OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION TO THE GERMAN LANGUAGE - PHONOLOGY AND PHONETICS, MORPHOLOGY, CULTURAL STUDIES

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

German language skills on A2 level.

Competence in metalinguistic reflection regarding phonetics, phonology, morphology and history of German language.

Knowledge about cultural aspects of German speaking areas.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

- learning target of the class is to reach the A2 level described in the guidelines of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) in German language

- to have a good command of the phonetics / phonology of German language

- to know the main outlines of German language history and general culture of the bigger German speaking countries.

- at the end of the class students will be able to understand written and oral texts in German language as well as to write and to speak as far as is requested for the A2 level of  CEFR (see above)

- as a result of class students will furthermore be able to operate phonetic and phonological analysis of German lexis and be familiar with phonetic and phonological transcription

- learning objective of the class is moreover the acquisition of basic knowledge about the geographical distribution and situation of German speaking populations and about the history of the German language as well as cultural aspects of the German speaking areas.

PREREQUISITES

none

TEACHING METHODS

The theory lectures (36 lessons, 1st semester) will be accompanied during the whole academic year by practical language exercises (beginners: 160 lessons, advanced: 160 lessons). Time schedules, programs, instructors and auditoriums will be published on the website “Lingua e traduzione tedesca 1 – TTMI” in Aulaweb and on the websites of the single instructors until the end of September 2021. The language exercises include yearlong grammar lessons for beginners and advanced learners.

Lecture accompanied by language exercises.

The theory lectures (winter term) will be offered presential lectures, whereas the practical language exercises will be offered in winter term in mixed modality, partly as traditional presential lectures in classroom, partly online (see informations in Aulaweb). Students that con not attend the lectures will have the opportunity to participate by streaming or registration of the lectures. Subject to eventual provisions regarding the development of the sanitary situation during spring term the lectures will take place in form of traditional classroom teaching. Any modifications caused by the pandemic emergency situation will be communicated in Aulaweb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

In the theory class students will familiarize with fundamental knowledge about cultural knowledge about the German speaking countries, as well as about history of the German language and German linguistics. After a general survey about the most important cultural aspects of the German speaking countries, basics of phonetics / phonology, morphology and lexicology of the German language will be treated, considering the linguistic terminology also in German language. The linguistic structures of the German language will be explained by examples of various textual typologies.

The program of the course is valid until February 2023 in accordance to the departmental regulation.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Corni, Gustavo: Storia della Germania. Da Bismarck a Merkel, Milano: Il Saggiatore, 2017.

Destro, Alberto (a cura di): I paesi di lingua tedesca, Bologna: Mulino, 2004.

Di Meola, Claudio: La linguistica tedesca, Roma: Bulzoni, 2014.

Koesters-Gensini, Sabine E.: Fonetica e fonologia del tedesco, Bari: Graphis, 2007.

Donalies, Elke: Basiswissen deutsche Wortbildung, Stuttgart: Francke/UTB, 2011.

Nied Curcio, Martina: La lingua tedesca. Aspetti linguistici tra contrastività e interculturalità, Roma: UniversItalia, 2016.

Further bibliographical and didactic material will be provided during the semester (Aulaweb).

Applied module

Teaching materials will be communicated at the beginning of the semester by the lecturers and in Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

JOACHIM HANS BERND GERDES (President)

SIMONA LEONARDI (President Substitute)

SERENA SPAZZARINI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Theoretical module: 1st semester: october 04, 2021

Applied modules: 1st semester: october 04, 2021

Class schedule

GERMAN LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION I

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The theory lessons will be concluded by a written exam in which the arguments treated during the class will be asked about. The languages classes will be completed by written exams and an oral exam. During the written exam at the end of the theory class the students have to provide evidence of their profound knowledge of the arguments dealt with during the lessons, the designed texts and the materials published in Aulaweb.

Inscription for the exam of the theory class on the homepage of the University of Genoa (www.unige.it) at the link „servizi online per gli studenti“.

Theory class: written exam (40% of the final mark)

Language exercises:

dictation +

written exam (essay writing) +

written grammar exam +

oral exam

(average of the marks of the exercise exams: 60% of the final mark)

Attention: The modalities of the exams can be changed because of adjustments due to anti-covid security measures.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

In the written exam of the theory class students will have to prove their ability to apply the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for the German language. Furthermore, they will give evidence of their knowledge of the basics of German phonetics/phonology and morphology in order to be able to analyze the structure of linguistic elements such as phones, phonemes, morphemes and words. Moreover, basic knowledge of culture, geography and history of German speaking areas will be examined. Assessment criteria are the correctness and completeness of the answers as well as the correct usage of linguistic terminology both in German and in English.

The written exams of the language exercises are designated to give proof of the knowledge of German language on A2 level regarding reading comprehension and written skills as well as the familiarity with basic grammar. Assessment criteria are grammatical correctness, the ability to express oneself appropriately in a written exam as well as to understand a written text both globally and in detail. The oral exam is meant to examine the competence to understand listening exercises and to use the foreign language appropriately in a dialogue. Assessment criteria are the correct usage and interpretation of grammatical rules and vocabulary as far as requested for attaining the A2 level.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Target group:

The exam is obligatory for students in the first year of the course of studies in Theories and techniques of language mediation.

Credits:

The total exam consisting in theory class and language exercises is equivalent to 12 credit points (CFU).

Language:

Lessons will be held in Italian and (according to the language level of the participants) in German language.