Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the module students should be able to:
- demonstrate comprehension of podcasts and video commentaries on current affairs;
- research independently from German-language material taken from newspapers and online sources;
- identify, summarize and express different positions on a current issue in written and oral German using a variety of grammatical structures and appropriate vocabulary and idiom;
- demonstrate an ability to distinguish between and make use of factual, analytical and polemical styles when creating a convincing argument;
- keep up a casual conversation with a good degree of fluency and coping with abstract expressions;
- give a well-structured broadcast-type presentation on a current issue with a good degree of fluency using a wide range of vocabulary and appropriate rhetorical devices.
Indicative Module Content:
This module explores the discussion of current affairs in the German-speaking media by means of audio-visual and written source material drawn from online audio-visual and press sources, all relating to social, cultural and political issues. It focuses on the analysis, summary and discussion of different positions on these social, political and cultural issues, thus advancing written and oral comprehension and production in German, recognising and using a wide range of grammatical and rhetorical devices.