BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
1) Disciplinary goals (official course taught by the Prof. Dorothee Heller)
Acquire knowledge related to the characteristics of legal-political and academic discourse and the recontextualization of specialized concepts in popularization texts. At the end of the module, the student is able to analyze and compare written/oral productions in the German language with regard to dissemination strategies and techniques as well as the presence of elements relevant to specialized knowledge.
The analysis is conducted from a comparative perspective, including comparison German/Italian. Improved skills in interpreting facets of modal expressions, useful for future job placement.
2) Instrumental goals (exercises/AAL)
By the end of the course, students will also have deepened and improved their competence in the four communicative skills of the European Framework of Reference at level C1 (writing and oral production), at level C1+ (comprehension of oral and written texts), as well as their skills in comparing and translating languages. To reach this goal, it is essential (although not formally compulsory) to attend the dedicated language learning activities (AAL).
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of German Language equal to level B2+ of the European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Teaching Methods
1) With regard to disciplinary skills (official course taught by Prof. Dorothee Heller):
Lectures in German and group work.
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 examination on the topics of the course. Passing the written test of language proficiency is a necessary condition to access the oral examination.
LMCCI students can take the written tests and oral examination not earlier than the end of the 2nd semester of the year in which they have accrued attendance.
(1) Disciplinary knowledge (official course content).
The examination consists of an oral interview conducted in German in which the professor also assesses oral communicative competence at the level indicated in the course objectives.
For the oral exam, students must present a linguistic analysis similar to those taken in the course, on independently retrieved German language material, and must be able to answer 3 questions on the course topics.
(2) The written test on language proficiency consists of:
a) a written production;
b) curriculum cooperazione interculturale: Italian-German translation of a text (economic discourse); curriculum comunicazione internazionale: German-Italian translation (business comunication)
The results of these written tests will be published on the official course Moodle page and will remain valid for 18 months.
Assessment and evaluation criteria are the same for both attending and non-attending students.
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 Prof. Dorothee Heller)
a) Introduction to legal discourse; analysis of parallel texts, regarding the use of modality and other linguistic elements aimed at conveying the interplay between precision and vagueness. Linguistic techniques and strategies for the dissemination of legal concepts and terms at the interface of legal and political discourse; comparative analyses between normative and popularized texts.
b) Introduction to academic discourse in German and the main genres (especially abstract, review, scientific article); analysis of parallel texts with focus on writing conventions, the concept of "alltägliche Wissenschaftssprache" and its characteristics, as well as particularly frequent metaphorical concepts and pragmatic features (such as linguistic actions and deictic expressions). Interlinguistic and comparative (German/Italian) analysis of selected texts and genres.
2) Instrumental content (exercises/AAL)
The contents of the exercises (AAL) for levels C1/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 official course and additional information useful for exam preparation are uploaded to the moodle platform.
For AAL see the sections in moodle.
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.