Content

This unit is an introduction to the German language, specifically for Theological and Biblical studies or for other academic purposes. The focus is therefore on reading comprehension and translation, familiarising students with German vocabulary, morphology and syntax. Students apply these skills in the translation of select (and initially simplified) passages.

Unit code: AL8031Y

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Languages

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

1.

translate German sentences and theological/academic text passages of moderate difficulty

2.

correctly answer comprehension questions on German theological/academic texts that have been studied, as well as on simpler unseen German texts

3.

demonstrate an understanding of German morphology by parsing German nouns, pronouns and verbs

4.

exhibit a working knowledge of German vocabulary, in particular of theological and exegetical terminology

5.

use German dictionaries effectively.

Unit sequence

Pre-requisites: nil Co-requisites: nil

Pedagogy

Each week focusses on one grammar topic through explicit teaching, individual exercises and exercises in pairs or small groups. Students will be exposed to (simplified) texts early on. Assessment is designed to test as well as to stimulate learning. Students taking the unit online participate in the class via appropriate technology. All students access online material in between classes.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Coles, Waltraud and Bill Dodd. Reading German: A Course Book and Reference Grammar. Oxford: OUP, 1997.
  • Collins German Dictionary. Edited by Susie Beattie. 9th ed. Glasgow: HarperCollins, 2019.
  • Mosse, Walter M. A Theological German Vocabulary: German Theological Key Words Illustrated in Quotations from Martin Luther's Bible and The Revised Standard Version. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2006.
  • * Oxford-Duden German Dictionary: German-English, English-German*. Edited by the Dudenredaktion and the German Section of the Oxford University Press Dictionary Department. Third edition. Oxford: OUP, 2005.
  • Siliakus, M. A. 500 German Theological Terms and Their Translations Together with 500 Useful Phrases. Adelaide, 1971.
  • Wilson, April. German Quickly: A Grammar for Reading German. Rev. ed. New York, NY: Peter Lang, 2007. (Recommended for purchase)
  • Ziefle, Helmut W. Modern Theological German: A Reader and Dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1997. ________.Dictionary of Modern Theological German. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1991.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Short Answer Tests 2000 30.0
Skill Demonstration 1000 20.0
Written Examination

3-hour Written examination OR Written examination under timed conditions conducted online

3000 50.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 8 Sep, 2020

Unit record last updated: 2021-06-07 08:43:51 +1000