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2023/2024

Second Foreign Language IV, German

Code: 104619 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2502904 Hotel Management OT 4 2

Contact

Name:
Robert Fritsche
Email:
robert.fritsche@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

To check the language/s of instruction, you must click on "Methodolody" section of the course guide.

Teachers

Eva Maria Auracher

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.


Objectives and Contextualisation

Content objectives

Students acquire the language content described in section "content" of this document. They also develop communicative competences in oral and written interaction, being able to do the following at the end of the course.

  1. Use a range of subordinate conjunctions at level A2/B1.1 in communicative situations.
  2. Distinguish between and use complex verb forms (A2/B1.1), such as the passive voice, the pluperfect, and the past conditional (Konjunktiv II).
  3. Use prepositions of time and place at a more advanced level.
  4. Recognise and use double connectors, such as entweder... oder.
  5. Decline attributive adjectives.
  6. Deal with clients in a tourism context, such as the reception, restaurant, or tourist office (speaking and listening).
  7. Read and write formal texts related to tourism.

Skills objectives

At the end of the course students should have achieved the following.

  1. Begin to develop a degree of accuracy (in grammar, pronunciation, use of vocabulary, register, etc.) and fluency (speed of production, ability to express ideas and construct discourse), in both speaking and writing, corresponding to level A2+/B1.1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
  2. Make further progress in applying strategies and skills to understand real texts related to tourism.
  3. Make further progress in applying strategies to continue learning independently outside the classroom.
  4. Make further progress in using the reference materials needed in language learning, such as those found online.

Competences

  • Be able to self-evaluate knowledge acquired.
  • Communicate orally and in writing in a first, second and third foreign language in the areas of the hotel and catering industry and also in the different areas related to them.
  • Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  • Manage and organise time.
  • Manage communication techniques at all levels.
  • Manage techniques of internal and corporate communication in hotel and catering companies.
  • Work in teams.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Be able to self-evaluate knowledge acquired.
  2. Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  3. Identify the correct vocabulary and grammatical form to apply in the tourist sector in a first, second and third foreign language.
  4. Manage and organise time.
  5. Manage communication techniques at all levels.
  6. Produce discourses appropriate for different functions, means, activities and situations in the area of work.
  7. Use idiomatic peculiarities required in the tourist sector at intermediate and advanced level in a first, second and third foreign language.
  8. Use internet resources for tourism in a first, second and third foreign language.
  9. Work in teams.

Content

The objectives listed in Section 3 are constantly combined together in the learning process, in keeping with the interconnected nature of language learning. The language content is sub-divided below into functions, grammar, lexis, and phonetics and prosody.

Language functions

The following list includes both general language functions and functions specific to the tourism field.

a)     Socialising function

  • Use common formulaic expressions of courtesy (to show concern for someone, to offer to do something, etc.).
  • Apologise and give explanations.
  • Use standard opening and closing formulae in emails and formal letters.

b)    Informational function

  • Identify and describe people and jobs. Ask for and give information about someone's personality, education and professional competences.
  • Ask for and give information about places (immediate surroundings, tourist destinations, heritage sites).
  • Ask for and give information on tourist services.
  • Ask for and give information about past and future activities or events, whether in everyday life or in the field of tourism.
  • Establish the timeframe for an event: when it will begin, how long it will take or has taken, how often it takes place, etc.
  • Ask for and give information about someone's physical state (tired, sleepy, thirsty, etc.) and mood (sad, cheerful, scared, etc.).
  • Make hypotheses based on known facts or suppositions and express doubts about something being possible.

c)    Expressive function (feelings and moods)

  • Express feelings of worry, surprise, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, etc.
  • Express hope or longing for something.
  • Show a liking or dislike for someone.

d)    Evaluating function

  • Express likes and preferences.
  • Show interest or indifference towards someone or towards an idea.
  • Make comparisons and choices based on given criteria.
  • Express a supposition.

e)    Inductive function

  • Advise or instruct someone to do something. Agree or refuse to do something.
  • Ask someone what he/she intends to do.
  • Express willingness, obligation, need or a wish to do something. Ask about the motive and purpose of an action.
  • Reassure someone.
  • Ask for and give advice.

f)     Metalinguistic function

  • Ask someone to repeat what he/she has said or what someone else has said.
  • Make and answer queries about the meaning of a word or expression, using examples or paraphrasing where necessary.
  • Interrupt someone and take one's turn in a conversation.

Grammar

Students must be able to recognise and appropriately use the following grammatical structures

The clause

- Coordination and subordination.

- Subordinate clauses: temporal clauses (als), causal clauses (weil), conditional clauses, relative clauses, clauses with dass, so... dass, obwohl, bevor, nachdem, bis, , final clauses.

