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BA German and Spanish

Year of entry: 2021

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Course unit details:
The German Language Today

Unit code	GERM20221
Credit rating	20
Unit level	Level 2
Teaching period(s)	Semester 1
Offered by	German Studies
Available as a free choice unit?	Yes

Overview

Languages never stand still – they constantly change and evolve in response to the needs of language users. This course gives students and opportunity to explore what has been happening to German in recent decades, ranging from the strong influence of English on German vocabulary to the question of how modern German can accommodate gender equality and politeness conventions, taking in recent developments in word and sentence structure on the way. And we also cast a glance across political borders, investigating German in Austria and Switzerland today.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title	Unit code	Requirement type	Description
Introduction to German Linguistics	GERM10040	Pre-Requisite	Compulsory

Available as Free Choice (UG) or to other programmes (PG)?

Yes, subject to adequate German language skills and willingness to acquire basic concepts in syntax and morphology independently

Aims

To expand students’ knowledge of a range of different varieties of German as well of the syntax, morphology and lexis of present-day Standard German
To deepen awareness of the social elements of linguistic communication in German, especially in the context of gender equality and politeness
To explore ways of evaluating language change in light of the current influence of English on German lexis, syntax and morphology
On successful completion of the course unit, students will be able to think and write critically about a range of topics relating to the special characteristics of the German language today.

Knowledge and understanding

On successful completion of the course unit, students will be able to:

a) show an appreciation of the range of varieties of German

b) discuss the difficulties of defining ‘the German language’

c) list and discuss the most important trends in present-day German syntax, morphology and lexis

d) comment on the syntactic, morphological and lexical properties of a given text and relate these to the concepts of Zeitstil, Personalstil and Gattungsstil

e) critically discuss the current movement towards linguistic purism in German-speaking countries

f) discuss the usage of du and Sie and the difficulties associated with choosing between the two pronouns

g) discuss the question of whether German could be viewed as a sexist language and how its users could express themselves in ways that reflect gender equality more successfully

h) outline the guiding principles behind the 1998 spelling reform and, in the light of the key changes it has brought about, comment critically on its success in achieving the stated aims

i) discuss the concept of diglossia with reference to German-speaking Switzerland and contrast the diglossic situation with the Standard-with-dialects set-up found in Austria and Germany

Intellectual skills

The course unit will provide opportunities for students to enhance their ability to

apply specific linguistic concepts to real-world language data;
read and interpret statistical data generated through the quantitative analysis of texts

Practical skills

On successful completion of the course unit, students will be able to:

through reading, seminar discussion, and the writing of a project report, demonstrate the skills of information-gathering, interpretation, and the construction of a lucid argument, both visually and in writing
decide on the most appropriate means of representing statistical data graphically and produce suitable charts

Employability skills

Other: On successful completion of the course unit, students will have further developed the following skills or competencies: ¿ language skills ¿ intercultural awareness ¿ sensitivity to gender inequality and gender-neutral language use ¿ ability to critically interpret statistical information ¿ project planning and implementation ¿ organising and chairing meetings; drafting agendas and writing minutes ¿ numeracy

Assessment methods

Exam

40%

Group project report

60%

Feedback methods

Feedback method	Formative or Summative
Face-to-face feedback on group project (by appointment)	Formative
Face-to-face feedback on group project plan	Formative
Written feedback on group project report	Formative and summative
Feedback on exam technique and subject competence to students who submit their answer to an exam question from a previous year	Formative
Written and, where possible, face-to-face feedback on exam (on request)	Summative

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Tutorials	33

Independent study hours
Independent study	167

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Wiebke Brockhaus-Grand	Unit coordinator

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