German 4 (Level 4)

Course Overview

Please note that each weekly session will be two and a half hours in length and run from 6pm to 8.30pm (please disregard any other timings on this page).

This German 4 (Level 4) short course will help you to attain a level of proficiency in your German language skills and leads to CEFR C1 (Advanced)/post-A-level*. You will be able to express a wide range of ideas on complex topics in both written and spoken German. The course focuses on areas of grammar that allow for nuanced modes of expression and those which pose a particular difficulty for learners of German. Particular emphasis is placed on text comprehension, essay writing and oral skills.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• understand extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and not signalled explicitly
• understand television programmes and films without too much effort
• understand long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions of style
• understand specialised articles and longer technical instructions, even when they do not relate to your field
• express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions
• use language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes
• formulate ideas and opinions with precision and relate your contribution skilfully to those of other speakers
• present clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects integrating sub-themes, developing particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion
• express yourself in clear, well-structured text, expressing points of view at some length
• write about complex subjects in a letter, an essay or a report, underlining what you consider to be the salient issues
• select style appropriate to the reader in mind.

Assessment consists of continuous (20%), listening in-class (20%), written in-class (35%) and oral in-class assessment (20%) and class participation (5%).

As a student on this course, you will study alongside Birkbeck students enrolled on one of our undergraduate or postgraduate courses, giving you the opportunity to network with a range of Birkbeck current students whilst you learn.

This short course runs with classes over three terms every year starting in October.

* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Please note: this is only an approximate equivalence.

This can be taken as a standalone short course or as part of:

• Culture and Language (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese) (Certificate of Higher Education)

Credits: 30 credits