GER3101 German 3A

Contents

• Staffing
• Requisites
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Reference materials
• Student workload
• Assessment details
• Important assessment information
• Assessment notes
• Production date
• PDF version

STAFFING

REQUISITES

SYNOPSIS

German is the language with the largest number of native speakers in the European Union. It is the native language of around 100 million people in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein, and is spoken as an important second language by people in international business, research, and the arts. German is also a major community language in Australia and German-speaking migrants have made major contributions to our cultural, scientific, and economic development. German has been of particular significance in South-East Queensland. Germany has the world's third largest national economy, is a leading export nation in the field of advanced high technology, and a major agent in global environmental and foreign aid related issues. Studying German as part of an Arts, Business, Engineering, Science, Education, or IT degree, to a confident level of language competence, can provide graduates with an important competitive edge when entering and advancing their careers in increasingly global employment markets. The sequence of courses to be completed for a German Language Major, Minor, or Elective is dependent upon students' existing language competence at entry to the program. New students with post-beginners' knowledge of German will be given a placement test during Orientation Week to determine their most suitable starting point in the core language courses. German 3A is an Intermediate Level language course. It builds on the skills acquired in GER2101 German 2A and GER2102 German 2B and is intended for students who have recently passed a language competence level equivalent to A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. In German 3A students will consolidate and extend language competencies developed in levels A1 and A2 and apply those to explore themes of cultural, political, historical and contemporary significance in German-speaking countries. Materials encountered inlcude media reports, excerpts and quotations from literature, poems, a fairy tale, songs, film, and other authentic texts.

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to demonstrate:

1. Comprehension of and competence in responding verbally and in writing to the themes and dtopics covered. This involves the ability to: (a) comprehend the literal and possible underlying meaning of spoken and written German; (b) identify themes of cultural significance in German-speaking countries; (c) reflect on these themes in relation to students' own cultural heritage and that of other cultures they have experienced.
2. Appropriate use of cross-cultural knowledge and skills when interpreting texts and when interacting in both formal and informal situations.
3. Knowledge of and correct application of the formal aspects of German studied, e.g. phonology (system of sounds), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence structure), orthography (spelling), and grammatical structures.
4. A wider receptive and productive range of German vocabulary and structure.
5. Regular evaluation of and a willingness to improve personal German language skills and learning strategies, including the ability to: (a) identify personal language learning strengths and weaknesses; (b) take remedial action in areas which need improving; (c) seek help in a timely and appropriate manner; (d) aim for continuous German language development throughout the course.

TOPICS

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Motyl-Mudretzkyi, I & Spaeinghaus, M, 2005, Anders gedacht - Student Lab Audio CD, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston

Motyl-Mudretzkyi, I & Spaeinghaus, M 2005, Anders gedacht - Text and context in the German-speaking world, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

Motyl-Mudretzkyi, I & Spaeinghaus, M 2005, Anders gedacht, Uebungsbuch - Student workbook and laboratory manual, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Airlie, M & Littlejohn, J 2006, Collins German dictionary, 6th edn, Harper Collins, Glasgow.

Durrell, M 2000, Using German synonyms, Cambridge University Press, New York.

Fayndrich, C & Ulrike, T 2000, Klipp und klar: Ubungsgrammatik Grundstufe Deutsch, Klett, Stuttgart.

Rug, W 1993, Grammatik mit Sinn und Verstand: 20 Kapitel Deutsche Grammatik fuer fortgeschrittene, Klett, Munich.

Schumann, J 1993, Schwierige Woerter: Uebungen zu Verben, Nomen und Adjektive, Verlag fuer Deutsch, Ismaning, Germany.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

All assessment items are aligned with all Objectives. All due dates are preliminary and will be confirmed when the teaching timetable is finalised.

2.

See note 1

3.

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4.

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5.

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6.

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7.

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8.

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IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   In order to achieve course objectives, attendance at and participation in all learning activities are strongly advised. These are important factors in the development of oral and aural skills and as such will be monitored regularly and cumulatively. Students absent from classes are responsible for obtaining and completing all work and homework covered during their absence and for informing themselves of announcements regarding course-related activities and administrative matters.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To successfully complete an individual assessment item, a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. This statement must be read in conjunction with Statement 4 below.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without extenuating circumstances and without prior approval, then a penalty of a maximum of 5% of the assigned mark may apply for each working day late, up to a maximum of 10 working days, at which time a mark of zero can be recorded for that assignment.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade, a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   Assessment in this course is continuous as outlined under Assessment Details above. No additional examination will be held during the official examination period.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any makeup/outstanding assessment must be completed by a date set by the examiner.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6 Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm

ASSESSMENT NOTES

This version produced 16 Jun 2008.