Students

GMN 104 – Introductory German I

2018 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Brangwen Stone
AHH L2 North Wing
Please refer to the information in iLearn.
Lecturer
Susana Catalina Prat
AHH L2 North Wing
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
The first of three introductory German units, intended for students with little or no previous knowledge of German. The book used in these units follows a communicative approach with additional audio and written material to be worked on at home. The unit includes material on general cultural aspects of life in Germany and provides a thorough grounding in the basic structures of the language, working towards CEFR Level A1. Four contact hours per week. Assessment is by online tests, assignments and examination.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Listening: • follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning (for example: basic information re personal details, family, weather, seasons, leisure etc.)
  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required
  • Writing: • ask for, or convey, personal details in written form • write simple isolated phrases and sentences • use simple connectors such as "and" or "but"
  • Spoken Interaction: • interact in a simple way • ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics
  • Spoken Production: • produce simple, mainly isolated, phrases about people and places (for example: provide information on living or school/university conditions, daily routines, likes/ dislikes)

General Assessment Information

Indicative examples of assessment tasks will be available on iLearn.

Late Assessment Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Language study orientation 5% No Week 2
4 Tests 20% No See iLearn
4 Assignments 25% No See iLearn
Class Participation 10% No Throughout semester
Final Test 30% No Week 13
Oral Test 10% No Week 13

Language study orientation

Due: Week 2
Weighting: 5%

Prepares students for university language study and the German online environment. Pass/Fail.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Listening: • follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning (for example: basic information re personal details, family, weather, seasons, leisure etc.)
  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required

4 Tests

Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 20%

Tests must be completed in class (internal students) or within the timeframe outlined on iLearn (external students). No late submissions will be accepted for online tests.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Listening: • follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning (for example: basic information re personal details, family, weather, seasons, leisure etc.)
  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required
  • Writing: • ask for, or convey, personal details in written form • write simple isolated phrases and sentences • use simple connectors such as "and" or "but"

4 Assignments

Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 25%

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required
  • Writing: • ask for, or convey, personal details in written form • write simple isolated phrases and sentences • use simple connectors such as "and" or "but"
  • Spoken Production: • produce simple, mainly isolated, phrases about people and places (for example: provide information on living or school/university conditions, daily routines, likes/ dislikes)

Class Participation

Due: Throughout semester
Weighting: 10%

iLearn online activities, Homework (on Connect German), attendance, preparation for, and participation in class/ on-campus session.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Listening: • follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning (for example: basic information re personal details, family, weather, seasons, leisure etc.)
  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required
  • Writing: • ask for, or convey, personal details in written form • write simple isolated phrases and sentences • use simple connectors such as "and" or "but"
  • Spoken Interaction: • interact in a simple way • ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics
  • Spoken Production: • produce simple, mainly isolated, phrases about people and places (for example: provide information on living or school/university conditions, daily routines, likes/ dislikes)

Final Test

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%

Internal and external students enrolled in units are required to sit a compulsory final online test (to be held during business hours) in Week 13. The exact date and time will be announced in Week 6. Do not expect that alternative test arrangements will be made for you. The only exceptions to this are:

a)  members of the armed forces who must go away on duty;

b)  students representing Australia or the University in a national or international sporting or cultural event;

c) students proceeding to a period of study in a foreign country associated with a Macquarie University program of study.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required
  • Writing: • ask for, or convey, personal details in written form • write simple isolated phrases and sentences • use simple connectors such as "and" or "but"

Oral Test

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 10%

Oral test must be completed in class (internal students) or at an allocated time online (external students).


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Listening: • follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning (for example: basic information re personal details, family, weather, seasons, leisure etc.)
  • Spoken Interaction: • interact in a simple way • ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics
  • Spoken Production: • produce simple, mainly isolated, phrases about people and places (for example: provide information on living or school/university conditions, daily routines, likes/ dislikes)

Delivery and Resources

For current updates, lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetables website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au.

Punctuality: Please arrive on time for classes. Arriving late is very disruptive. All classes start five minutes past the hour. If you should arrive late, it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed.

Attendance at all classes is part of the participation mark for on-campus students. Students absent due to illness or other valid reasons should notify the relevant staff member.

Preparation: Students are expected to prepare the course work to be covered in class in advance, as set out in programs or announced in class.

REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

Required texts:

  • Author: Tschirner et al. Kontakte Student Edition + Connect Plus Online (8th edition).  ISBN: 9781743769065

Recommended texts:

  •  Zorach, C. & Melin, Ch. English Grammar for Students of German. The Olivia and Hill Press

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

Online Unit

Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

Is my unit in iLearn?: http://help.ilearn.mq.edu.au/unitsonline/ to check when your online unit will become available.

Technology

Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.

For students attending classes on campus we strongly encourage that you bring along your own laptop computer, ready to work with activities in your online unit. The preferred operating system is Windows 10.

Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1 and follow any relevant instructions and links for downloads that may be required. If applicable, students are required to download the relevant language package prior to Week 2.

Please contact your course convenor before the end of Week 1 if you do not have a suitable laptop (or tablet) for in-class use.

Unit Schedule

This unit covers Kapitel 1-5 of the Kontakte textbook. Please find an up to date Semesterplan on iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required
  • Writing: • ask for, or convey, personal details in written form • write simple isolated phrases and sentences • use simple connectors such as "and" or "but"
  • Spoken Production: • produce simple, mainly isolated, phrases about people and places (for example: provide information on living or school/university conditions, daily routines, likes/ dislikes)

Assessment tasks

  • 4 Tests
  • 4 Assignments
  • Class Participation
  • Final Test

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Listening: • follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning (for example: basic information re personal details, family, weather, seasons, leisure etc.)
  • Reading: • understand very short, simple texts one single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required
  • Writing: • ask for, or convey, personal details in written form • write simple isolated phrases and sentences • use simple connectors such as "and" or "but"
  • Spoken Interaction: • interact in a simple way • ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics
  • Spoken Production: • produce simple, mainly isolated, phrases about people and places (for example: provide information on living or school/university conditions, daily routines, likes/ dislikes)

Assessment tasks

  • 4 Tests
  • 4 Assignments
  • Class Participation
  • Final Test
  • Oral Test

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • 4 Assignments

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Listening: • follow speech that is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for the learner to assimilate meaning (for example: basic information re personal details, family, weather, seasons, leisure etc.)
  • Spoken Interaction: • interact in a simple way • ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics
  • Spoken Production: • produce simple, mainly isolated, phrases about people and places (for example: provide information on living or school/university conditions, daily routines, likes/ dislikes)

Assessment tasks

  • 4 Assignments
  • Class Participation
  • Oral Test

Changes since First Published

Date Description
19/01/2018 Changed to reflect new late submission policy.