GERM 3211 - German IIISA: Language (Advanced)

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2022

Building on the language courses German IIIA and German IIIB, this course aims to further develop students' language skills (comprehension, communication, grammar) through the study of relevant texts and aspects of the language. Students attend one lecture, one grammar tutorial and one seminar per week. The exposure to language and the training of listening, reading, speaking and writing will be embedded in the thematic framework of a particular historical epoch. The advanced courses German IIISA and IIISB are designed to enable students to achieve and practice on a level of language competence corresponding with the proficiency level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code GERM 3211
    Course German IIISA: Language (Advanced)
    Coordinating Unit German Studies
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites GERM 3204 or its equivalent
    Incompatible GERM 3011
    Course Description Building on the language courses German IIIA and German IIIB, this course aims to further develop students' language skills (comprehension, communication, grammar) through the study of relevant texts and aspects of the language. Students attend one lecture, one grammar tutorial and one seminar per week. The exposure to language and the training of listening, reading, speaking and writing will be embedded in the thematic framework of a particular historical epoch. The advanced courses German IIISA and IIISB are designed to enable students to achieve and practice on a level of language competence corresponding with the proficiency level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Stefan Hajduk

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course students will demonstrate:

    1. a critical understanding of important aspects of German history and culture and the improved linguistic skills to deal with their representation in different media (textual, visual)
    2. the linguistic ability to identify, analyse, and evaluate cultural artefacts within their social, political and historical context of industrialisation, imperialism, and colonialism.
    3. a deeper understanding of the processes of the generating and translation of meaning in the use of German for describing and analysing textual and visual materials
    4. the ability to extract, synthesise and critically evaluate information from German primary and secondary sources in digital databases and libraries relating to course topics
    5. the ability to work independently and cooperatively to explore issues and questions raised by texts and visual materials treated in the course and generate their own ideas
    6. the ability to communicate information, ideas and arguments about topics treated in the course cogently, coherently, and with a degree of fluency and sophistication in German on the level C1 of the Common European Framework for Languages
    7. the ability to identify ethical, social and literary issues relating topics treated in the course and assess their broader implications including transcultural perspectives
    8. the knowledge base & analytical skills for further study & research in German Studies & the intercultural understanding desirable for students wanting to travel, work or study in Germany and Europe
    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)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    1, 2, 3, 4

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    5, 6

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    6, 8

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    2, 6, 7, 8

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    4

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    7, 8
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    see Course Guide at the beginning of the semester
    Recommended Resources
    You are strongly advised to purchase the grammar reference Dreyer, Schmitt. Lehr- und Arbeitsbuch der deutschen Grammatik aktuell (Hueber).
    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/

    Before the start of the semester students will be informed about required and recommended resources via MyUni and in the Course Guide.
    Online Learning
    On MyUni you will be provided with a number of Links to videos and a Select Bibliography for the lecture, which gives an idea of the broader research field. Some of these texts are available through the Barr Smith Library. You are not expected to read all these texts listed, but are invited to explore the topic in more depth by using them in addition to your online search for relevant materials. Furthermore, on MyUni you will also find the weekly updated program with reading homework, further online materials, as well the access to the course discussion group, journals and blogs. Please check regularly also the week folders, ‘course materials’ and ‘course information’. Lecture materials and recordings on ECHO 360 as well as resources such as announcements, discussion boards or external web-links will be available on MyUni.

    For a more general list of online resources click on Library Resource Guides https://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/c.php?g=917348&p=6614218 and ‘How do I…’ https://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/home?b=p&group_id=17530
    Humanties: https://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/Humanitiesportal

    For an introduction to often used terms in literary theory and analysis see the German website (still in progress) “LiGo Literaturwissensachaftliche Grundbegriffe online”, especially the exercises as well as the glossary for various genres: http://www.li-go.de/definitionsansicht/glossar.html
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The modes of teaching and learning employed in the course are largely classroom-based and face-to-face.
    Students attend one lecture, one grammar tutorial and one seminar per week. The exposure to language and the training of listening, reading, speaking and writing will be embedded in the thematic framework of a particular historical epoch.

