Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

Students with prior knowledge may seek exemption.

Co Requisite Comment

None

Aims

The aim of the course is to provide students with:

i. The skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking, reinforced and expanded beyond the stereotypical, predictable situations that are presented at lower levels through regular exposure to authentic materials (i.e. produced for native speakers);
ii. An awareness of linguistic accuracy and the ability to monitor their language output accordingly;
iii. An ability to deal with the situations that they are most typically likely to encounter when working or studying abroad;
iv. An ability to apply the language they know to their personal experience;

This is the first part of a German Lower Intermediate course designed with the non language specialist in mind. It is open to students wishing to study German at post-GCSE. The module covers the four skills: writing, reading, speaking and listening. At the end of the module, students will have gained a body of vocabulary and grammatical structures sufficient to allow them to communicate orally and in writing with confidence at a near-intermediate level.

Outline Of Syllabus

1. Studying and working abroad
2. Family and relationships
3. Making travel arrangements
4. Fitness and leisure time/German societies
5. Media/Computer and internet
6. Going out/German Christmas

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

All areas of grammar, vocabulary and background knowledge related to the skills listed below.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Speaking:
Giving and seeking information; coping with common social situations; carrying out transactions that involve a moderate amount of negotiation; expressing an opinion and finding out what others think; stating and asking about feelings, emotions and intentions.

Listening:
Students should be able to understand native speakers in situations similar to those listed above, as well as sample reports and interviews from the media.

Writing:
Students should be able to deal with common everyday transactions, write an invitation, respond to an email, request and provide basic information or express their views in written form.

Reading:
Students will be able to read relevant authentic material, understand simple written instructions in a user manual, simple newspaper articles and other relevant material form the press or the internet.

Grammar:
comparative, superlative, possessive articles in the German case system, subordinating conjunctions, past tense/irregular verbs, modal verbs in the past, reflexive verbs/pronouns, personal pronouns in the German case system, relative pronouns

Cognitive/intellectual skills:

Students will learn:
- To understand the functions and structures of a foreign language at Intermediate level.
- To locate and make use of materials appropriate for this level other than those provided by the teacher.
- To evaluate their own performance
- To apply a range of strategies for language learning appropriate for this level.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

1. Teaching in the language seminars will focus on communication skills. Grammar will be taught systematically to enable students to produce and manipulate the foreign language. Use of the target language will be made as much as possible to develop listening skills. All four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking are fully integrated in the language seminars and associated work and preparation, and will be tested equally.

2. Independent learning and learner autonomy are further developed through online guided tasks, pair and group work, assessment preparation and completion, and self-study at home, via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and in the Language Resource Centre. Particular initiative is expected from students, e.g. course participants will be asked to contribute their own materials to the classes and activities.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The portfolio will help students assess their progress and identify their strengths and areas for improvement. It will test student’s ability to communicate effectively, identify relevant information and produce a structured text in the target language.

General Notes

N/A