Aims

By the end of this course, the students should be able :
a) to read and understand basic texts and dialogues;
b) to understand basic listening exercises and dialogues;
c) to write short texts;
d) to express themselves orally (elementary language structures).
The course also aims: to teach students how to consult reference works;
A special system for German speakers will be organized (with possible positions as tutors).

Main themes

This is a "beginners" course.
30 hours of lecture course : presentation, commentary, explications. 70 hours of individual work; 30 hours of tutorial work: Group A: reading texts (meant for those not interested in becoming scholars of the Germanic languages); Group B: interactive (meant for future scholars of the Germanic languages). 40 hours of individual study: systematic study of basic vocabulary; revision and systematic study of elementary grammar; updating notes and individual exercises.

Content and teaching methods

Content: the topics addressed during the classes aim at arousing the interests of young adults: we shall speak about their identity (biography), studies and possible future profession(s), living conditions, daily life and contemporary events (bank, post office, food, health, transport etc.), and also about Belgium and German speaking celebrities. The activities aim to extend the basic vocabulary and to train the basic structures of the German language and also focus on the ability to communicate in German rather on the correctness of the language. However, phonetic correction will be specifically stressed.

Method: 30 hours of (so called) lecture course: presentation of the "basic texts" (articles and recordings) indicating the thematic areas to be addressed during the course. 30 hours of organized tutorials: speaking, listening and reading exercises, exercises focussing on the consolidation of the basic vocabulary and structures.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Pre-requisities:
This is a beginner's level course and thus does not require any pre-requisites.

Assessment:
Continuous assessment during the course; final (written + oral) exam at the end of the course. Knowledge will be evaluated in terms of the subject matter (vocabulary and grammar) taught.

Course holder:
Assistant or equivalent: general coordination and the lecture part of the course will be taken on by a specialist in Germanic studies, member of the Department of Germanic Studies. Tutorials will be given by teachers from the Institut des Langues Vivantes. Assessment will be carried out by the ILV teachers in collaboration with the course coordinator.

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