- Order of the components of the clause: Satzklammer, Mittelfeld.

- Coordinate clauses.

Determiners

- Declension of the definite articles: genitive.

- Declension of the negative articles: genitive.

- Declension of the indefinite articles: genitive.

- Declension of the possessive articles: genitive.

Pronouns

- Indefinite: eines, eines, einer; jedes, jedes, jeder.

- Demonstrative: des, des, der; dieses, dieses, dieser.

- Interrogative: welches, welches, welcher, welcher; wessen.

- Possessive in the genitive case: meines, deines, seines, seiner...

Adjective

- Adjective declension: nominative, accusative, dative, genitive.

- Participle functioning as an adjective: geräucherter Schinken.

Verb

- Verb forms: pluperfect tense, passive voice, past conditional (Konjunktiv II), imperfect tense.

- Reflexive verbs: sich ärgern, sich freuen, sich waschen...

- Verbs with a prepositional object: sich freuen auf, sich ärgern über...

- Modal verbs: sollen, müssen, dürfen, können, wollen...

Adverbs

 Dennoch, trotzdem

 The pronominal adverbs: darüber, damit, daran...

Prepositions

- Prepositions of time: in, um, an, bis, von, bei, nach, vor, von... ab.

- Prepositions of direction: in, an, auf, nach, zu, bei, von, aus, an.... entlang.

- Prepositions that take the genitive: trotz, (an)statt, wegen...

Conjunctions

- So... dass, als, bis, obwohl, bevor, nachdem.

Double connectors: entweder... oder, sowohl.... als auch.

Verb forms

Pastperfect, passive voice, past conditional (Konjunktiv II).

Vocabulary

Students must be able to recognise, name, recall, explain and choose the appropriate term and use it in the communicative situation where it is required. They must also know how to use a dictionary correctly and be able to establish semantic relationships between the different categories. The vocabulary content falls mainly into the following areas:

  1. Reserving and asking for a table, asking for the bill. Making a complaint (restaurants, hotels).
  2. Planning tourism programmes: tourist information.
  3. Describing accommodation: location, appliances and facilities, surroundings.
  4. Job profiles in tourism: travel agent, receptionist, advisor in a tourist office, guide, customer service, entertainment.
  5. Profiles of customers and travellers.
  6. Specific job profiles and tasks: reception, information, organisation, etc. in hotels, campsites, tourist offices, transport companies, etc.
  7. Feelings.

Phonetics and prosody

Students must recognise and appropriately use the prosodic features (intonation, rhythm, etc.) of the language. They must also recognise and appropriately use the basic sounds and sound symbols of German, as specified below.

1. Sentence stress.

2. Consonant liaison.

3. Stress in compound words.

4. Syllable separation.

5. Sentence intonation.


Methodology

Students are encouraged to use the language actively in class and when practising outside the classroom, to carry out communication tasks similar to those we engage in in real life, in a wide range of situations. To this end, class activities are designed to maximise students' participation and help them take responsibility for their own learning.

The methodology is highly interactive. The students put  all their knowledge of the language into practice in order to accomplish a set of oral and written tasks, both of a general nature and specifically related to tourism. In other words, the emphasis is placed on the learning process rather than on theoretical input from the teachers.

(1) Teaching language: German

(2) Teacher-directed activities include problem solving, exercises, writing tasks and case studies.

(3) Online tutorials comprise not only email exchanges between teachers and students but also the compulsory viewing of the assessment documents that the teachers post in a virtual environment throughout the semester.

(4) Self-directed study involves learning the theory corresponding to the subject plus the (teacher-directed) practical work on problem solving, exercises, case studies and projects (information search, writing, presentation to an audience).

(5) Gender perspective. In this subject:

− Classes include a gender perspective to promote equality between women and men and avoid producing gender stereotypes.

− Strategies to promote the participation of women in the classroom are used and they promote equal gender relations.

− Knowledge of the social and cultural differences between men and women and gender inequalities in the structure of society and in cultural production is offered.

− Knowledge is also offered on sexual and emotional diversity, gender identity and expression, knowledge and reflection on feminist thought and movements, the history of movements for womern’s rights, itsevolution and critical repercussions in society, culture and philosophical and scientific thought, and the knowledge of the values of gender equality in professional practices.

− Non-sexist and non-androcentric language is used in written, visual and audiovisual documents and other class materials. Since this is a langauge class specific resources are also provided in the language being studied for non-sexist language and critical reflection is encouraged on non-sexist language and its uses.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classroom-based 56.5 2.26 3
Non-classroom based 56 2.24 3
Type: Supervised      
On line 5 0.2 1
Tutorials classroom-based 3 0.12 1
Type: Autonomous      
Activities 10 0.4 3
Theory 10 0.4 3

Assessment

Continuous assessment

Students must have attended at least 80% of their classes in order to be included in the continuous assessment process.

