Outline

Overview

This unit enhances your language skills while enabling you to study contemporary German society. Using materials drawn from contemporary print and (audio-)visual media, you will expand your capacity for written and spoken expression by engaging with key social and cultural issues in the contemporary German-speaking world.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	GRMN3009
Academic unit	Germanic Studies
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	GRMN3008 or GRMN2616 or GRMN1322
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Tristan Lay, tristan.lay@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Oral presentation Video and oral presentation	30%	Week 04	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay task Blog essay	40%	Week 06	2000 wd
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	reading comprehension reading comprehension test	15%	Week 13	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	listening comprehension listening comprehension test	15%	Week 13	500 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Written. Near-native performance, with outstanding level of grammatical accuracy; evidence of very extensive vocabulary; very highly developed sense of register and grasp of relevant linguistic skills; translation technique approaching professional standards in terms of accuracy, idiom, and cultural transfer. Oral. Near-native performance. Outstanding expression, fluency and accuracy, excellent comprehension, presentation and general communication skills.
Distinction	75 - 84	Written. Excellent level of comprehension, fluency, and accuracy; evidence of wide vocabulary; highly developed sense of register and grasp of relevant linguistic skills; translation technique excellent in terms of accuracy, idiom, and cultural transfer. Oral. Excellent expression, fluency and accuracy; very good comprehension, presentation and communication skills. May make minor errors, but these are compensated by sustained excellence elsewhere.
Credit	65 - 74	Written. Very good level of comprehension, fluency, and grammatical accuracy; very good range of vocabulary, very good sense of register and grasp of relevant linguistic skills. Translation technique is very good in all areas. Work may contain minor lapses in one or more areas, but without compromising overall comprehensibility and communication. Oral. Very good expression, fluency and accuracy; very good comprehension, presentation and communication skills. May make minor errors, but without compromising fluency, expressive capacity, comprehensibility, or communication.
Pass	50 - 64	Written. Competent level of comprehension, fluency, and grammatical accuracy, limited but acceptable range of vocabulary and grasp of relevant linguistic skills. Comprehensibility and communication are maintained, despite frequent errors, some of which may be serious. Translation technique generally satisfactory, but with lapses in one or more areas. Oral. Adequate expression, fluency , and accuracy; acceptable comprehension, presentation and communication skills. Frequent errors, some of which may be serious, may begin to impede comprehensibility and communication, though in general it is possible to sustain a fluent exchange.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: students are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board which will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Language classes are not recorded as they involve individual and small-group work rather than frontal instruction.
Preparation: students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All materials for this unit are available on Canvas or will be provided in class

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. express yourself on a range of topics, expressing a point of view and give the advantages and disadvantages of various possibilities
LO2. acquire a broader knowledge of the German language as a tool of communication, thereby achieving a higher degree of competence in your progress towards the command of the German language
LO3. revise, practise and extend your grammatical and vocabulary knowledge
LO4. comprehend progressively more sophisticated and complex German texts
LO5. have an awareness of the problems associated with the learning of a foreign language and applied a problem-solving approach to deal with these difficulties
LO6. organise and communicate in German your own creative, imaginative and critical thinking
LO7. function productively in a team-group environment and independently within specific guidelines
LO8. gain a more solid basis for further study of the German language and its culture.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

There are no site visit guidelines for this unit.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

GRMN3009: German Language and Society

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect