Studying at York
Understanding German-speaking Cultures and Societies (ab initio) - LAN00065C
- Department: Language and Linguistic Science
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: C
- Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
- See module specification for other years: 2023-24
Module summary
The module analyses key aspects of the societies and cultures of German-speaking countries, with a focus on cultural, social, political, historical and/or linguistic topics.
This module will lay the groundwork for more advanced study of German language and cultures in year 2 and the final year.
The medium of instruction is German.
Related modules
Intensive German language and cultures: Beginners or equivalent level of proficiency.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
The module aims at building up, at a quick pace, knowledge, skills and strategies necessary to communicate and interact in German, and to develop, at intermediate level, a plurilingual and pluricultural communicative competence (i.e. students’ ability to use their own linguistic repertoire for effective communication).
The module seeks to consolidate and expand students’ written and oral skills.
Module learning outcomes
Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students will be able to:
-
understand, with a satisfactory level of comprehension, straightforward factual information about a curated selection of social and cultural topics, identifying both general messages and specific details, if articulated clearly
-
describe and present the topics studied with appropriate highlighting of significant points, and relevant supporting detail
-
express views effectively, and use the language accurately and convincingly on a range of curated topics
-
communicate with good grammatical control
-
interpret and explain a document or event from the cultures of study, and relate it to documents or events from cultures with which they are familiar (including their own).
Module content
Students will engage, individually and/ or in groups, in communicative activities focusing on three modes of communication:
-
reception activities (oral, audio-video and reading comprehension);
-
production activities (oral and written production);
-
interaction (oral, written and online interaction).
In the module, a range of key social, cultural, and political topics and debates, such as sustainable energy, transport & travel, and consumerism will be covered. In addition, the module includes vocabulary and grammar work necessary for more advanced communication and interaction, as well as the development of research and essay writing skills.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 60 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 40 |
Special assessment rules
Non-compensatable
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 60 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 40 |
Module feedback
Formative assessment and feedback
Formative tasks done individually and/or in groups throughout the module.
Students will be given:
-
written comments for written formative work
-
oral feedback during class discussions
Summative assessment and feedback
Students will be given written feedback and marks for their work within the University mandated schedule.
Indicative reading
Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenor(s) in class and/or via the VLE at the start of the semester.