The course ‘German Language I’ is a compulsory course taught in the first term of the first year of the German Philology track of the Bachelor's Degree in Philology. No previous knowledge of German is required, as it starts from an elementary level.



Its main objective is to provide students with the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills such as the ability to express themselves fluently in oral and written German, to understand the main ideas of complex texts. This should enable them to interact in everyday situations, both in understanding and communicating in German.



This course will lay the foundations for further study of aspects related to the German language, German literature, German linguistics and the history and culture of the German-speaking countries throughout the Bachelor's degree.



The course is offered along with ‘Practical German Language Comprehension and Oral and Written Expression I’, in order to establish and reinforce together basic knowledge of level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

1) Pronounce the German language correctly



2) write correctly in German, taking into account spelling rules



3) understand written texts in German at an elementary level



4) produce written texts in German at an elementary level, taking into account its main variants (German, Austrian and Swiss)



5) understand spoken German in its different variants (German, Austrian and Swiss)



6) Speak German correctly, taking into account the A1 level of the course.



7) Engage in simple conversations in German.



8) Master basic vocabulary related to the contents and situations covered in the course.



9) Know and use digital resources for the acquisition and practice of the German language.



10) Know cultural and social aspects of the German-speaking countries through the language.

Thematic content



Identifying oneself and introducing oneself to other people; languages and countries; leisure activities, hobbies; eating and shopping; daily activities, dates and times; finding one's way around the street, how to get to specific places; health and medical treatment; travel and holidays.





Grammar content



-Verb conjugation



-The definite and indefinite article



-Personal and possessive pronouns



-The formation of the plural



-Modal verbs



-The indefinite pronoun



-Prepositions of place



-Imperative



-Sentence connectors



-The demonstrative pronoun



-The simple sentence



-The simple interrogative

The methodology will have an eminently practical character, which will keep students constantly using and practising the German language.



In the classroom:



The teacher will explain concepts of the German language, corresponding to pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, while addressing aspects of the society and culture of German-speaking countries.



In order to facilitate the acquisition of the German language, exercises will be carried out so that the students have the opportunity to put into practice the contents covered, and to familiarise themselves with the use of the German language, so that they will be able to express themselves more easily in this language.



The exercises will be of different types: written and oral, comprehension and production and reading.



During the classes, the teacher will be available to answer any questions students may have.





-Conversation exercises:



During the classes, conversation exercises will be carried out, with which students will have the opportunity to become familiar with oral communication in German in a variety of everyday situations. This type of exercise will help students to acquire sufficient confidence and fluency to manage without difficulty in real communicative situations.



-Reading texts in German:



Students will be provided with texts adapted to their level, so that they can practise reading comprehension. In this way, students become accustomed to understanding and interpreting original texts in German in a natural way, while at the same time acquiring specific vocabulary on a variety of subjects.





-Regular exercises:



Since practice and use are essential in the acquisition of a foreign language, it is planned that students will have the opportunity to continue practising outside the classroom. To this end, they will have the opportunity to carry out exercises of different types related to the content dealt with in class, as well as to previous content, so that they can continue practising the grammar and vocabulary content seen in previous classes.

• Continuous Assessment System
• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 40
  • Oral defense (%): 30
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 30

MIXED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM



Given the importance of use and practice in the teaching of foreign languages, the evaluation of this subject will be carried out in two phases:



1) DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COURSE: During the classes there will be exercises (grammar / conversation), which will be corrected afterwards and evaluated (from 0 to 10 points). Given the need to attend class in order to complete the exercises, unjustified non-attendance will be considered as ‘No-show’ with regard to the completion of the corresponding exercise. It will not be possible to take the exercise at a later date.



This part of the evaluation accounts for 30% of the total final mark for the course.





2) FINAL WRITTEN EXAM: this test will assess the skills and knowledge acquired by students in the following areas: written expression, oral expression, written comprehension, oral comprehension, use of vocabulary, grammatical competence, quality and presentation.



It is compulsory to pass the written exam in order to pass the course. In order to pass this exam, a minimum mark of 5.0 is required, otherwise the exam will be failed. The grade of the written exam is equivalent to 40% of the final grade.



3) ORAL EXAM: the purpose of this test is to evaluate the students' skills in a conversation about the contents covered during the four-month period. The oral exam will be recorded, in order to have an evidence, both for its qualification and for its revision by the student, in case he/she wishes to do so.



It is compulsory to pass this test with a minimum score of 5.0 points in order to pass the course. The grade is equivalent to 30% of the final grade.





CANCELLATION



Students who wish to do so may waive the mixed evaluation system and choose the final evaluation system, in which the written and oral exams will constitute 100% of the overall grade for the course. This percentage would then be divided into: written exam (70%), oral exam (30%). In order to take advantage of the final assessment system, students will have to follow the official procedure.



In this case, the written exam would consist of two parts: a back translation on the one hand, and an essay on the other. Both parts must be passed separately with a minimum mark of 5.0 points in each, otherwise the average mark will not be extracted and the exam will be considered failed.



Important:



-Formal presentation and cleanliness must be taken care of. Neglecting this aspect may lead to a lowering of the mark.



-Good handwriting is essential. If the teacher cannot read what the student has written, he/she will consider it to be wrong.



