German Ii
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide language skills at C2 level, to improve skills in the field of mediation and to develop metalinguistic reflection also through contrastive analysis applied to specialized texts (legal language and business language).
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Produce written and oral texts on political, economic and current topics;
- Translate texts of levels C1 and C2 (law and economics);
- Paraphrase and summarize texts of levels C1 and C2 (law and economics);
- Define the main features of legal language;
- Define the main features of business language;
- Describe the concept of metaphor;
- Identify metaphors and their function in specialized texts;
- Work in groups and present the results of the analysis orally.
- Produce written and oral texts on political, economic and current topics;
- Translate texts of levels C1 and C2 (law and economics);
- Paraphrase and summarize texts of levels C1 and C2 (law and economics);
- Define the main features of legal language;
- Define the main features of business language;
- Describe the concept of metaphor;
- Identify metaphors and their function in specialized texts;
- Work in groups and present the results of the analysis orally.
Lesson period: year
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Course syllabus
Unit 1 - Business German (Stefan Andressohn)
The course provides an overview of the characteristics of business German as a specialised language in its various written and oral forms.
Unit 2 - Political Language (Eugenio Verra)
The aim of the course is to provide students with an overview of the tools for analysing and interpreting German political language, also from a contrastive perspective with Italian. After a general introduction on the use of language in public and political contexts, the course will focus on the theoretical approach of Germanist political linguistics and will consider first the lexical level, then the text level and finally the broader discourse level. Some software and online platforms for the analysis of political language corpora (such as Sketch Engine) will also be introduced.
Unit 3 - Language and inclusion from a German - Italian contrastive perspective
The module focuses on language and inclusion, investigating in particular the reflections on the grammar of German and the grammar of Italian. In particular, the relationship between language and gender is focused on through the theoretical and practical analysis of gender-sensitive language and the relationship between language and disability through the analysis of new language varieties (including "Leichte Sprache" / "easy language").
The course provides an overview of the characteristics of business German as a specialised language in its various written and oral forms.
Unit 2 - Political Language (Eugenio Verra)
The aim of the course is to provide students with an overview of the tools for analysing and interpreting German political language, also from a contrastive perspective with Italian. After a general introduction on the use of language in public and political contexts, the course will focus on the theoretical approach of Germanist political linguistics and will consider first the lexical level, then the text level and finally the broader discourse level. Some software and online platforms for the analysis of political language corpora (such as Sketch Engine) will also be introduced.
Unit 3 - Language and inclusion from a German - Italian contrastive perspective
The module focuses on language and inclusion, investigating in particular the reflections on the grammar of German and the grammar of Italian. In particular, the relationship between language and gender is focused on through the theoretical and practical analysis of gender-sensitive language and the relationship between language and disability through the analysis of new language varieties (including "Leichte Sprache" / "easy language").
Prerequisites for admission
Very good competence in written and spoken German (level C2).
Excellent proficiency in written and spoken Italian (level C2).
Very good competence in German linguistics
Excellent proficiency in written and spoken Italian (level C2).
Very good competence in German linguistics
Teaching methods
Lectures with the use of multimedia supports
Teaching Resources
Unità 1 - Tedesco economico (Stefan Andressohn)
- Slides and materials published on the Ariel portal
Unità 2 - Linguaggio politico (Eugenio Verra)
- Slides published on the Ariel portal.
- For further study:
Niehr, T. Einführung in die Politolinguistik; Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: Göttingen, 2014.
Schröter, M.; Carius, B. Vom politischen Gebrauch der Sprache: Wort, Text, Diskurs: eine Einführung; Peter Lang: Frankfurt am Main, 2009.
Further bibliographical information will be provided during the first lesson.
Unità 3 - Linguaggio e inclusione
Crestani, V. (2022): Die periphere Übersetzung: Audiovisuell und Leicht. Franco Angeli (chapter 4 and chapter 5).
- Slides published on the Ariel portal.
- Slides and materials published on the Ariel portal
Unità 2 - Linguaggio politico (Eugenio Verra)
- Slides published on the Ariel portal.
- For further study:
Niehr, T. Einführung in die Politolinguistik; Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: Göttingen, 2014.
Schröter, M.; Carius, B. Vom politischen Gebrauch der Sprache: Wort, Text, Diskurs: eine Einführung; Peter Lang: Frankfurt am Main, 2009.
Further bibliographical information will be provided during the first lesson.
Unità 3 - Linguaggio e inclusione
Crestani, V. (2022): Die periphere Übersetzung: Audiovisuell und Leicht. Franco Angeli (chapter 4 and chapter 5).
- Slides published on the Ariel portal.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attending students: an oral presentation is required during each module.
