Unit Guide

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Tessa Revink tessa.revink@mq.edu.au Contact via Email By appointment
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites HSC German Continuers Band 4 or above or HSC German Extension
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. This unit corresponds to the third level (B1) 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 intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
ULO2: Identify, describe and evaluate many aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
ULO3: Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of German at 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

Indicative examples of assessment tasks will be available on iLearn.

Late Assessment Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Participation	15%	No	ongoing until 31/05/24 11:55 pm
Online Tests	20%	No	W6 Sun. 31/03/24 11:55pm; W10 Sun. 12/05/24 11:55pm
Assignments	20%	No	W7 Sun. 07/04/24 11:55pm; W12 Sun. 26/05/24 11:55pm
Presentation	20%	No	W11 Wed. 15/05/24 & Fri. 17/05/24 during usual class time
Final Test	25%	No	W13 Sun. 02/06/24 11:55pm

Participation

Assessment Type ¹: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task ²: 10 hours
Due: ongoing until 31/05/24 11:55 pm
Weighting: 15%

Students demonstrate active engagement with the weekly content through participating in the designated activities online and in class.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify, describe and evaluate many aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.

Online Tests

Assessment Type ¹: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task ²: 0 hours
Due: W6 Sun. 31/03/24 11:55pm; W10 Sun. 12/05/24 11:55pm
Weighting: 20%

Students complete various short test of mixed question types.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Develop intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of German at 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: W7 Sun. 07/04/24 11:55pm; W12 Sun. 26/05/24 11:55pm
Weighting: 20%

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

On successful completion you will be able to:

Develop intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
Identify, describe and evaluate many aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of German at intermediate level.
Demonstrate a refined awareness of language and language use, in both German and in English.

Presentation

Assessment Type ¹: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task ²: 0 hours
Due: W11 Wed. 15/05/24 & Fri. 17/05/24 during usual class time
Weighting: 20%

Students demonstrate disciplinary knowledge and skills through verbal communication delivered to an audience in person.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify, describe and evaluate many aspects of German-speaking cultures and societies.
Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.

Final Test

Assessment Type ¹: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task ²: 0 hours
Due: W13 Sun. 02/06/24 11:55pm
Weighting: 25%

Students complete a timed online test of mixed type questions, including one essay style question.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Develop intermediate level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the German language.
Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of German at intermediate level.
Demonstrate a refined awareness of language and language use, in both German and in English.

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 current updates, lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetables website: https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2023/.

REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

The unit is based on

a textbook:

Koithan, U. et al (2017): Aspekte Neu. Mittelstufe Deutsch. Lehrbuch B1 plus. Stuttgart: Ernst Klett Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-12-605016-6 (hard copy)/ NP00860501503 (tablet version)

and workbook:

Koithan, U. et al (2017): Aspekte Neu. Mittelstufe Deutsch. Arbeitsbuch mit Audio-CD B1 plus. Stuttgart: Ernst Klett Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-12-605017-3

GRAMMARS

If you have not studied grammar in much detail yet, the following text is recommended as an introduction:

Zorach, C. & Melin, Ch. English Grammar for Students of German. The Olivia and Hill Press 2001.

A more 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 latest edition.

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 (5th edition) Hodder 2011.

DICTIONARIES

You will need to work with a German dictionary in this course. We will also discuss the quality of various online dictionaires (such as Linguee, Pons) in class.

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 dictionaries is https://www.dwds.de/.

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. 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.

Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1.

For central technical support go to: http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

IT Support
Accessibility and disability support with study
Mental health support
Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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 2024.03 of the Handbook