Students

GRMN1220 – C German Studies 4

2021 – Session 2, Special circumstances

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
Katharina McGrath
katharina.mcgrath@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
25B Wally's Walk, 3rd floor, Room 348
By appointment
Tutor
Sabina Zulovic
sabina.zulovic@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
25B Wally's Walk, 3rd floor
By appointment
Tutor
Ulrike Garde
ulrike.garde@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
25B Wally's Walk, 3rd floor, Room 320
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
GRMN1210 or GMN287
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Through this unit students are able to become independent users of German. It provides activities for developing German reading, comprehension, writing and speaking skills. The work in this unit is of a very intensive nature. This unit corresponds to the fourth level (B2) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

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:

  • ULO1: Develop comprehensive intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
  • ULO2: Identify, describe and evaluate a broad range of aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
  • ULO3: Identify, evaluate and deploy a broad range of grammatical structures of German at an intermediate level.
  • ULO4: Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate a refined awareness of language and language use, in both German and in English.

General Assessment Information

Attention: The final exam will be department-based and administered during the existing scheduled class time in week 13. 

Please note that the University and the Faculty of Arts have launched a new assessment policy effective as of 1 July 2021. This new policy particularly affects LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS. 

The Faculty policy in relation to late assessment submissions is as follows: 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests, etc. 

To be very clear:

  • Unless you have applied for special consideration and had your application approved, for each day your assignment is late, 10 marks will be deducted. For example, if you submit your assignment 7 days late, 70 marks will be deducted, which means you will fail that assignment.
  • If your assignment is more than 7 days late (including weekends), you will get 0 for your assignment.

These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due date.

If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply: 

https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online Tests 20% No 15/08/2021, 29/08/2021, 12/09/2021 & 10/10/2021; 11:59PM
Assignments 20% No 01/09/2021, 29/09/2021, 13/10/2021 & 27/10/2021; 11:59PM
Presentation/Project 10% No 24/10/2021; 11:59PM
Final Online Test 40% No 07/11/2021; 11:59PM
Participation 10% No ongoing

Online Tests

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 2 hours
Due: 15/08/2021, 29/08/2021, 12/09/2021 & 10/10/2021; 11:59PM
Weighting: 20%

 

Students complete various short test of mixed question types. These tests are scheduled during class time.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop comprehensive intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
  • Identify, evaluate and deploy a broad range of grammatical structures of German at an intermediate level.
  • Demonstrate a refined awareness of language and language use, in both German and in English.

Assignments

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 01/09/2021, 29/09/2021, 13/10/2021 & 27/10/2021; 11:59PM
Weighting: 20%

 

Students engage with a variety of low stakes tasks focussing on language production.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop comprehensive intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
  • Identify, describe and evaluate a broad range of aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
  • Identify, evaluate and deploy a broad range of grammatical structures of German at an intermediate level.
  • Demonstrate a refined awareness of language and language use, in both German and in English.

Presentation/Project

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 7 hours
Due: 24/10/2021; 11:59PM
Weighting: 10%

 

Each student researches and presents a pre-approved, content related topic in the target language. On-campus students will present in class, external students present in a live virtual format.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify, describe and evaluate a broad range of aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
  • Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.

Final Online Test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 3 hours
Due: 07/11/2021; 11:59PM
Weighting: 40%

 

Students complete a variety of mixed-type questions, including one essay-style question. The final test covers the content of the entire unit. Student will complete their final test online.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop comprehensive intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
  • Identify, evaluate and deploy a broad range of grammatical structures of German at an intermediate level.
  • Demonstrate a refined awareness of language and language use, in both German and in English.

Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: ongoing
Weighting: 10%

 

On-campus and external students demonstrate active engagement with the weekly content through participating in the designated activities online and, where applicable, in class.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify, describe and evaluate a broad range of aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
  • Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

CLASSES

For class times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetables website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au.

REQUIRED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

The unit is based on the textbook:

• Koithan, U. et al (2017): Aspekte neu B2. Mittelstufe Deutsch. Kursbuch. Stuttgart: Klett Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-12-605024-1

and the workbook:

• Koithan, U. et al (2017): Aspekte neu B2. Mittelstufe Deutsch. Arbeitsbuch. Stuttgart: Klett Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-12-605026-5

RECCOMENDED TEXTS/MATERIALS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES COMPLIMENTING THE UNIT TEXTS

Sieber, T (2017): Aspekte neu B1 plus - C1. Mittelstufe Deutsch. Grammatik. Stuttgart: Klett Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-12-605032-6

Lüdtke, M. et al (2017): Aspekte neu B2. Mittelstufe Deutsch. Intensivtrainer. Stuttgart: Klett Verlag. ISBN 978-3-12-605031-9

GRAMMAR

A comprehensive overview of German grammar can be found in the following German grammar, written in English: • Kars, J., Häussermann, U. & J. Hime-Everschor German Elementary Grammar Frankfurt: Diesterweg 1993

A very comprehensive German grammar written in German for the language learner who is already familiar with grammatical terminology is: • Dreyer, H. & R. Schmitt Lehr- und Übungsbuch der deutschen Grammatik. Die Gelbe aktuell. Hueber 2009 or later.

Another very comprehensive grammar written in English for learners of German familiar with grammatical terminology is : • Durell, M. / Hammer, A. Hammer’s German Grammar and Usage (2nd edition)Arnold 1991 

DICTIONARIES

You will need to work with a German dictionary in this course. A smaller dictionary (e.g. Collins, Pons, Langenscheidt etc) will be sufficient for this unit, but for continued study of German you might want to buy a more comprehensive one.

A dictionary which is sufficiently comprehensive to take you through your complete program of German studies is: • Terrell, P. et al Collins German-English, English-German (Großwörterbuch DeutschEnglisch, Englisch-Deutsch)

We suggest that you start working with a monolingual dictionary as soon as possible. In a monolingual dictionary, an explanation of the German word is given in German. There is one such dictionary written with the intermediate and upper intermediate level learner of German in mind, which we recommend:

Götz, D., Haensch, G. & H. Wellmann Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache Berlin/München: Langenscheidt (latest edition)

A good online dictionary is http://dict.leo.org.

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 the following topics:

  1. Heimat (Migration, Fremdsein, zu Hause)
  2. Konversationen (Gestik/Mimik, Sprachenlernen, Smalltalk, Kritik)
  3. Arbeit (Stellensuche, Glück im Beruf, Teamwork, Stellenangebote/ Bewerbungen)
  4. Gesellschaft (Gewalt, Armut, Geschlechterrollen)
  5. Wissenschaft
  6. Kompetenz-Training (online einkaufen, telefonieren, Umgang mit Kolleg*innen)
  7. Kultur (Weltkulturerbe, Sprache als Kultur, Literatur)
  8. Geschichte (Irrtümer, Zeitzeugen, DDR/BRD & Mauerfall)

A detailled Semesterplan can be found on iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

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

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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.

Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook