Brief description
The format of this 'thin' module is as follows: there will be two weekly and one fortnightly class. One of the weekly hours will be devoted to the development of oral competence, and the fortnightly hour will be devoted to translation from German. The second weekly hour will be devoted to translation into German and essay-writing in German. Students produce 10 pieces of written assessed work (4 translations, 2 essays) over the two semesters. The second weekly hour will be devoted to the development of oral competence.

A. In the fortnightly classes devoted to translation out of German, the aims are as follows:

To learn how to translate accurately, i.e. to render the meaning or content of the German text correctly. The information contained in the German text should not be falsified in any way.

To learn how to translate idiomatically, i.e. to express the content of the German text in a form of English that reads, as far as possible, as if the text had been originally produced in Englisg and does notbetray its German origins. One aspect of translating idiomatically is choosing the appropriate register: 'The forms used by a native speaker are influenced by such factors as subject matter, medium and situation. Variation of this kind, which depends on the use to which the language is being put, is commonly known as register variation. A register is a type, or a stylistic level of language (e.g. colloquial, formal) which is influenced by these factors'(M Durrell, Using German, p. 3). For more information about register variation in general, see G W Turner, Stylistics, Chapter 1; P Trudgill, Sociolinguistics, Chapter 5. For more information on register variation in German see M Durrell, Using German, Chapter 1.

B. In the weekly written classes the aims are as follows:

To translate accurately into German passages of continuous English prose. Accuracy refers to content, idiom and register, as described above (A 1 and 2), and to gram,matical usage.

To translate passages taken from modern factual and fictional sources.

NB a) In addition to the assessed written assignments, students will prepare passages for translation and discussion in class. All students will be required to participate actively in such classwork. From time to time, unseen passages will be introduced in class. Work on these passages will normally be undertaken in small groups. Dictionaries should be brought into these classes.

b) Students following this course must possess and bring with them a vocabulary book.

C. To provide essay-writing practice in German and to improve students' analytical and linguistic skills. Students will acquire competence in preparing effectively for an essay; in structuring work; in constructing a logical and convincing argument; and in expressing ideas in an appropriate register of German.

D. In the weekly oral classes students will develop their oral and aural skills. They will consolidate their knowledge of German by practising using vocabulary and grammatical structures introduced in the written classes. The acquisition of as native-like a pronunciation as possible is another major aim. General communication skills as well as competence in German will be improved by means of presentations in teh target language

Content
The format of this 'thin' module is as follows: there will be two weekly and one fortnightly class. One of the weekly hours will be devoted to the development of oral competence, and the fortnightly hour will be devoted to translation from German. The second weekly hour will be devoted to translation into German and essay-writing in German. Students produce 10 pieces of written assessed work (4 English into German translations, 4 German into English translations, 2 essays) over the two semesters. The second weekly hour will be devoted to the development of oral competence.

A. In the fortnightly classes devoted to translation out of German, the aims are as follows:

1. To learn how to translate accurately, i.e. to render the meaning or content of the German text correctly. The information contained in the German text should not be falsified in any way.

2. To learn how to translate idiomatically, i.e. to express the content of the German text in a form of English that reads, as far as possible, as if the text had been originally produced in English and does not betray its German origins. One aspect of translating idiomatically is choosing the appropriate register: 'The forms used by a native speaker are influenced by such factors as subject matter, medium and situation. Variation of this kind, which depends on the use to which the language is being put, is commonly known as register variation. A register is a type, or a stylistic level of language (e.g. colloquial, formal) which is influenced by these factors' (M. Durrell, Using German, p. 3). For more information about register variation in general, see G. W. Turner, Stylistics, Chapter 1; P. Trudgill, Sociolinguistics, Chapter 5. For more information on register variation in German see M. Durrell, Using German, Chapter 1.

B. In the weekly written classes the aims are as follows:

1. To translate accurately into German passages of continuous English prose. Accuracy refers to content, idiom and register, as described above (A. 1 and 2), and to grammatical usage.

2. To translate passages taken from modern factual and fictional sources.

N.B. a) In addition to the assessed written assignments, students will prepare passages for translation and discussion in class. All students will be required to participate actively in such class-work. From time to time, unseen passages will be introduced in class. Work on these passages will normally be undertaken in small groups. Dictionaries should be brought into these classes.

b) Students following this course must possess and bring with them a vocabulary book.

C. To provide essay-writing practice in German and to improve students' analytical and linguistic skills. Students will acquire competence in preparing effectively for an essay; in structuring work; in constructing a logical and convincing argument; and in expressing ideas in an appropriate register of German.

D. In the weekly oral classes students will develop their oral and aural skills. They will consolidate their knowledge of German by practising using vocabulary and grammatical structures introduced in the written classes. The acquisition of as native-like a pronunciation as possible is another major aim. General communication skills as well as competence in German will be improved by means of presentations in the target language.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module students will have consolidated their knowledge of German grammar and will have acquired a rich and varied vocabulary which should enable them to express themselves fluently and accurately in speech and writing. They should also have learned to translate factual and fictional texts accurately and idiomatically from and into German and should have an active command of different stylistic levels of German. Students should also have improved their skills of analysis and expression as a result of learning how to write essays in German. In the oral classes students will have developed their oral and aural skills. They will have consolidated their knowledge of German by practising using vocabulary and grammatical structures introduced in the written classes. They should also have acquired as native-like a pronunciation as possible. General communication skills as well as competence in German will have been improved by means of presentation in the target language. They should also have learned how to analyse and discuss critically complex German texts and will have gained deeper insight into current German affairs, be they political or cultural.