    Students are encouraged to take personal responsibility for their learning through:
    1) independent personal study
    2) independent e-learning
    3) online access to other resources
    Workload

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

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements. Below are the hours per week and per semester students are expected to devote to their German studies in Advanced German:

    Hours per week Total hours
    1 X 1-hour lecture 12 hours per semester
    1 X 2-hour seminar
    1 X 1-hour grammar 12 hours per semester
    12 hours per semester
    3 hours preparation for contact hours 36 hours per semester
    2 hours reading (or as required) 24 hours per semester
    5 hours research for presentation & assignments 60 hours per semester
    TOTAL = 156 hours per semester
    Learning Activities Summary
    A detailed course outline will be provided at the beginning of the semester.
    Specific Course Requirements
    There are no specific course requirements in addition to those already mentioned.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    1 Written responses
    2 oral presentation
    3 Minor research project
    4 Grammar Assignment/homework
    5 Major research project
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Lecture – students are expected to listen online at least once, preferably more often to the German lectures recorded for you on Echo 360 week by week. This is the central ‘Hörverstehen’ task of this course. Therefore, it is students’ responsibility to make thoroughly use of MyUni and listen repeatedly to the lecture recordings.

    Seminar and Grammar Tutorial – attendance is compulsory: well prepared participation and continuous performance in classroom exercises and discussions are expected. Students who are obliged to miss the seminar or tutorial must provide a reason and subsequently produce evidence, e.g. in form of a medical certificate (per email attachment). However, always act in compliance with covid-19 safety policies, e.g. stay at home when you are feeling unwell, wash hands more often und use hand sanitizer.
    Students who require alternative arrangements for assessment must notify staff before the due date and must provide evidence that they have legitimate medical or compassionate grounds for their request.
    Assessment Detail
    Referat
    The texts or text passage(s) to be analysed, explained and interpreted can be chosen by you or will be allocated to you in weeks 1 & 2. The oral presentation can be organised and delivered either individually or by a small discovery group of 2 students who cooperate closely during both the preparation and/or the actual Referat (SGD). However, in order to secure a fair and individual assessment, both contributors are expected to speak 16 minutes, while they can support each other. Students, who are, due to illness, unable to participate in a scheduled presentation, must submit a copy of their sick certificate to me and inform me about their absence at the earliest opportunity. Failure to do so will result in an ‘F’ for the individual student in the Referat component of the course. This will not affect the grade of the other small group member participating in the presentation as agreed but only reduce the speaking time from 32 to 16 minutes for the shared topic.
    Remember each of you only has 16 minutes, so you need to be able to do justice to your text/topic within this time frame. Try to stick to your prepared and presented structure; important information should be presented as PowerPoints, other visual aids or/and on a hand-out; complex facts must be explained (not only mentioned). Also remember that you want your audience to understand you, so try to keep your language clear and correct. Apply newly leaned and/or repeated grammar structures during your presentation. You can also include elements of drama, music, film etc. Finally, point out some open questions to be discussed in the plenum. Note these questions for discussion together with the main points of your presentation and bibliography on the hand-out and add relevant vocabulary (min 15 words).
    Your hand-out (not exceeding 1-2 A-4 pages in length) should be discussed with me two weeks before date of presentation and again one week before (to discuss focus and relevant materials). You may use notes/cards, but you will be penalised substantially for reading a prepared talk. The more freely you speak the easier the audience can follow and therefore the better your performance. Your seminar presentation will be assessed on demonstrated preparation and research, understanding of the topic, logical organisation, clear and interesting presentation, appropriate and reasonably accurate language and ability to answer unprepared questions in the following seminar discussion.
    In order to allow all participants of the seminar to be prepared for the Referat sessions and to ask well informed questions, the referents are supposed to make accessible on MyUni a journal (working languages: German/English) as part of their SGD work. Understood as a sort of conjoint logbook, this journal aims at sharing the research experience in the small group and making the preparation of the Referat comprehensible, from its early steps of drafting to the final structuring of your presentation in teamwork. This journal/logbook can coalesce with those from others in your group and build a SGD journal in which you can discuss why you chose certain sources for your essay and can have feedback/comments from others of your SGD.


