UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES &
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Evening Courses
German Level Proficiency
(Common European Framework Level C2)
Prerequisite for entry
Successful completion of German level 5+ at UCL CLIE or post-A Level training; an extended
stay in a German speaking country actively using the language
Term duration
10 x 2-hour classes
Self-Study
40 hours in total
Aims and Objectives
The course is designed for very advanced level students requiring the language for
vocational and professional purposes. The course comprises knowledge and understanding
both of the structure of the German language and of its use in professional environments. It
covers cultural and professional contexts, negotiating and interacting, reading specialist texts
note-taking and debates as well as other related topics. These areas will be related to the
students’ individual needs.
The course will enhance knowledge and use of complex structures (a variety of styles and
registers from a range of authentic material).
Functions
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expressing specialised opinions, critical topic-related comments
debating, commenting, negotiating
suggesting, accepting, refusing
describing, defining, explaining
composing written pieces of information for different purposes
conducting presentations on a variety of specialist topics
summarising complex information from English to German (and vice versa)
Course Content
Main topics/themes to be covered (selection from the following):
-
university system/professional qualifications
employment in business and industry
job applications and interviews
seminal papers and presentations
group debates
UCL Centre for Languages & International Education
Evening Courses
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overview of the political and administrative structure of German speaking countries
demographic developments, gender roles and family life
the European Union and global affairs
current affairs: German political, socio-economic and cultural developments
arts (music, literature, film, art, cultural heritage)
Skills
Reading
-
reading for gist (skimming), scanning for specific information
in depth analysis of complex topics in major newspapers/magazines and specialised
publications
Writing
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short essays
analysis and review of articles
summaries
critical comments
Listening
-
radio, TV, audio and video recordings, feature films
directed listening for specific tasks
presentations, summaries
Speaking
-
formal and informal discussions, debates, round table
presentations
role-play
Linguistic Structures
Discourse Strategies
- analysing/comparing texts from various sources (different text types, styles and
registers)
- recognising and applying different linguistic registers in writing and in speaking
- preparing oral contributions for different audiences
- spoken versus written communication
Main aspects of these strategies
- structuring (logical structures)
- linking devices (lexical, grammatical)
- stylistic levels and their usage
- specialist vocabulary
Application of complex grammatical features and registers
Learning Resources
There is no textbook for this course.
Material for this course may be drawn from:
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Authentic written material from various sources such as Die Zeit, Die Wirtschaftswoche
etc.
Authentic audio and audio-visual material
German films
Variety of internet sources
In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials for self-study in the
Self-Access Centre.
UCL Centre for Languages & International Education
Evening Courses
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