GER10010 German Language I a

Academic Year 2020/2021

This is a level 1 module for students who have studied German to Leaving Cert level or have an equivalent standard. GER10010 aims to provide a strong foundation for the study of German language (and culture) at third level. Reading, writing, oral, aural and grammar competences are taught in an integrated way, using both a coursebook and authentic materials that provide insights into the cultures and societies of the German-speaking world. Students will engage with different text types and audio/visual sources on a variety of topics. The grammar covered in this module focuses on accuracy when using different tenses and varied sentence structures. This module will be delivered predominantly online, with students participating in weekly scheduled interactive classes either online or - where possible - on campus. To progress well in this module, students will need to actively participate in class and also develop strategies for independent learning. Students who have achieved at least a B grade in this module are deemed to be successfully progressing towards the CEFR level B1.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

- demonstrate an understanding of both the gist and specific information of written and audio-visual texts that relate to the topics covered in the module

- differentiate between and use the two different modes (indicative and subjunctive) with reasonable accuracy

- give a clear and grammatically accurate presentation on topics covered in the module

- write a continuous, intelligible, well-structured text on topics covered in the module, giving reasons and explanations for opinions, plans and actions

- recognize and use a repertoire of grammatical tenses and sentence structures with reasonable accuracy

Indicative Module Content:

Thematic topics include arriving in a new country, starting university, food in Germany, advertisements, history and memory.

Grammar topics include word order and sentence structure, the Konjunktiv II (conditional/subjunctive), past tenses and future tenses.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Small Group

20
Conversation Class

0
Specified Learning Activities

60
Autonomous Student Learning

45
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Grammar and thematic content are taught in an integrated way through the coursebook Mittelpunkt neu B1+.

Students will engage with a variety of written and audio/visual texts, taken from the coursebook and from authentic sources.

There is a strong emphasis on group-work in class.

Classes are taught primarily through German.

Contact hours will be conducted partly in the physical and partly in the virtual classroom and will be directed by the university timetable. It is therefore important that you sign up to one face-to-face and online online session. It will be possible to participate fully online if required and students who are unable to attend physical classes will be fully supported in their learning. All students are expected to engage fully with online classes as scheduled in the timetable. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Leaving Certificate German (Higher level) or equivalent

Learning Recommendations:

Students who did not take the Higher Level Leaving Certificate in German should attend an advisory session in the German section before or during the first week of the semester to be adequately advised on the suitability of this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
GER10100 - German Beginners A, GER10120 - Spoken German for Beginners, GER20180 - Intensive German Ex-Beginners, GER20240 - German for Ex-Beginners A, GER20250 - German for Ex-Beginners B, LANG10100 - German Gen Purp 1, LANG10110 - German Gen Purp 4, LANG10130 - German Gen Purp 2, LANG20450 - German for General Purposes 4


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Examination: Reading/Grammar Exam 1 hour End of Trimester Exam Yes Graded No

45
Essay: Reflective Essay on Language-learning Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

20
Group Project: Group podcast in target language Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

25
Continuous Assessment: Homework essays Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

10

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual written feedback and oral group feedback, together with peer-to-peer feedback on occasion, is given after all written homework in preparation for the exam. Oral feedback is given throughout class activities. There is the opportunity for individual/group feedback on draft scripts before the submission of the podcast.

Mittelpunkt Neu B1+: Deutsch als Fremdsprache für Fortgeschrittene: Lehr- und Arbeitsbuch + Audio-CD zum Arbeitsbuch (Klett). ISBN: 978-3-12-676645-6
Essential German Grammar. 2nd ed. Milton Park: Routledge, 2015. (available in the UCD Campus Bookshop). ISBN: 978-1-138-78581
Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Langenscheidt)
Collins English/German-German/English dictionary (Collins)
Name Role
Dr Heidi Zojer Lecturer / Co-Lecturer