details on the final examinations for this module, including dates, please see: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/assess/bymod/index.aspx 7
WEEK BY WEEK SYLLABUS Semester 1 WEEK 1 st week LEARNING RESOURCES Dossier 1: Current affairs CONTENT/TOPICS Current affairs in German speaking countries Identifying stated or implied main ideas in non-fictional texts GRAMMAR General revision and needs analysis 2 nd week Dossier 1: Current affairs The political system in Austria, Germany and Switzerland Describing statistics in detail General revision and needs analysis 3 rd week Dossier 1: Current affairs Current affairs in German speaking countries (continued) Discussion skills: phrasing pro and con arguments Passive voice 4 th week Dossier 2: Intercultural communication Discussing stereotypes and prejudices Expressing and discussing opinions and beliefs Overview of German syntax 5 th week Dossier 2: Intercultural communication Advantages and challenges of multiculturalism Analysing and evaluating statements Prepositions 6 th week READING WEEK 7 th week Dossier 3: Literature German cartoons, comics and graphic novels Describing a sequence of events Verbs: revision of all tenses 8 th week Dossier 3: Literature Contemporary German literature Giving a written/oral summary of a fictional text Temporal connectors 9 th week Dossier 4: Society Gender equality Essay writing: using the appropriate register and style Adverbs of time Temporal adjectives 10 th week Dossier 4: Society Change of values Discussion skills: addressing counterarguments or objections Nominalisierung 8
11 th week Dossier 4: Society Social structures Writing skills: supporting arguments with evidence, including quotes and references Nomen-Verb- Verbindugen 12 th week Revision/catch-up classes or one-to-one tutorial support as agreed with your teacher Semester 2 WEEK 1st week LEARNING RESOURCES Dossier 5: Art CONTENT/TOPICS Contemporary art in Austria, Germany and Switzerland Describing and evaluating works of art GRAMMAR Verbs and prepositions 2nd week Dossier 5: Art The art market: collectors, galleries and museums Writing skills: structuring and organising an op-ed article (Kommentar) Valency of verbs: complements 3rd week Dossier 6: Language Comparing and contrasting different dialects/varieties of German Talking about beliefs, expectations and assumptions Overview of German syntax (continued) 4th week Dossier 6: Language Discussing the importance of dialect for cultural identity Expressing and evaluating opinions and point of views Partizipialphrasen I 5th week Dossier 7: Theatre Contemporary theatre in Germanspeaking countries: actors and directors Writing skills: writing a short biography Partizipialphrasen II 6th week READING WEEK: Formative Assessment 7th week Dossier 7: Theatre Contemporary theatre in Germanspeaking countries: plays and productions Local clauses Adverbs Prepositions 9
Analysing and evaluating a play/a theatre production 8th week Dossier 8: Consumerism Consumer behaviour Writing skills: discussing the style and register of an op- ed article (Kommentar) Modal clauses Adverbs Prepositions 9th week Dossier 8: Consumerism Marketing concepts and research methods Analysing statistics and surveys Revision 10th week Dossier 9: Film Film history, reviews and receptions of films Discussion skills: summing up arguments and providing a conclusion Revision 11th week Dossier 9: Film Contemporary German cinema Analysing and evaluating a movie Revision 12 th week Revision/catch-up classes or one-to-one tutorial support as agreed with your teacher The syllabus may vary according to students needs. Term times and teaching dates can be found here: (http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/dates.aspx) ASR 07/2016 10