MODULE CODE MLG1001
MODULE LEVEL 1
German Language Written and Oral
http://www.sml.ex.ac.uk/modules/moddetails.php?mid=MLG1001
LECTURER(S) One or more permanent members of staff and one or more recognised teachers
CREDIT VALUE 30
ECTS VALUE 15
PRE-REQUISITES A Level German or equivalent.
CO-REQUISITES MLG1003 or MLG1004
DURATION OF MODULE Two semesters (first semester)
TOTAL STUDENT STUDY TIME 10 hours per week for 24 weeks, including 2 hours of language classes and 1 oral class per
week, plus revision and assessment. (Total 300 hours).
AIMS
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To provide a sound basis for speaking, writing and understanding German to a high level of linguistic accuracy
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
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At the end of the module a student is expected to be able to do the following:
Module-specific skills
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Understand core grammatical features of German and tackle structured grammatical exercises
Complete straightforward translation exercises from and into German
Present a basic argument in written German in answer to clearly defined essay topics
Demonstrate knowledge of a range of basic and specialised vocabulary
Within the context of a small group, express basic ideas and opinions orally in German and respond to the ideas of others in the group and
to the questions of the tutor
Use effectively the standard resources of advances language learning in German (dictionaries, reference works, grammar books)
Recognise and understand core grammatical terminology
Read the phonetic alphabet and show a grasp of German phonetics
Discipline-specific skills:
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Understand how language works, including the mother tongue
Personal and key skills
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Read, and write in, a foreign language well beyond basic level
Communicate in a foreign language well beyond basic level
Express and discuss views as part of a group
Work independently and with others at solving basic linguistic tasks
LEARNING/TEACHING METHODS
A thorough training in key aspects of German grammar is provided in the grammar lectures and weekly short grammar tests. Students’ command of
grammar is reinforced by the “Arbeit mit Texten” classes in which linguistic structures are analysed in thematically grouped texts. These texts and the
lectures provide the basis for additional grammar exercises in class and in self-study time, as well as for the fortnightly written homework in which
students apply the structures and vocabulary they have learned. This ensures that they work independently and continue to increase their grammatical
and lexical competence out of class. Oral language teaching takes place in small groups under the guidance of specially trained native speakers. Oral
discussion, listening comprehension and pronunciation exercises and presentations in German serve to increase students’ knowledge of vocabulary,
aural understanding, handling of German syntax and overall confidence in spoken German.
ASSIGNMENTS
Weekly grammar tests, fortnightly written work including translation from and into German and essay-writing in German, as well as oral assignments.
ASSESSMENT
Two 50-minute tests in Semester 1 and one three-hour examination in Semester 2, testing vocabulary, grammar, translation from and into German,
and essay-writing in German; written and oral coursework; two aural comprehension tests.
SYLLABUS PLAN
Semester 1
Study skills: working with a dictionary, grammatical terminology, phonetic alphabet and German phonetics.
Grammar: Genders and plural forms of nouns; the case system; articles and their equivalents; verb forms and tenses; the German predicate or ‘verbal
idea’; adjective endings; prepositions and their cases; the idiomatic use of prepositions; clauses and co-ordinating / subordinating conjunctions.
Arbeit mit Texten: Texts on German and Austrian geography and recent demoscopic developments; German and Austrian twentieth-century history;
the economic restructuring and political division of Germany 1945-49 and beyond; the Berlin Blockade; the post-war situation in Vienna.
Oral: Introducing oneself; pronunciation exercises; listening comprehension exercises; discussion of historical and contemporary topics; forms of
arguing and contradicting; presentations; discussion of project work (linking with MLG 1004).
Semester 2
Grammar: Weak masculine and mixed declension nouns; adjectival nouns; personal pronouns and possessives; relative pronouns and relative
clauses; interrogative clauses; the passive; German dative usage; conditional clauses; modal verbs (indicative and subjunctive); irregular verbs;
separable and non-separable verbs.
Arbeit mit Texten: Texts on the GDR; Austria 1955-1983; Germany from the 1950s to the 1980s; the ‘Economic Miracle’; politicians (Bruno Kreisky,
Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt); speeches / pamphlets on more recent issues.
Oral: German syntax (especially inversion); the rhythm and intonation of the German sentence; reciting learnt passages; discussion of historical and
contemporary topics; listening comprehension exercises; presentations; discussion of project work (linking with MLG 1004).
INDICATIVE BASIC READING LIST
Deutsche Grammatik: Erklärungen und Übungen (manual produced by the Department)
Deutsche und österreichische Geschichte nach 1945: Texte und Aufgaben (manual produced by the Department)
Collins German-English, English-German Dictionary (latest edition)