Students may choose between two options for assessment:
In-progress test: at the end of each module, students may take an in-progress test, which consists of the writing of a German-language term paper (10-15 pages, excluding bibliography). The paper must be handed in at the end of the module (deadline at the teacher's discretion). Those who opt for this method and obtain a mark of at least 18/30 for each paper are exempt from the official examination for the modules in which they took the paper.
Official examination: students must prepare a paper in German for each module, to be handed in at least 10 days before the official examination.
Examination methods for 'EXERCITATIONS': in-progress tests at the end of each semester or examination during official calls.
'EXERCITATIONS": the in itinere tests take place at the end of each semester and comprise a written part and an oral part.
First semester:
Written production of an 'Erörterung' of at least approx. 170-250 words on topics covered in the classroom. Approximate duration: 55 minutes.
Oral examination in groups: Small group discussion on a topic (of general interest) with the aim of comparing, giving pros and cons and finally finding a compromise. Indicative duration: approx. 15 minutes.
Second semester:
Written production of a 'Kommentar' of at least approx. 170-250 words on topics discussed in the classroom. Approximate duration: 55 minutes.
Oral examination: 'Kurzvortrag' (on a topic of general interest) with the aim of convincing and feedback (covered in the classroom). Indicative duration: approx. 5-10 minutes.
Those who pass the two in-progress examinations (result of at least 18/30 for the average of the oral and written marks in both the first and second examinations) do not have to take the official 'EXERCITATIONS' examination.
'EXERCISES": the official examinations take place in May 2025, September 2025 and January 2026 and comprise a written part and an oral part.
Written examination with the following types of questions:
Written production of a 'Kommentar' of approximately 170-250 words and an 'Erörterung' (with reference text on topics of general interest) of approximately 170-250 words. Indicative duration of the written test: 120 minutes.
Oral examination: discussion in small groups on a topic (of general interest) with the aim of comparing, giving pros and cons and finally finding a compromise. Indicative duration of the oral test: approx. 20 minutes
Assessment parameters
- written papers ('German Linguistics'): knowledge of specialist terminology; ability to actively use theoretical knowledge.
- intermediate written tests ('Exercises') / written examination ('Exercises'): ability to produce written texts of an argumentative nature.
- intermediate oral tests ('Exercises') / oral examination ('Exercises'): ability to interact and express oneself on general and specialist topics.
The final mark is made up as follows: average of the various partial marks (Exercises + German Linguistics).
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Students may choose between two options for assessment:
In-progress test: at the end of each module, students may take an in-progress test, which consists of the writing of a German-language term paper (10-15 pages, excluding bibliography). The paper must be handed in at the end of the module (deadline at the teacher's discretion). Those who opt for this method and obtain a mark of at least 18/30 for each paper are exempt from the official examination for the modules in which they took the paper.
Official examination: students must prepare a paper in German for each module, to be handed in at least 10 days before the official examination.
Examination methods for 'EXERCITATIONS': in-progress tests at the end of each semester or examination during official calls.
'EXERCITATIONS": the in itinere tests take place at the end of each semester and comprise a written part and an oral part.
First semester:
Written production of an 'Erörterung' of at least approx. 170-250 words on topics covered in the classroom. Approximate duration: 55 minutes.
Oral examination in groups: Small group discussion on a topic (of general interest) with the aim of comparing, giving pros and cons and finally finding a compromise. Indicative duration: approx. 15 minutes.
Second semester:
Written production of a 'Kommentar' of at least approx. 170-250 words on topics discussed in the classroom. Approximate duration: 55 minutes.
Oral examination: 'Kurzvortrag' (on a topic of general interest) with the aim of convincing and feedback (covered in the classroom). Indicative duration: approx. 5-10 minutes.
Those who pass the two in-progress examinations (result of at least 18/30 for the average of the oral and written marks in both the first and second examinations) do not have to take the official 'EXERCITATIONS' examination.
'EXERCISES": the official examinations take place in May 2025, September 2025 and January 2026 and comprise a written part and an oral part.
Written examination with the following types of questions:
Written production of a 'Kommentar' of approximately 170-250 words and an 'Erörterung' (with reference text on topics of general interest) of approximately 170-250 words. Indicative duration of the written test: 120 minutes.
Oral examination: discussion in small groups on a topic (of general interest) with the aim of comparing, giving pros and cons and finally finding a compromise. Indicative duration of the oral test: approx. 20 minutes
Assessment parameters
- written papers ('German Linguistics'): knowledge of specialist terminology; ability to actively use theoretical knowledge.
- intermediate written tests ('Exercises') / written examination ('Exercises'): ability to produce written texts of an argumentative nature.
- intermediate oral tests ('Exercises') / oral examination ('Exercises'): ability to interact and express oneself on general and specialist topics.
The final mark is made up as follows: average of the various partial marks (Exercises + German Linguistics).
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
L-LIN/14 - LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION - GERMAN - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)
Reception:
Online, upon appointment by email to [email protected]