GERM 3203 - German IIIA: Language

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2014

Building on the language sections of German IIA and IIB, 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 3203
Course	German IIIA: Language
Coordinating Unit	German Studies
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Prerequisites	GERM 2204 or equivalent
Incompatible	GERM 3002
Assessment	Homework, class tests, end-of-semester test, conversation tutorial (participation, performance, 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 B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
2) a greater knowledge and understanding of the structure and conventions governing the use of German and an ability to use them to communicate effectively in a broader range of situations and for a broader range of purposes.
3) a greater knowledge and understanding of aspects of German culture and society and the way they are represented
4) the ability to make effective use of the available resources for German and German Studies to answer questions and explore more complex issues relating to German language, society and culture
5) the ability to communicate information and ideas in the target language coherently and reasonably accurately
6) a greater awareness of cultural differenc/s and the ability to reflect on oneself and one's own culture from the point of view of another culture
7) the ability to work independently and cooperatively to explore issues relating to German language, society and culture in more depth
8) a solid 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
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	7
Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication.	2, 5
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	8
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

Hilpert et. al.: Schritte International 5 & Schritte International 6. Hueber Verlag
Gottstein-Schramm et. al. Schritte Übungsgrammatik Hueber Verlag

The Kursbuch (KB) and the Arbeitsbuch (AB) are in one volume with a CD with Hörtexte for the Arbeitsbuch and interactive exercises for extra practice. You will need KB/AB and Grammatik (G) for the language workshop, but you will not normally need the grammar book in tutorials. There are also online exercises on the Hueber website at:

www.hueber.de/shared/uebungen/schritte-international/

You are strongly advised to purchase the CDs that go with the Kursbuch so you can get more practice. They are available from Hueber or amazon.de

Recommended Resources

Students should ensure that they have access to a good German dictionary. Check this site to see what is available:
http://www.germanprofessor.org/dictionaries/

Online Learning

Schritte International online materials are available at
http://www.hueber.de/schritte-international
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

The modes of teaching and learning employed in the course are largely classroom-based and face-to-face. The language workshops are designed to extend students’ reading and listening comprehension, their command of written and spoken German and their understanding of German grammar and its application. The tutorials are focussed more on listening and speaking.

Students are encouraged to take personal responsibility for their learning through:

1) independent personal study
2) independent e-learning
3) online use of other resources

Workload

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

In addition to the 3 contact hours, each week students are expected to devote time as below to their German studies:

Homework and test preparation 4
Vocab learning and oral and listening practice 3
Revision, reading and other independent work 2

If you want to be successful in improving your language skills then you need to take the time regularly to revise, practise, prepare, learn vocab etc. outside class time.

Learning Activities Summary

This summary is a guide only. The actual program may be slightly different and will include additional material. Students will be given a detailed course outline at the beginning of the semester.
Provisional Summary: Weeks 1-3 chapter 6, weeks 4-6 chapter 7, weeks 7 – 10 chapter 8, weeks 11-12 chapter 9.

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 will include homework, vocab tests, a class test, oral work, an oral presentation and an end-of-semester test in Week 13.

Assessment Related Requirements

Students are expected to attend all classes. In all cases, it is students’ responsibility to contact lecturers/coordinators about any absence and to ensure that they obtain any material handed out in classes missed. Please remember to check your Adelaide student email regularly for reminders and updates.

Students who require alternative arrangements for tests must notify staff at least 4 weeks in advance. Students who require an extension must notify staff before the due date and must provide evidence that they have legitimate medical or compassionate grounds for the request.

Assessment Detail

The homework for this course takes the form of a reading or listening comprehension, vocab exercises and grammar, and free writing tasks. Each will focus on the vocab and particular grammar points from the chapter being treated. The homework exercises are designed to gauge students’ progress in active use of new material and provide them with feedback on their areas of strength and weakness.

The two-hour class test and the two-hour semester test have the same format and consist of the following sections: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and and free writing. Tests have a more cumulative focus than homework, and students are expected to be able to demonstrate the ability to use both previous and recent material in their answers.

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