German VI: German for academic purposes

3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1021040CNR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (C) Bachelor - specialised level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Studenten die dit opleidingsonderdeel opnemen, moeten geslaagd zijn voor 'Deutsche Sprache III'. Studenten die ingeschreven zijn in een verkort programma kunnen dit opleidingsonderdeel zo opnemen.

Taught in

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Axel Lutgard Rekkers
Arvi Sepp (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
39 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

After a short theoretical introduction, dealing with a number of methodological and formal aspects of writing academic texts in German and with German academic discourse in general, the students will have to carry out a series of practice-oriented assignments. These assignments will systematically equip the students with the knowledge and skills required for finding and collecting useful information and data on the one hand, and finally writing a bachelor paper – or master’s thesis for that matter - on the other. Acquiring the vocabulary, phrases and expressions that are typical of the contemporary academic discourse in German, are an indispensable part of this. As far as the practical assignments are concerned, the students will be provided for with high-quality examples and model texts, serving as a guideline.

The course consists of the following parts: reading and understanding (analyzing) scientific texts; overall academic writing (academic style; grammar structures and tools; rhetorical features; frequently used phrases); writing an abstract; collecting information and converting this into a scientific bibliography; constructing scientific argumentation; presentation of a scientific subject (incl. colloquium); and finally writing a scientific paper (Hausarbeit) independently, preferably related to the topic of the student’s bachelor paper.

Additional info

E-Mail: arvi.sepp@vub.be

Learning Outcomes

Eindcompetenties

The students develop and extend their knowledge of useful phrases and expressions (level B2-C1 of the CEFR) that are commonly used in the field of various specific professional communication situations. [knowledge and insight]
Students can read, understand and analyse a German academic text. This implies that they can rephrase headlines and most important statements.
Moreover, the students show, in a series of exercises, that they can also practically use these communicative tools in an efficient and effective way. In doing so, they do not overlook the formal requirements and they also apply an appropriate register. [Applying knowledge and insight]
Finally, the students can construct their arguments on a solid base, when dealing with a business topic or a current issue in German. They can also communicate this in a clear way. [Communication; learning skills]

Doelstellingen

Students learn to write an academic text in German, with footnotes and a bibliography. This will prepare them for the bachelor's paper (and master's thesis)

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 20% of the final mark.
PRAC Practical Assignment determines 20% of the final mark.
SELF Presentation determines 20% of the final mark.
SELF Paper determines 30% of the final mark.
Other determines 10% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Test with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Within the PRAC Practical Assignment category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Abstract with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Within the SELF Presentation category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Presentation with a relative weight of 10 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Within the SELF Paper category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Paper with a relative weight of 30 which comprises 30% of the final mark.

Within the Other category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Bibliographical exercise with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 10% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

First examination period: continuous assessment (100%).

The continuous assessment comprises the following parts: abstract (20%); presentation (20%); bibliographical assignment (10%); test (vocabulary, grammar and theoretical background: 20%); paper (Hausarbeit: 30%).
As far as the continuous assessment is concerned, 15% of the marks of each assignment the student fails to submit on time, will be subtracted; however, the assignment concerned is then to be submitted within the next 24 hours. After that period, 30% will be subtracted for each assignment that is handed in too late, but no later than 72 hours in total. After that period, assignments will no longer be accepted. In that case, the mark for the assignment concerned will be 0 (zero).

Second examination period: paper (100%)

For the second examination period, the student has to rewrite his/her paper (Hausarbeit). However, the text is twice as long, compared to the version of the first examination period. This paper has to be handed in on time. ‘On time’ here refers to the date that has been communicated to the student well in advance. After that time, the paper will not beaccepted. In that case, the mark for this will be 0 (zero).

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context