German language in written and oral form in texts and media (B2)

Teacher(s)

Rinder Ann; Scheirs Veronique (compensates Suner Munoz Ferran); Suner Munoz Ferran;

Language

Deutsch

Main themes

1. Social questions, socio-cultural, political, and historical conditions, as well as values in various contexts and domains. 
2. Topics, forms, and content of films and fiction, as well as authors from different literary periods. 
3. Theoretical themes of text linguistics to deepen the understanding of the functions and uses of various types of text in relation to the expression of opinions, ideas, and experiences, especially concerning ethical and existential questions, as well as contemporary and historical cultural expressions. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Understand spoken language and texts, whether narrative, discursive, argumentative, or informative, individually or in various combinations and search for and evaluate information for various purposes, considering their relevance and credibility.
2	Recognise the structural and cohesive elements of texts, such as discourse markers, paragraph organisation, and core sentences, as well as understand the functions of stylistic and rhetorical devices for various purposes, including the use of language for persuasion and the expression of attitudes, points of view, and style.
3	Argue, justify, negotiate, and convey information orally and in writing for various purposes through personal production and interaction, including summarising and analysing.
4	Employ strategies to participate actively in debates and discussions related to social and professional life.
This learning unit contributes to the development and command of the following skills and learning outcomes of the ELAL programmes: 6.2, 6.6

Content

In order to achieve the objectives of the course, the participants will be faced to a wide range of audio-visual, written and oral material about both familiar and unfamiliar topics belonging to personal, social, cultural, professional and academic everyday life.

Teaching methods

Supervision: The coordination of this course is entrusted to a team of instructors from the ELAL school, supported in the exercise sessions by a teaching assistant.
45 hours of classes per semester combining lectures and practical sessions. In the lecture parts, theoretical approaches to improving reading will be addressed, as well as various reading techniques. The thematic fields—presented in the form of different types of texts, audio recordings, and videos—will be discussed and analyzed. In the practical sessions, the various theoretical approaches presented will be put into practice. The instructors will ensure a balanced focus on both reading comprehension and written expression. In addition to discussions on the topics covered in the lectures, authentic documents on the same themes—prompting oral reactions—may also be introduced.
30 hours of individual study and work per semester, in particular:

• Systematic, personal, and independent study of vocabulary from course materials.
  
• Practice of grammar exercises on Moodle.
  
• Preparation for listening comprehension.
  
• Preliminary preparation of texts.
  
• Drafting of written assignments.
  
• Remedial work and additional self-study exercises.
  
• Updating of notes, review, and memorization.
  

A study trip to a German-speaking region of socio-cultural relevance will be organized in order to deepen the content related to the course.

Evaluation methods

In this course, students are evaluated in two ways: 

• Continuous evaluation (30% of the final grade) including four grammar and vocabulary tests spread over the year, two oral presentations, exercises in class, and active participation (interaction in class, handing in group works, etc.). 
• Final evaluation in the January session (35% of the final mark) and in the June session (35% of the final mark) including both a part A (written skills) and a part B (oral skills). 

In the January and June sessions, the two parts A and B will be successive and separated in time. Part A, which corresponds to basic level, will assess written skills (comprehension and production). In Part B, which corresponds to an advanced level, students will have to demonstrate their oral skills (comprehension and production). Only those who have successfully passed part A are invited to take part B. The final grade is the arithmetic average of the grades for parts A and B. In the event of failure in January, students will take the failed parts during the June session. The pass mark is set at 10/20. 
In the case of a second registration for the exam, only the part corresponding to the evaluation at the end of each term (70% of the final grade) may be taken. 

Online resources

Moodle

Faculty or entity

> ELAL