SFT20211 German in Contrast (Autumn 2011)

The course is connected to the following study programs

The course belongs to the 90 ECTS German extension programme, and may be part of the optional module in the bachelor programme Society, Language and Culture.

Lecture Semester

German extension programme: 1^st semester (autumn)
Bachelor programme in Society, Language and Culture: 3^rd or 5^th semester (autumn)

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The students will have gained knowledge of central aspects of grammar such as sentence part order, sentence and sentence part structure, and they will have improved their knowledge of modern German usage and contrasts between modern German and Norwegian. They will know main aspects of German language history and be able to place the grammatical topics of the course in a diachronic context.

Skills

The students will have improved their practical skills through knowledge of grammar and diachronic aspects of grammar, and will be able to use the language in a more functional way. Thus, they are able to produce texts of a higher quality. Their ability to understand authentic German texts will also have improved, and so will their translation strategies.

General competence

The students' comprehension of language structures and language functions will have improved; hence, their competence is enhanced in terms of using texts for various purposes such as translations. They will understand that language is continuously changing.

Content

Chosen grammatical aspects are dealt with in text writing advised by the course instructor and commented afterwards in class. The main aspects of German language history are introduced.
In the written proficiency part the main activity is functional translation from German into Norwegian and Norwegian into German. 

Forms of teaching and learning

The course is organised as seminar teaching with a high degree of practical work with language and texts and exercises related to the course reading.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

None.

Examination

Portfolio assessment and written test

Written exam, 5 hours (written proficiency and language history):

Written proficiency is tested through one translation from Norwegian into German and one translation from German into Norwegian. In the topic language history 2-4 shorter assignments are given.

Portfolio:

Portfolio with four contributions (grammar) written during the semester and submitted by given deadlines. Two of the contributions may be project or group work.

One final mark is given on the A-F grading scale. Both partial exams will have to be passed. In the case of a fail both parts of the exam have to be retaken. In the case of a complaint both parts will be reassessed.

Course evaluation

Feedback from students is decisive for the University College to be able to offer the best possible courses and study programmes. This course is evaluated in the following ways:

• Mid-term evaluation
• End-of-term evaluation

The results are dealt with by a group of lecturers, the head of studies, and the local study quality committee.

Literature

Grammar:

Literature concerning the topics conjunctive, valence and sentence structure, nominalisation and participle constructions, and sentence part order is made available.

Written proficiency:

Texts for practice purposes are available.

• Magnusson,Gunnar/Solfjeld, Kåre: Fra tysk til norsk. Oversettelsesproblemer I sakprosatekster. Trondheim: Tapir, 1987
• Solfjeld, Kåre: Om autentiske oversettelser i undervisningen. In Språk og marked Vol. 24, HiØ Halden, 2001
• Solfjeld, Kåre: Zum Thema authentische Übersetzungen im Fremdsprachenunterricht. Überlegungen, augehend von Sachprosaübersetzungen Deusch-Norwegish. In InfoDaF 29/6, 2002, p. 489-504