GER4015 : A Comparative History of German and English: phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicon.
- Offered for Year: 2021/22
- Module Leader(s): Dr Carol Fehringer
- Owning School: Modern Languages
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
To introduce students to the study of historical linguistics, with particular emphasis on etymology, using English and German as the languages of analysis.
Outline Of Syllabus
Comparative analysis of English and German, from Old English/Old High German to the present day. Topics include: phonological change, orthographical development, semantic change, lexical borrowing from other languages, changes in inflectional morphology, analogical change, syntactic change. This course is taught and assessed in English
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 67 | 1:00 | 67:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 26 | 1:00 | 26:00 | Present-in-Person |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | Present-in-Person |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Present-in-Person |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 100 | 1:00 | 100:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| SML8021 | Comparative History of German and English: phonology, morphology, syntax and lexicon. |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
In the seminars we will combine lecture-style teaching with group work. As linguistic analysis and problem solving form a large part of this module, students benefit from the workshop approach.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 2 | M | 30 | 60 minute in-class test |
| Essay | 2 | M | 70 | 2500 - 2800 words |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 2 | M | Practice essay plan. |
| Written exercise | 2 | M | Mock test |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The problem-solving skills practised in the first part of the course are best assessed by an in-class test. Most of the questions have specific answers, which are best tested under examination conditions rather than as take-home coursework.
For the second part of the course, the essay allows students to choose a topic that interests them and examine it in more detail by doing their own research.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- GER4015's Timetable