Course overview
Building on the language courses Upper-Intermediate German A and B, this course aims to further develop students' language skills (comprehension, communication, grammar) through immersion into German as a working language, 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 courses Advanced German A and B 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 learning outcomes
- 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)
- The linguistic ability to identify, analyse, and evaluate cultural artefacts within their social, political and historical context of industrialisation, imperialism, and colonialism.
- 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
- The ability to extract, synthesise and critically evaluate information from German primary and secondary sources in digital databases and libraries relating to course topics
- 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
- 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
- The ability to identify ethical, social and literary issues relating topics treated in the course and assess their broader implications including transcultural perspectives
- The knowledge base and analytical skills for further study and research in German Studies and the intercultural understanding desirable for students wanting to travel, work or study in Germany and Europe