German BA (Hons)

Module details Programme Year One

• Two language modules
• One Language Awareness module
• Three content modules
• Two additional modules in another subject

Compulsory modules

• Ab-initio German Language I (GRMN101) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims
  • Provide students with basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking German. 
  • ​Provide students with a sound understanding of the basic structures of German grammar.
  • ​Develop students'' language learning strategy use and a reflective approach towards language learning.
  • ​Explore aspects of contemporary German, Austrian and Swiss culture through the medium of German.
  Learning Outcomes

  Apply basic listening, reading, writing and speaking skills in the target language.

  ​Communicate in the target language in everyday contexts and basic formal and informal registers.

  ​Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the structures, registers and, as appropriate, varieties of the target language.

  Critically reflect on and effectively apply language learning strategies.​

  Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the cultures and linguistic contexts of the country of the target language.​

• Ab-initio German Language Ii (GRMN102) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims

• Provide students with preliminary competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking German.

• Provide students with an understanding of intermediate structures of German grammar.​

• Further develop students'' language learning strategy use and a reflective approach towards language learning.​

• Explore aspects of contemporary German, Austrian and Swiss culture through the medium of German.​

Learning Outcomes

Consolidate existing listening, reading, writing and speaking skills in the target language.

​Communicate effectively in the target language in a some variety of contexts and registers.

​Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the structures, registers and, as appropriate, varieties of the target language.

​Critically reflect on and effectively apply language learning strategies.

 

​Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the cultures and linguistic contexts of the countries in which the target language is spoken.

• Modern German Language I (GRMN121) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 60:40 Aims

• To introduce students to authentic newspapers and thus provide students with good competence in reading longer texts.​

• ​To provide students with a sound understanding of the German grammar.

• To develop students'' language learning strategy and use reflective approach towards language learning.​

• To provide students with skills in a variety of genres.​

• To provide facilities for enhancing and improving listening skills of authentic and graded material.​

Learning Outcomes

Ability to use authentic online resources to find, read and understand authentic texts.

​Ability to use correct grammar on a higher level.

Ability to study independently and to use language learning techniques independently and thus manage time.

Ability to produce short texts in ​various genres such as an e-mail, blog and a text for tourism purposes.

Ability to understand a greater variety of audio and video texts of various lengths, and also practice listening skills in their own time.​

• Modern German Language Ii (GRMN122) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 60:40 Aims

• To provide students with good competence in reading including a novel in German or business related material.

• ​To develop further skills in grammar building on semester 1 grammar topics.

• To help achieve a good level in oral expression.​

• To write in a variety of genres.

• To improve listening to both authentic and graded materials even further.​

Learning Outcomes

Ability to feel confident reading larger texts including novels and specific language, such as business German.

Ability to build on grammar skills and practice also the future tense, comparative, superlative, modal verbs etc.

​Apply oral skills in class and in the reading or business project.

​Apply genres such as writing a story, a letter to the editor, a portrait of a famous person and a summary.

Confidence in listening to longer audios and videos.

• Introduction To German Studies I (GRMN127) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims
  • To introduce students to a range of key political events/developments in contemporary German history and to the historical development of the German language
  • ​To assist students in learning how to engage in the study and critical discussion of a range of primary and secondary historical, political, journalistic and linguistic texts in German and in English.
  • ​To teach students completing a comprehension task and writing commentaries and employing the correct forms of bibliographical citation.
  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of the module students will have a good overview of political debates in post-1945 Germany, and the development of the German language.

  ​Students will be able to understand and critically discuss a range of primary and secondary materials and deploy the terms used by academics to describe key concepts in the areas studied. 

  ​​Students will be able to write critical commentaries on the areas/materials studied. To this end, they will have learned to find and use appropriate materials using library and IT resources and glean data from secondary works. They will be able to use the conventional forms of bibliographic citation.

• Introduction To German Studies Ii (GRMN128) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims

• To provide students with an understanding of the language and conventions of German short stories, Franz Kafka''s The Metamorphosis as well as German film.

• ​To teach students how to engage in the study and critical discussion of German literature and German film as well as related academic secondary sources.  

• ​To teach students writing commentaries, literary reviews, essays and employ the correct forms of bibliographical citation. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module students will have developed a detailed understanding of the literary genre of the German short story, of Kafka''s The Metamorphosis and of 3 important German films.

​Students will be able to watch critically / read critically both primary literature/films in German at an appropriate level and more extended passages of secondary literature in English. They will be able to critically engage in a discussion of the materials studied in class.

​Students will be able to write critical commentaries, essays and literary reviews on the areas/materials studied. To this end, they will further consolidate their knowledge about finding and using appropriate materials from secondary sources. They will further consolidate their knowledge about the conventions of bibliographic citation.

• Language Awareness (MODL105) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims

• Develop students'' awareness of and explicit knowledge about language.

• ​Introduce students to key concepts of linguistics.

• Enhance students'' skills of critical ​analysis of language, including hypothesis testing and rule formation.

• ​Develop students'' understanding of similarities and differences between human languages.

• ​Develop students'' awareness of and explicit knowledge about language learning that will help them become more efficient language learners.

Learning Outcomes

Manage language learning processes more efficiently.

​Understand key aspects of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics which are relevant for language learners.

​Talk about and describe language using the correct terminology. 

​Reflect critically on selected language-related issues.

​Relate knowledge about text features to the translation of text.

​Communicate more efficiently in the first and foreign language.

Programme Year Two

• Two language modules
• Six optional modules

Examples of optional modules include:

• Culture in the Weimar Republic
• Culture and Politics in the German Democratic Republic
• Uncanny modernity: Science and the supernatural in 19th-century Germany
• The Cinematic City
• Propaganda and Censorship in the Cinema
• German Cinema from Expressionism to the Present
• The Project of European Integration

Compulsory modules

• Ab-initio German Language Iii (GRMN201) Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 60:40 Aims

• Provide students with good competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

• Provide students with a sound understanding of grammar.​

• Provide students with cultural aspects and awareness of Austria and Switzerland​

• Provide students with research skills.​

Learning Outcomes

Apply good listening, speaking, writing and reading skills.

Good use of grammar​

Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the culture and linguistic contexts of​ Austria and Switzerland.

Demonstrate research skills and outcomes.​

• Ab-initio German Language Iv (GRMN202) Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 60:40 Aims

• To provides students developing their develop skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking German to a foundational level.

• To provide information about Germany and their year abroad.

• To develop students'' research skills.

• To develop students'' presentation skills.

• To develop students'' awareness of German grammar​

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate the ability apply good skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

​Ability to apply knowledge on German speaking countries and dealing with officialdom.

Ability to apply research skills

Ability to apply presentation skills​

​Ability to apply correct use of grammar​

• Modern German Language Iii (GRMN221)