54
German Language and Translation
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Educational Objectives
Expected Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Communicate in simple and routine activities that require a basic exchange of information on familiar and common topics;
- Describe, in simple terms, aspects of their personal life and university experience.
Regarding Phonetics and Phonology:
- Pronounce words, sentences, and short texts in German correctly;
- Understand the phonetic and phonological structure of German and the associated phonological rules;
- Use appropriate technical terminology to describe phonetic-phonological phenomena.
Regarding Morphology:
- Understand the fundamental aspects of German word structure;
- Know nominal declension and verbal inflection in German;
- Use suitable technical terminology to describe morphological phenomena.
Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding
The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and methodological tools necessary for the following activities:
- Producing texts in German (at least level A2) across various genres and text types (letters, emails, brief descriptions of objects, people, environments, or events, etc.);
- Comprehending short, simple texts for everyday use (advertisements, programs, menus, schedules, personal letters/emails) to extract specific and predictable information;
- Actively applying learned morphological and phonetic knowledge (e.g., recognizing morphemes, identifying word meanings, correct pronunciation);
- Providing terminologically appropriate descriptions of linguistic phenomena of various kinds (e.g., types of compounds, types of morphemes, types of sounds and phonemes);
- Producing short texts in German related to thematic areas discussed during the course;
- Understanding short German texts related to thematic areas discussed during the course.
Additional Expected Learning Outcomes
Autonomy of Judgment:
By the end of the course, students should demonstrate the ability to independently make correct morphosyntactic choices in written and oral production activities.
Communication Skills:
By the end of the course, students should be able to communicate clearly, correctly, and coherently in German according to the context. They should also be able to identify and convey the main information contained in a general German text.
Learning Ability:
By the end of the course, students should demonstrate a good capacity for learning and applying the morphosyntactic structures and phonetic-phonological features covered, which will form the necessary foundation to undertake further studies in the German language with full autonomy and methodological awarenes
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of the German language is not required; however, knowledge of the grammatical categories of Italian and their functions, as well as the ability to perform linguistic analysis of a text, are essential.
Prerequisites: None
Teaching Methods
Teaching Methods
The course includes three types of activities:
a) Lectures and interactive classes with the instructor (54 hours), aimed at guiding students through topics related to morphology, phonetics, and phonology. The classes, conducted in Italian with a communicative approach, will support the development of comprehension, reading skills, and both written and oral expression. In order to monitor the learning progress throughout the course, in-class exercises will be administered, including written/oral comprehension activities and self-assessment tests. The partial results of these assessments may help the instructor adjust the course content and methods accordingly.
b) Language practice sessions with Language Assistants (CEL – Collaboratori ed Esperti Linguistici). These sessions run throughout the academic year and constitute the practical component of the course, allowing students to apply the material covered in the lectures.
c) Self-study activities. The self-study component (30 hours), to be completed using methods and materials provided by the teachers at the beginning of the course, may be carried out at the CLAOR self-access center. Students must log their self-study work using specific forms available on the CLAOR website or on the teacher's personal page (under “Teaching Materials”). These completed forms must be submitted to the instructor on the day of the oral exam.
Assessment Methods
Assessment
The exam consists of a written test and an oral exam.
The written test, taken online, is divided into two parts:
- a grammar test
- a short writing task (Schreiben).
The grammar test includes both multiple-choice and open-ended questions.
Passing the written test is a prerequisite for admission to the oral exam.
The oral exam covers the program outlined above (phonetics, phonology, morphology, and aspects of the culture of German-speaking countries).
Theoretical language skills related to the course content will be assessed through a midterm test, to be held on the date and under the conditions specified by the instructor. If students do not pass the midterm, they will take the oral exam during one of the official exam sessions starting in June.
Students enrolled in the degree program in Political Science and International Relations may choose to take the oral exam based on the specific bibliography indicated in this syllabus.
Language of the exam:
- The assessment of practical language skills (grammar test and short writing task) is conducted in German.
- The assessment of theoretical language skills is conducted in Italian.
Assessment criteria:
- For the online written test: accuracy of answers (automatic scoring for the grammar section; instructor’s evaluation for the writing task – Schreiben)
- For the oral exam: correct use of metalinguistic terminology, ability to apply acquired knowledge, and clarity of presentation.
The final grade is expressed on a scale of 30 points
Texts
REFERENCE TEXTS / BIBLIOGRAPHY
Language exercises:
Birgit Braun et al., DaF kompakt NEU A1 (Kurs-und Übungsbuch) e DaF kompakt NEU A2 (Kurs-und Übungsbuch), Stuttgart 2014, Ernst Klett Verlag.
DaF kompakt NEU A1: ISBN 9788853622228
DaF kompakt NEU A2: ISBN 9788853622235
Birgit Braun, Margit Doubek, DaF kompakt NEU A1 (Intensivtrainer) e DaF kompakt NEU A2 (Intensivtrainer), Stuttgart 2014, Ernst Klett Verlag.
DaF kompakt NEU A1 Intensivtrainer: ISBN 978-3-12-676316-5
DaF kompakt NEU A2 Intensivtrainer: ISBN 978-3-12-676317-2
Lectures
C. Di Meola, La linguistica tedesca, Roma, Bulzoni, 20143
S. E. Koesters Gensini, Fonetica e Fonologia del tedesco, Bari, Edizioni B.A. Graphis, 2004 (parts 3, 4 and 6).
For students of Political Science and International Relations:
S. Koesters-Gensini, Parole sotto la svastica. Roma, Carocci 2008.
Fatti sulla Germania – Edizione 2023 (consultabile gratuitamente in rete)
Additional reference bibliography
Paola Bonelli e Rosanna Pavan, Grammatica attiva della lingua tedesca. Morfologia, sintassi, esercizi, Milano, Hoepli, 2012.
S. Leonardi – E.-M. Thuene, Il tedesco in prospettiva pluricentrica (MOOC freely accessible))
Fatti sulla Germania – Edizione 2023 (available online)
Contents
TOPICS
1. Articulatory phonetics of German
2. Phonological structure of German;
3. Morphology of German: classification of the German vocabulary
4. Morphology of German: the morpheme
5. Morphology of German: nominal declension
6. Morphology of German: verbal inflection
7. Morphology of German: internal flection (metaphony and apophony)
8. Word formation in German
9. The written form
10. Notes on geography and culture of German-speaking countries
Course Language
Italian and German
More information
During the academic year, students will also have the opportunity to attend lectures and seminars held by faculty members in German language and literature from the Department of Literary, Linguistic and Comparative Studies, as well as by visiting scholars from abroad.