Course detail
German in Engineering
FSI-GNS Acad. year: 2020/2021 Winter semester
The course is focused on characteristic features of professional communication. It provides students with relevant professional language skills and develops their communication skills. It concentrates on reading strategies using technical texts. The aim is for students to master comprehension of technical texts and to produce a summary or a short presentation in both written and spoken form.
Language of instruction
German
Number of ECTS credits
6
Supervisor
Department
Learning outcomes of the course unit
The course is intended to deepen students’ language skills necessary for professional communication using relevant vocabulary. It will familiarise the students with professional terminology and enable them to understand professional technical texts and produce a summary or a short presentation.
Prerequisites
Language knowledge at least at the level B2 CEFR; the course is intended to teach German as a foreign language for specific purposes.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Language instruction as an extension of basic professional curriculum.
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes
Course-unit credit is awarded on condition of having attended the seminars actively, worked out assigned tasks and passed a credit test.
The written examination at the level B2/C1 tests the knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and technical terminology as well as reading and listening comprehension of professional language.
Aims
The aim of the course is to acquaint students with language skills used in professional communication (reading, listening, speaking, writing) and to provide them with professional terminology and specific structures of professional language.
Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences
Attendance at seminars is compulsory and is systematically checked by the teacher. Students are allowed to miss two seminars. Absence may be in justified cases compensated for with the consent of the teacher.
The study programmes with the given course
Programme M2V-P: Production Systems, Master's
branch M-VSY: Production Systems, compulsory-optional
Type of course unit
Language exercise
26 hours, compulsory
Syllabus
1. Formulas, Equations, Definitions. Verbalising numerical expressions.
2. Describing graphs, charts and trends.
3. Oral presentations: key words and phrases for introduction, main parts and conclusion.
4. Oral presentations: content, language, visual aids, question time. Learning / Teaching vocabulary.
5. Description of Functions – Machines, Tools and Implements.
6. Description of Processes. Giving students´ individual presentations I.
7. Description of Material Properties. Giving students´ individual presentations II.
8. Methods of Argumentation. Giving students´ individual presentations III.
9. Explanation and Reasoning. Giving students´ individual presentations IV.
10. Inquiries and Objections. Presentation of Independent Project I.
11. Comparing. Presentation of Independent Project II.
12. Summary, Discussion. Presentation of Independent Project III.
13. Assessment – positive and negative. Presentation of Independent Project IV.