GERM 2212 - German IISB: Language

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2014

Building on German IISA, this course is aimed to further develop students' proficiency in the four language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing - through a combination of readings and reproductive and creative exercises. It also aims to enhance students' intercultural understanding through the use of authentic texts that focus on aspects of contemporary society in German-speaking countries and promote comparison and discussion.

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Course Details

Course Code	GERM 2212
Course	German IISB: Language
Coordinating Unit	German Studies
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Prerequisites	GERM 2011 or GERM 2211 or equivalent
Incompatible	GERM 2012
Assessment	Homework, class tests, end-of-semester test, conversation tutorial (participation, performance,vocab tests, oral exam or equivalent)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Ms Judith Wilson

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will have:
1) a language proficiency in German corresponding to Level B2 of the Common European Framework for Languages
2) a deeper knowledge and understanding of the structure and conventions governing the use of German and an ability to use them to communicate effectively in an extended range of situations and for an extended range of purposes
3) a deeper knowledge and critical understanding of aspects of German culture and society and the way in which they are represented
4) the ability to make effective use of the available resources for German and German Studies to answer questions and explore problems relating to German language, society and culture
5) the ability ot extract, synthesis and critically evaluate information from written and spoken sources relating to German and German Studies and to organise and present the material in a clear, effective and timely manner
6) the ability to work independently and cooperatively to explore issues relating to German language, society and culture and their wider impact
7) a good foundation for further study and research in German language and culture and for travel, study or work in a German-speaking environment.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised.	1, 3
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	4, 5
Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication.	6
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	7
An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities.	6

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Koithan, Ute et. al., Aspekte 2. Mittelstufe Deutsch (B2) (Langenscheidt) You need to have 1) Lehrbuch 2) Arbeitsbuch
The course book Aspekte 2. Mittelstufe Deutsch. Niveau B2. Lehrbuch 2 / Arbeitsbuch 2 (Langenscheidt 2008), is designed to further develop the four language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing - through a combination of readings and reproductive and creative exercises. At the same time, it aims to enhance intercultural understanding through the use of authentic cultural texts that focus on aspects of contemporary life in German-speaking countries and promote comparison and discussion.
We will start work with this text and associated materials straight away so it is important that you purchase it before the beginning of the semester if you don't have it already.

Recommended Resources

Students intending to proceed to higher years are strongly advised to ensure they have access to a good dictionary. Check this site to see what is available: http://www.germanprofessor.org/dictionaries/
See also Online Learning

Online Learning

For a list of online resources click on Library – Resource Guides – German Studies Resources.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

The modes of teaching and learning employed in the course are largely classroom-based and face-to-face. They include:
1) a language workshop designed to extend students’ comprehension, their command of written German and their understanding of German grammar and its application
2) a conversation tutorial designed to enable students to increase their vocabulary on the topics treated in the language workshop, to practise speaking German and to develop their active command of the spoken language

Students are encouraged to take personal responsibility for their learning through:
1) independent personal study
2) independent computer-based learning
3) online access to other resources

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Below are the hours per week students are expected to devote to their German studies in addition to the 3 contact hours.

Homework & Test Preparation (6)
Tutorial Preparation & Vocab Learning: (3)

Learning Activities Summary

A detailed program for the language workshop and tutorial will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Students will be given the opportunity to work independently and cooperatively to explore questions and issues that arise in the course and to embark on their own quest to discover more about aspects of contemporary Germany and the German language.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment for the course will include homeworks, a mid-semester test, an end-of-semester test in Week 13, oral work, possibly vocab tests, and an oral presentation.

Assessment Related Requirements

Language workshops – students are expected to attend all classes. In all cases, it is the student’s responsibility to contact their lecturer or course coordinator about their absence and to ensure that they get any material that may have been handed out in the class/es missed. Students who require alternative arrangements for tests or extensions for assignments must notify staff before the due date and must provide evidence that they have legitimate medical or compassionate grounds for their request.

Conversation tutorial – as the tutorial mark is based on participation and performance, attendance is compulsory. Students who are obliged to miss a tutorial are asked to provide their tutor with a reason.

Assessment Detail

Language Workshop:
Homeworks will focus on particular grammatical points or they will enable students to use the vocabulary and apply the grammatical rules they have learned in a piece of extended writing. They are designed to gauge students’ progress in the areas of language acquisition covered in the course and provide them with feedback on their areas of strength and weakness.
A mid-semester class test will reflect the format of the semester test and will consist of four sections which correspond with the following areas of language acquisition, listening and/or reading, grammar and free writing. Class tests have a more cumulative orientation than homeworks and provide students with a gauge of their progress over a range of tasks and also prepare them for the semester test.
A two hour semester test will, like the class tests, consist of four sections, a listening and/or reading comprehension, a grammar section and a composition. While the main focus of the test will be material not yet tested, students will be expected to be familiar with all topics covered in the semester.
Conversation Tutorial:
Students will be given the opportunity to build up confidence and develop their speaking ability by engaging in conversational activities throughout the semester. They will be regularly assessed on their preparation, participation and performance and at the end of the semester will be given an oral examination or an equivalent oral assessment. Students may e.g. be asked to make a short oral presentation, answer questions on it. Throughout the semester there may be regular tests on the vocabulary introduced at the beginning of each chapter of the course workbook. The vocabulary is introduced to provide students with a basis for communication on the topic treated in each chapter.

Submission

Work submitted as a hard copy outside class times should have a German cover sheet obtainable from the School of Humanities office on level 7 Napier. Work completed during semester will normally be returned in class. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to arrange collection of your work from the staff member concerned. Homework is normally returned in one week, tests in one to one and two weeks.
Legal nature of the cover sheet
The cover sheet is a legally binding document that asks you to confirm that you have read and understood the rules relating to plagiarism and related forms of cheating, that you are handing in the final version of your work and not a draft, that it has not been submitted for any other course, that you allow it to be photocopied or scanned and submitted to a plagiarism detection programme, and that you have kept a copy of the assignment that you will be able to produce on demand.
Extensions
10% will be deducted from work handed in after the due date unless there are legitimate compassionate or medical grounds and appropriate certification is provided. The 10% penalty applies for the first week; after that the work will not be accepted. Students who have legitimate grounds and require an extension should contact staff before the due date.
Please note:
a) All marks are subject to moderation. An adequate standard must be reached in each part of the course. Final grading (High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass...) will be based on performance in each part of the course. To obtain a High Distinction, students must normally achieve this mark both in the final written test and in their overall total.
b) Students should make a copy of all pieces of work passed in for assessment.
c) It will be assumed that all homework exercises and tests are the student's own work. Work that is obviously not the student's own will be given zero and cannot be redeemed. If there is a significant discrepancy between homework and test results students may be required to redo the homework under test conditions.
d) Students may re-sit the semester test if their overall final mark is less than 50%, or if they have legitimate compassionate or medical grounds and appropriate certification (letter from counsellor, medical certificate). Students who are granted a supplementary because of poor performance can normally only achieve a maximum result of 50% for the course. Other work (vocab tests, class test and homework) is normally only redeemable if there are legitimate compassionate or medical reasons and appropriate certification. e) Students who require alternative arrangements for tests must notify staff at least 4 weeks before the due date and must provide evidence that they have legitimate medical or compassionate grounds for their request.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator