BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
1) Disciplinary goals (official course taught by the lecturer)
Acquisition of analytical skills regarding oral German language and feigned orality, with particular reference to the syntactic structures typical of some discourse genres of spoken communication. The analysis is also conducted from a contrastive perspective (German/Italian). Improvement of listening comprehension skills, useful for the final exam and for future professional placement.
2) Instrumental goals (exercises/AAL)
At the end of the course, students will also have acquired, deepened and improved their instrumental competence in the four communicative skills at B2+ CEFR level (oral production, written production) and at C1 CEFR level (comprehension of oral and written texts) with regard to the German language, as well as their skills in comparing and translating languages (Italian–German). To reach this goal, it is essential (although not formally compulsory) to attend the dedicated language learning activities (AAL).
Course Prerequisites
German language knowledge of level B2 of the European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Pre-requisites: Students enrolled in the Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures degree programme (Corso di Studio in Lingue e Letterature Straniere Moderne) must pass the exam of German Language II - Linguistics and Translation (Lingua tedesca II - Linguistica e traduzione) before they can take this exam.
Teaching Methods
1) With regard to disciplinary skills (official course taught by the lecturer):
Frontal lessons in German. There will also be moments of seminar activities that include the active participation of students. The course includes the use of multimedia presentations, audio-visual material and written texts that reproduce orality.
2) With regard to instrumental skills (exercises/AAL):
Students will also have access to the language practice activities planned for their level of competence, as well as to the tutoring activities planned during the year. For further information, please consult the section of the website dedicated to the University Language Centre (Centro Linguistico dell’Ateneo) and select German – LLCS (https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/tedesco/tedesco-llcs).
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of a written test in which the language skills are tested and an oral exam on the topics of the course. Passing the written test of language proficiency is a necessary condition to access the oral test on the subject of the course.
The written test on language skills consists of:
a) a test with focus on grammar and vocabulary;
b) a written production;
c) an Italian-German translation.
All three partial tests must be taken at the first appeal chosen. The results of this written test will be published on the official course Moodle page and will remain valid for 18 months.
The oral exam on the subject of the course is based on an analysis of transcripts and on testing the knowledge of the basic principles for the analysis of spoken German.
Assessment and evaluation criteria are the same for both attending and non-attending students.
The final exam grade is mostly calculated based on the assessment of the content of the official course. Regarding the assessment of the achievement of language proficiency at the expected level (see educational objectives) s. see the assessment criteria specified below. Specific training activities (AAL) for the preparation of this competence are offered at the language centre (CCL).
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
The assessment will consider the level of knowledge and skills acquired during the course, particularly linguistic correctness (lexical, morphosyntactic, pragmatic, and phonological aspects), terminological accuracy, adequacy relative to the tasks, mastery of linguistic analysis tools and reflection.
The written test accounts for one-third of the final grade (33.3%), while the oral exam accounts for two-thirds (66.6%).
Grading scale (out of 30):
Excellent (30 e lode): complete skills applied with precision and autonomy; no errors.
Very Good (27–30): strong skills applied correctly; minor and non-recurring errors.
Good (24–26): adequate skills with some inaccuracies; errors are neither serious nor systematic.
Sufficient (18–23): basic skills with obvious errors but sufficient comprehension.
Insufficient (<18): incomplete skills with numerous errors that compromise performance.
Contents
1) Disciplinary content (official course taught by the lecturer)
Introduction to the analysis of spoken German (aspects of phonetics, morphology and syntax), also in a comparative perspective with Italian. Introduction to the use of oral data transcription conventions and analysis of written texts that reproduce or evoke the illusion of spoken German.
2) Instrumental content (exercises/AAL)
The contents of the exercises (AAL) for levels B2+/C1 of the CEFR are listed in the section of the website dedicated to the University Language Centre (Centro Linguistico dell’Ateneo). Please select German – LLCS (https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/tedesco/tedesco-llcs).
Online Resources
More information
All materials used in the course as well as any additional guidance useful for exam preparation are uploaded to the course e-learning page on the Moodle platform.
EXAM TEXTS
The list of exam texts for the official course is definitive and contains the titles that must be studied in order to prepare for the exam.
The list is available online (under Online resources – Leganto – Exam texts), by the end of September 2025 at the latest.