GER10120 Spoken German for Beginners

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module focuses on oral and aural language skills and is intended primarily for students taking GER10100 (German Beginners A). Using a variety of exercises, audiovisual material and role play, students will learn to comprehend sentences and short dialogues in German, and master the production of phonetic patterns specific to the German language. Students will be encouraged to record themselves and to regularly use online tools to practise their pronunciation and their spoken German. Students who have achieved at least a B grade in this module are deemed to have attained CEFR level of A1 in the area of oral performance and listening comprehension.
Attendance at classes is extremely important in order to progress in this module, and assessment will often take place during classes.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of the module students should be able to:
 pronounce simple German words and sentences correctly
 engage in simple conversations relating to everyday situations in a German-speaking environment
 orally describe themselves and other people, as well as places
 understand simple sentences and texts spoken in German.


For more information please view the CEFR* description for qualitative aspects of spoken language use for different levels in the Brightspace page of this module.

(*): Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Indicative Module Content:

The module is recommended for students who have little or no German, or who have started learning German at level A1 of the CEFR. It introduces basic phenomena of German pronunciation (theoretically and practically). Students will practise their listening, pronunciation and speaking skills by communicative tasks that ask for collaboration in the classroom.
The module builds on the module GER10110 (German Language for Beginners), but it is not essential to take GER10110 in conjunction with this module.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Small Group

24
Specified Learning Activities

46
Autonomous Student Learning

30
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a highly active/task-based module which focuses on communicative skills. The students are asked to work collaboratively and will soon learn to lose their fear of speaking a foreign language.

In-class work will include:
• small group and partner work
• listening comprehensions
• speaking/pronunciation exercises.

Independent work outside of class will include:
• using different learning apps (view Brightspace)
• listening to German music and podcast (view Brightspace)
• listening to own recordings and improving the pronunciation following different tips from class or in Brightspace.
• review grammatical structures independently before coming to class (explanation videos and recording are in Brightspace or review content from module GER 10100, in case you are taking the module)
• learning vocabulary (view vocabulary list for each week in Brightspace) 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Exclusions:

Students who have engaged in prior formal study of the German language are not eligible to take this module.

Learning Recommendations:

Students who are unsure of their eligibility for this module should consult with the module coordinator who may facilitate transfer between Beginner and Non-Beginner modules in the early weeks of the semester.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
GER10010 - German Language I a, GER20060 - German Language II a, GER20070 - German Language II b, LANG10100 - German Gen Purp 1, LANG10130 - German Gen Purp 2


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Examination: Oral interaction Week 11 No Graded No

40
Group Project: Role Play Week 9 n/a Graded No

30
Class Test: Aural Test Week 4 n/a Graded No

30

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

In order to practise speaking skills in a foreign language the learner has to lose the fear of speaking the language and learn how to produce sounds that are not used in their native language(s). Hence, feedback will be given throughout the semester by the tutor but also by fellow students: how to pronounce sounds, how to practise pronunciation and how to disassemble words (syllables) in order to make pronunciation and listening easier. You will be asked to record yourself and self-assess but you will also be given feedback on group activities by your tutor. Your homework assessments are based on listening comprehension tasks and will be handed in either as written homework or recordings. You will have three speaking assessments, which take place either one on one with your tutor or in groups with other learners. Feedback will be given as written or audio feedback individually.

Name Role
Ms Zeineb Bahri Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Siobhan Donovan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr Leonard Lüer Tutor
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 15:00 - 16:50