    Seminararbeit
    Each student should use the seminar presentation (see above) as the point of departure for a 1200 word paper in German. The written seminar paper’s due date is 3 weeks after your oral presentation. Like the oral presentation, the minor research assignment gives you the opportunity to explore a topic in more detail, practise presenting the material in a written format. You should choose one of the suggested topics or expand on an aspect of those treated in your presentation and go more into depth. Here you add to the journal from your Referat and continue entries, which reflect the process of your research work. The project journal may include your selection and organisation of materials, short critical comments on the chosen secondary sources, web-links, recommendations of materials (text, film, video etc.), open questions as well as short explanations how and why you organised your topics the way you did. This journal can also refer to your personal interest in the topic, the idea and arrangement of your research essay as well as describing chapters, problems, or results. Your minor research project will be assessed on demonstrated knowledge of the primary source, appropriate use and critical engagement of secondary sources and correct referencing (incl. always page numbers of cited literature and a bibliography with at least five relevant secondary books/articles which you have used within your Seminararbeit), a well-structured and independent argument which shows your own point of view, development of thoughts and clear and reasonably sophisticated and correct language, which shows that you understand what is appropriate for a written as opposed to an oral presentation (see the general Humanities assessment criteria below for more detail on expectations).
    Finally, you add to the journal (on MyUni) from your Referat and continue entries, which reflect the process of your research work of the Seminararbeit. Henceforth, the project journal may include your selection and organisation of materials, short critical comments on the chosen secondary sources, web-links, recommendations of materials, open questions as well as short explanations how and why you organised your topics the way you did. This journal can also refer to your personal interest in the topic, the idea and arrangement of your essay as well as describing chapters, problems, results or chosen sources. Your journal can help you in your research by having feedback and receive comments from other students of your group and it may be merged with the journal of your SGD cluster. If you upload your journal on MyUni under discussions also students from outside your cluster can comment and make suggestions concerning your work.

    Schriftliche Hausaufgaben
    Written homework/exercises/tests in German related to topics of the grammar class (Seminar). Due 1-2 weeks later in the seminar, submitted personally on paper in the class or as advised by the tutor.

    Major Research Essay; 2100 words in German
    This is the major summative assessment for this course. The research assignment must be based on your individual research. Questions given in week 9 or 10 will be related to course theme “Deutsche Kultur der Zwischenkriegszeit. Weimarer Republik, ‘Drittes Reich’ und Exil.” You will be requested to explore a particular aspect in more depth. The essay will be assessed on the quality of language and on the demonstrated knowledge of the topic, its critical engagement with secondary sources and the development of an own point of view. Furthermore, the assessment will be on the research design. It should be correctly referenced, have a clear structure and be presented in an appropriate register.
    Format: You MUST provide annotations (always with page numbers) for all your information, not just for direct quotations in order to avoid plagiarism. You are expected to provide a bibliography with your primary and at least eight secondary sources (books/journal articles/online and other materials) which you have used (discussed, reasonably referred to) in your essay.
    See the general Humanities assessment criteria below for more detail on expectations.
    Due date Wednesday 10th of November 2021, 1pm uploaded on MyUni.
    Submission

    Both the Seminararbeit and the Essay must be submitted electronically via MyUni. All written work should have the format of double line spacing, font size 12 and generously allocated margins (page format DIN A4) and consistent citation method incl. pages of referenced sources.
    Grammar written homework/tests/exercises must be handed up in the seminar session in printed form with the yellow cover page signed, available on MyUni (Course information) and at the same date sent as an email attachment to the tutor  mariechristinehankel@gmail.com
    Students must not submit work for an assignment that has previously been submitted and assessed for this course or any other course.

    Extensions – can only be sought under the provisions of the Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy or the Reasonable Adjustments for Teaching and Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy. Applications must be made at the Faculty office, Napier building ground floor.

    Late Assignment – For work that is late without formal extension, 2 percentage points will be deducted from the mark for every day (or part thereof) the work is late to a maximum of 7 days (including weekends and public holidays). For example, an assignment that is 3 days late: raw score of 80% minus 6 marks lateness deduction = 74% final mark. For work with formal extension, these penalties will apply from the extended due date.
    There will be a cut-off date for each assignment 7 days (including weekends and public holidays) after the original due date unless otherwise stipulated on MyUni. Work will not be accepted after the cut-off date, and a mark of zero will automatically be awarded for the assignment. Applications for variations to the cut-off date can only be made by the Course Coordinator on pedagogical grounds and must approved by the relevant School Learning and Teaching Committee.

    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.

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