Continuous assessment activities

Writing tasks. Between two and five writing tasks are performed. Students may be asked to rewrite their texts to improve on the first version.

Portfolio. The portfolio contains between six and eight tasks, covering the four language skills. These may be done at home or in class. The following are examples of these tasks.

Reading worksheets

Transformation exercises

Mini-tests

Self-assessment sheets

Information search

Production of documents

The days allocated to mid-course exams can be used to work on portfolio activities, such as the listening and reading mini-tests.

Speaking activities. Over the year, between one and two speaking activities will be conducted. These may be individual or group activities, and may take place in the classroom or be recorded and sent in. Depending on the level and the number of students in the class, they could be monologues, dialogues, presentations, etc.

Mid-course tests. One or more mid-course tests are held on the days set aside for this purpose, consisting of a writing test (one or two tasks) and/or a speaking test. These tests are in the same format as the final exam.

Attitude and participation. Students' degree of effort, attitude, and participation are assessed.

Final continuous assessment test. This is a test of writing and speaking. The final continuous assessment test takes place on the same day and time as the final exam.

To pass the course an overall mark of 60% must be obtained. (Activities plusfinal test).

Single-assessment option   

The single assessment to pass the course is based on the completion of a final exam. This final exam consists of two parts: writing and speaking. The exam is on the same day as the final continuous assessment test. 

The writing part consists of a test of written expression and a test of use of language.

To pass the final exam, and therefore the course itself, the following is required: 

a minimum mark of 50% must be obtained in each skill (each part of the exam). 

An overall average grade of 60% is required. 

Students who have failed are entitled to a reassessment. 

Exam resits

Students with an average grade between 3.5 and 4.999 in the final exam or in the final continuous assessment test are entitled to a resit.

The resit consists of repeating the parts of the exam in which the student has obtained a grade below 60%, which is the minimum overall pass grade.

Changing the exam date

Students who cannot take the exam on the set dates due to health, work (trips or other similar obligations) or on compassionate grounds may ask their teacher for a change of date, supplying any necessary documents, and giving notice of at least seven calendar days, except in extreme cases such as accidents. If the request is accepted, the exams must still be taken within the period set by the School of Tourism and Hotel Management.

Further points regarding assessment

No level certificates of any kind are issued.

Students registered on Alemany IV wishing to sit the B1 certification exam can do so. 

To pass, an overall mark of 60% must be obtained.


Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Attitude and participation 10% 0 0 7, 6, 4, 3, 9, 8
Final exam 40% 1.5 0.06 7, 6, 4, 3, 8
Mid-course tests 10% 1 0.04 7, 6, 4, 3, 8
Portfolio 20% 5 0.2 7, 2, 6, 5, 4, 3, 1, 9, 8
Speaking activities 5% 0.5 0.02 7, 6, 4, 3, 9, 8
Writing tasks 15% 1.5 0.06 7, 6, 3, 8

Bibliography

Classbooks German - Tourism

Menschen im Beruf, A2, Editorial Hueber

Im Beruf, Neu, A2+/B1, Kursbuch, Editorial Hueber

Im Beruf, Neu, A2+/B1, Arbeitsbuch, Editorial Hueber

Im Beruf, Neu, Fachwortschatztrainer Küche und Restaurant, Editorial Hueber

Grammar

Level A1 – B1

Andreu Castell, Brigitte Braucek: Gramàtica bàsica de la llengua alemanya – con exercicis, Editorial Idiomas - Hueber

Level A1 – C2

Brigitte Corcoll, Roberto Corcoll: Programm – Gramática A1-C2. Alemán para hispanohablantes -  Herder

Brigitte Corcoll, Roberto Corcoll: Programm – Ejercicios A1-C2. Alemán para hispanohablantes -  Herder

Andreu Castell: Gramática Lengua Alemana – explicaciones -  Editorial Idiomas – Hueber

Andreu Castell, Brigitte Braucek: Gramática Lengua Alemana – ejercicios, Editorial Idiomas - Hueber

On line

Networked multimedia materials for learning.

Websites recommended by the teachers.

Dictionary

Langenscheidts Universalwörterbuch: Diccionario Moderno Alemán Spanisch-Deutsch/Deutsch-Spanisch – Langenscheidt

Langenscheidts Universalwörterbuch: Katalanisch: Katalanisch-Deutsch / Deutsch-Katalanisch - Langenscheidt


Software

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