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German Level 6

Module details

Offered to Year 3 & Year 4
Thursdays, 16.00-18.00
Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington)
Two-term module, worth 7.5 ECTS
Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore
Extra Credit, or Degree Credit where your department allows

German advice

contact the Coordinator:
Ms Christa Saller
020 7594 8754

Room S306, Sherfield Level 3
Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication

Degree credit module options by department How to enrol

A communicative high-level language module for students in their third year of German post A level, on the language and culture of the German-speaking countries.

This module will:

consolidate your competence in the command of complex grammatical structures and vocabulary;
allow you to examine and critically-appraise various types of discourse (including literary texts) and linguistic function, through engagement with a broad range of registers, using these as models in your own production;
introduce and apply a range of communicative strategies, which will allow you to communicate confidently and professionally, through different media;
enable you to explore a range of historical and current socio-political issues, which will enhance your understanding of German-speaking contexts as well as topical issues and debates in German-speaking countries.

By the end of the module, students should have reached approximately the C1/C2 standard of the CEFR.

To be eligible for this module, you need to have done one of the following:

Successfully completed German Level 5
Already achieved B2/C1 or equivalent on the CEFR.

Download a table of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels (PDF).

This module is not intended for native or near-native speakers.

Please note: The information on this module description is indicative. The module may undergo minor modifications before the start of next academic year.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be better prepared to:

process and engage with native speech with ease, identifying details of complex arguments in a variety of contexts;
interact in German with a very high degree of fluency, spontaneity, and accuracy in a variety of contexts, including academic and scientific environments;
extract all ideas, including details of complex texts, from a variety of genres (including literature) and topics;
write detailed, well-structured texts and explain viewpoints on a wide range of subjects, applying complex structures and vocabulary at the C1/C2-mastery level (CEFR);
demonstrate a high level of intercultural awareness, critically appraising and comparing cultural, scientific, and socio-political practices and perspectives from German-speaking contexts, relating these to your own background and contexts of practice;
expand your knowledge independently, using a wide range of digital-language learning and research tools, to tackle sophisticated communication and cultural translation.

Indicative core content

Black Forrest In this module, the following linguistic structures will be revised and practised: modal particles; verbs, nouns and adjectives in prepositional constructions; punctuation, and set expressions.

You will have the opportunity to broaden your vocabulary and register and to consolidate advanced syntax through the study and discussion of a range of genres.

Linguistic structures will be applied to various technical and scientific topics related to your interests (and encompassing a range of specialist disciplines), e.g. environmental or societal issues; or topics centred around current issues in German-speaking countries, including the history and representation of minoritised groups.

In addition, topics arising from the texts studied in class will be developed.

Learning and teaching approach

In line with modern foreign languages communicative and active learning methodologies, the in-class activities you will complete will cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking). These will include pair work and groupwork (dialogue practice, information gap exercises, discussion), individual tasks, discovery and formulation of grammatical rules, work with texts, etc.

Weekly preparation tasks set on the Virtual Learning Environment and coursework tasks will give you the opportunity to revise and consolidate your knowledge and skills at your own pace and to develop your awareness of how to use language-learning tools independently. Following a flipped-classroom approach, you will be provided with materials to study independently beforehand, and then will apply these during classroom time, ensuring thus that face-to-face time is devoted for interactional learning and communicative skills acquisition. This approach not only ensures you engage with a wide range of tasks and activities, but also seeks to support different learning preferences.

Your coursework will be marked and returned within two weeks. Rubrics and revision guidance (how-to guides) will be included as needed with each coursework. You will receive detailed feedback alongside suggestions for improvement and an overall percentage showing your provisional grade for that assessment.

Assessment

Coursework (20%): Project in mid-autumn term, including research and individual 4-5 minute recorded presentation/ podcast
Coursework (20%): Integrated skills pack, in mid-spring term, including receptive/ productive skills: listening and writing (approx. 350 words)
Examination (30%): 1-hour in-class test on the Virtual Learning Environment (BYOD), at the end of spring term, including writing (approx. 500 words)
Practical (30%): Oral exam in the summer term, in pairs, including commentary on dossier and unprepared peer-to-peer discussion (approx. 25 mins.)

You will need to complete two pieces of summative coursework (set during mid-autumn term and mid-spring term), which will include rubrics and revision guidance to ensure you are supported when completing your work and so that you are aware of the assessment expectations. There will also be a 1-hour in-class examination (scheduled at the end of spring term), and one practical - in the form of an oral examination (at the end of spring term or during the summer term). All summative assessments contribute to the final module grade/mark.

Assessment information for students on a course with a year abroad

Key information

7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
Available to take for credit towards your degree, where your department allows. Also available for extra credit. The Module options by department page has a full list of the credit options.
You must be prepared to attend all classes and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.