-Each grammatical or vocabulary error will be deducted 0.25 points. Groups of words, complete sentences or omissions in translation can be deducted between 0.5 and 1 point each time.



-Errors in punctuation marks will be deducted between 0.25 and 1 point.



-In the case of irregularities during the development of any assessment test, the PROTOCOL ON ACADEMIC ETHICS AND PREVENTION OF DISHONEST OR FRAUDULENT PRACTICES IN ASSESSMENT TESTS AND ACADEMIC WORK AT THE UPV/EHU will apply, which students are obliged to be aware of.



The use of electronic devices is not permitted during classes and exams. The only device that may be used during classes will be the classroom computer, when indicated by the teacher. The use of electronic devices during the exam will lead to the immediate suspension of the exam, which will be graded with a mark of 0 points.

Following cases are considered:



1) Students who, having opted for the mixed assessment, have failed only the written or oral exam: they will have to repeat the written or oral exam, which will have the same percentage as in the Ordinary Examination. The marks of the continuous assessment will be kept, as well as the passed part of the exam.



2) Students who, having opted for the mixed assessment, have failed only the continuous assessment: they will have to take an essay in German, which will constitute 40% of the overall mark. This test must be passed with a minimum of 5.0 points.



3) Students who, having opted for the final assessment according to the current regulations, have failed the exam in the Ordinary Examination: They will have to retake a reverse translation and an essay in German, and must pass both parts separately, with a minimum mark of 5.0 points in each. If you have failed the oral exam in the Ordinary Examination, you will have to repeat it in the Extraordinary Examination. The percentage of the mark for the written exam will be 70%, and 30% for the oral exam.





Important:



-Care must be taken with formal presentation and cleanliness. Carelessness may lead to a lowering of the mark.



-Good handwriting is essential. If the teacher cannot read what the student has written, he/she will consider it to be wrong.



-Each grammatical or vocabulary error will be deducted 0.25 points. Groups of words, complete sentences or omissions in translation can be deducted between 0.5 and 1 point each time.



-Errors in punctuation marks will be deducted between 0.25 and 1 point.



-In the case of irregularities during the development of any assessment test, the PROTOCOL ON ACADEMIC ETHICS AND PREVENTION OF DISHONEST OR FRAUDULENT PRACTICES IN ASSESSMENT TESTS AND ACADEMIC WORK AT THE UPV/EHU will apply, which students are obliged to be aware of.



The use of electronic devices is not permitted during classes and exams. The only device that may be used during classes will be the classroom computer, when indicated by the teacher. The use of electronic devices during the exam will lead to the immediate suspension of the exam, which will be graded with a mark of 0 points.

-Krenn, Wilfried / Puchta, Herbert (2015), Motive Kompaktkurs DaF A1. Lektion 1-8. München: Hueber Verlag.
-Otros materiales establecidos por el docente.

Basic bibliography

-Langenscheidt. Diccionario moderno español-alemán / alemán-español. Berlín/Múnich: Langenscheidt, 2005.

-Schmidhofer, Astrid (2014), Alles Klar? Dificultades de alemán para hispanohablantes. Barcelona: Pons.

In-depth bibliography

-Castell, Andreu (2011), Gramática de la lengua alemana. Explicaciones y ejemplos. Madrid: Editorial Idiomas.

Web addresses

DaF Kompakt neu: Online-Extras
https://www.klett-sprachen.de/daf-kompakt-neu/r-1/474#reiter=titel&niveau=A1

Pons Online-Wörterbuch DE-ES
http://de.pons.com/%C3%BCbersetzung?l=dees

Canoonet - Deutsche Wörterbücher und Grammatik
http://www.canoo.net

LearningApps
https://learningapps.org/

Tandem
http://www.seagull-tandem.eu/

Online-Aufgaben Schubert Verlag
http://www.aufgaben.schubert-verlag.de/arbeitsblaetter_a1_z/a1_arbeitsblaetter_index_z.htm

Deutsch lernen, üben, testen & trainieren
http://www.allgemeinbildung.ch/fach=deu/=deu.htm

German courses for beginners:

Harry, gefangen in der Zeit
http://www.dw.com/es/aprender-alem%C3%A1n/ofertas-de-aprendizaje-para-el-nivel-a1/s-100198


DW Course
http://deutschkurse.dw.com/KursPlattform/WebObjects/KursPlattform.woa/wa/UAAuthDA/auth?par=G5n9lnSPUIqm93qsNXWNH45V0


Radio DW
http://www.dw.com/es/aprender-alem%C3%A1n/ofertas-de-aprendizaje-para-el-nivel-a1/s-100198

Erste Schritte in Deutschland
http://www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/wnd/deu/mse/deindex.htm?wt_sc=mwnd_miniserie

Deutschlandlabor
https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/ueb/dlb.html

Easy German – Learning German from the Streets
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3936178A38BB5F87

Other:

Quizzlet
www.quizzlet.com

Goethe Vokabeltrainer
https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/ueb/vok.html

Phase 6 for DaF Kompakt Neu A2 (not free of charge)
https://www.klett-sprachen.de/daf-kompakt-neu/r-1/474#reiter=mediathek&dl_niveau_str=A1&dl_kategorie=16



Study in Germany:
www.study-in.de
www.daad.es