LAC1001 Language Survival Skills (FOART)

Semester 1 (ONC)Toowoomba (WEB)Toowoomba

Units 1.0 (Northern European Languages) Band 1

Synopsis

German 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, Luxemburg, and Liechtenstein, and an important second or community language in northern Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Eastern Europe. Germany's internet domain .de is second only to the extension .com, while 1 in 10 books in the world is published in German. Germany has one of the world's largest national economies, is a leading export nation in the field of advanced high technology, and a major agent in scientific research and development, global environmental, and foreign aid related issues. After the USA and Great Britain, Germany is the third largest host country for international students. German is also an important community language in Australia, including in South-East Queensland, with German-speaking migrants having made major contributions to Australia's cultural, scientific, and economic development. Speakers of English have an advantage learning German because of the common origin of both languages. Chinese (Mandarin) With China increasingly becoming a very important and influential member of the international community politically, economically and culturally, there has been an unprecedented surge in Chinese language and culture studies around the world, and the trend is predicted to remain strong for decades to come. China is among Australia's top business and trading partners, and there has been a steady increase in education and cultural exchange between the two countries in recent years. There is a practical need to equip young Australian students with intercultural communication skills to face the challenges of the 21st century. Chinese is also a major community language in Australia and Chinese-speaking migrants have made major contributions to Australia's cultural, scientific, and economic development. Chinese is also one of the six official languages used in the United Nations. General Studying German or Chinese as part of an Arts, Business, Engineering, Science, Education, or IT degree, to a credible level of language competence, can provide graduates with an important competitive edge when entering and advancing their careers in increasingly global employment markets. LAC1001 assumes very limited or no prior knowledge of German or Chinese. The course aims to equip students with the communicative skills required for basic situations in a German- or Chinese-Language environment such as might be required for a visit to the respective country as a tourist or on a short-term professional assignment. Emphasis in class activities (3 hrs per week) is on the development of speaking and listening skills and the application of language and cultural concepts introduced in course materials and prepared by students in independent study and practice prior to attending class. Important: Students in this course must elect to enrol in either the German or Mandarin Chinese stream. New students with some previous knowledge of either German or Chinese will be given a placement test to determine their most suitable starting point in this major.