Sussex Centre for Language Studies
Open courses in modern languages
German Language and Culture – Stage 5 (Expert)
20 weekly meetings, 1.5 hours each
This course is designed for confident and experienced learners who have completed
at least four years of part-time study or the equivalent before joining this class. The
language element will include listening, speaking, reading and writing skills
developed through the study of authentic materials. Practical advice on grammar
will be integrated as appropriate. You will be encouraged to study language for your
own specific needs. This is a student-centred course. The cultural part of the
course will explore the literature, song, art, history, geography and institutions of the
country.
This is a learner-centered course, drawing on the experience and knowledge of
class members as well as topics from literature and the media to stimulate
discussion, debate and linguistic analysis and development. There is an opportunity
for preparation, presentation and discussion of individually prepared/ chosen topics.
These may include discussion and skills development based around some of the
following topics:
Possible Topics: personal interests • tastes • the media (press)
• socializing / relationships • travel and language • regions •
work • current affairs • social problems • introduction to politics…
Grammar and Functions: a range of more complex grammatical
structures and functional language will be revisited and presented
as appropriate for the group, and based on learners’ level and
needs.
A broadening of vocabulary and the study of a wide variety of topic areas and
literature will allow you to be able to debate and present at a high level of
competence.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course you will be able to express yourself well in a variety of
situations and in an appropriate register. You will be able to react to criticism,
humour, different opinions and business/academic requirements. The depth of
linguistic knowledge will enable you to debate, discuss and write competently on a
wide variety of topics. Through the study of literary and topical texts you will be at
ease with the culture and society of the country. You will be able to direct your own
language learning both within the group and independently.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Authentic audio-visual and written stimuli will be used to give you the opportunity to
progress your competence in all four skills and to perfect your knowledge of the
grammatical constructions. The course is more student centred with debate,
discussion and presentation led by the learners themselves. There is an opportunity
here to study both literary and socio-political texts. Written work set could involve
analysis and personal opinion.
Built into the course will be a number of assignments to allow you and your tutor to
gauge progress made. These assignments naturally form part of the course and will
usually be multi-skilled, involving some reading, writing, speaking and listening. It
will be important to complete a learning/study plan and take an active part in the
classes by completing the assignments set.
You will be given an opportunity to pursue your own personal research into a topic
of cultural interest which contains some analysis or debate.
Certificate of Completion
At the end of the course you will receive an individual Record of Learning, giving
details of the course and your achievement of the aims and objectives. If the tutor
considers that you have gained as much as possible from the course, have
achieved the learning outcomes and have participated in the assessed activities, a
Certificate of Completion of the course will subsequently be issued.
Bibliography
A course book may be recommended by the tutor at the first meeting.
Authentic texts and audio/visual materials may be recommended.
Suggested supplementary reading:
Bilingual dictionary:
New revised Collins/ Oxford Duden Concise/
Langenscheidt (with the new German spelling)
Grammar reference:
Aktion Grammatik - John Klapper/ Trudi McMahon
(Hodder & Stoughton)
Hammer’s German & Usage - Durrell
Practising German Grammar - Durrell, Kohl & Loftus
Lehr-und Übungsbuch der deutschen Grammatik Dreyer Schmitt - (Verlag für Deutsch)