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Content of courses

  • Intensive German as a Foreign Language (DaF): Elementary level II

    After successful completion you will be able to:

    Reading:
    - understand short, simple texts on familiar everyday situations, e.g. personal details and simple structures
    - extract information from simple everyday language materials such as cinema program, timetable, etc.

    Writing:
    - make short, simple messages on everyday and familiar topics, as well as simple personal statements
    - express your personal likes, dislikes and intentions in a simple way

    Listening:
    - understand short, simple information in familiar situations
    - extract individual pieces of information in a short, clearly structured lecture with very limited vocabulary on a specific topic with which you are familiar

    Speaking:
    - introduce yourself in a simple way and respond to simple questions in a personal context
    - talk about likes and dislikes using simple expressions
    - tell simple picture stories about familiar, everyday topics using simple structures

    Overall, you will have essentially reached Common European Framework Level A1.2

  • Intensive German as a Foreign Language (DaF): Level 1

    After successful completion you will be able to:

    Reading:
    - understand short, simple texts about everyday topics where frequently used words arise
    - gather information from simple, printed matter found in everyday life, such as advertisments, menus, etc.

    Writing:
    - compose short, simple descriptions of everyday events, activities and personal experiences in the present and past, with reasonable accuracy
    - express your personal preferences, dislikes, and intentions in a simple way
    - apply some important orthographic rules reasonably correctly

    Listening:
    - give a summary of the essential details of a clearly spoken conversation in standard language about topics you are familiar with
    - capture the essential details of and present a short outline of the main points addressed on a specific topic you are familiar with in a clearly structured presentation with a limited vocabulary.

    Speaking:
    - tell simple stories or present illustrated stories related to familiar topics
    - give an account of events and experiences encountered in everyday life
    - express and justify personal opinions in a very simplified form
    - conduct short, simple conversations about everyday topics with the other speakers using a limited vocabulary and speaking slowly and clearly

    Overall, you will have essentially reached Common European Framework Level A2.1.

  • Intensive German as a Foreign Language (DaF): Level 2

    After successful completion you will be able to:

    Reading:
    - understand short, simple texts (e.g., simplified newspaper articles) about everyday topics
    - identify and comprehend specific information from a single long text or multiple short texts

    Writing:
    - compose short texts on everyday topics giving accounts of events, experiences and feelings, expressing and justifying opinions and describing plans for your own actions
    - write up notes on information obtained from texts you have read or listened to

    Listening:
    - capture the essential details of a conversation or discussion on everyday topics
    - capture the main points of a topic you are familiar with from a clearly structured presentation and take note of specific details.

    Speaking:
    - tell simple stories or present an illustrated stories coherently
    - give an account of events and experiences from everyday life in a structured way
    - express and justify personal opinions
    - respond spontaneously and comprehensibly to the spoken contributions made by others in everyday conversations

    Overall, you will have essentially reached Common European Framework Level A2.2.

  • Intensive German as a Foreign Language (DaF): Level 3

    After successful completion you will be able to:

    Reading:
    - understand simple, authentic texts on popular science
    - identify and comprehend the essential and inherently relevant details pertaining to the text
    - understand standard letters

    Writing:
    - compose texts on socially relevant topics presenting therein facts, expressing and justifying opinions, and making suggestions for an appropriate course of action
    - put down in writing the key points, or a coherent summary, of information that you have listened to or read

    Listening:
    - capture the essential details of a conversation involving a popular scientific topic or a discussion involving more abstract topics
    - capture the main elements of an oral presentation that is complex in both content and language; and both discern and understand specific details relevant to the presentation

    Speaking:
    - give an account of current events, with good command of a basic vocabulary, in a structured way
    - obtain and give informations in familiar situations
    - respond flexibly and comprehensibly to the spoken contributions made by others in topic-specific discussions

    Overall, you will have largely reached Common European Framework Level B1.1.

  • Intensive German as a Foreign Language (DaF): Level 4

    After successful completion you will be able to:

    Reading:
    - understand uncomplicated texts on topics of everyday life, but also e.g. authentic linguistically relieved magazine articles sufficiently with the help of a dictionary
    - search longer texts on current topics or those from your own field of interest for desired information
    - recognize different viewpoints

    Writing:
    - reproduce previously presented information in own words sufficiently correct with the help of frequently used structures
    - prepare summaries of both nonfiction texts and brief literary texts reasonably accurate
    - independently compose a coherent text on various familiar topics using simple linguistic means
    - formulate and justify arguments in defence of a particular thesis

    Listening:
    - follow short, but complex, oral presentations with a scientific/academic focus
    - write up the essential points of such presentations
    - distinguish between broader messages and the more specific details of such presentations

    Speaking:
    - hold a brief presentation on a topic of your choice
    - take active part in discussions on current social topics, give differentiated evaluations of opinions expressed by others and elaborate on your own point of view

    Overall, you will have reached a level in oral communication, written composition, Listening comprehension, reading comprehension and scientific language structures that fully exceeds Level B1.2 of the Common European Framework.

  • Intensive German as a Foreign Language (DaF): Level 5 (Part 1 of the DSH course)

    After successful completion you will be able to:

    Reading:
    - understand the main content of complex texts on concrete and abstract topics and extract relevant information
    - distinguish between facts and evaluations and recognize different points of view
    - grasp the structures of longer texts

    Writing:
    - express facts and points of view in writing and refer to appropriate communications from others
    - present information using independent formulations, varying a wide vocabulary and thus avoiding frequent repetition
    - independently describe moderately difficult graphics, reproduce content and compose a coherent text on a variety of factual topics
    - formulate arguments for a thesis and justify them in a differentiated and detailed manner

    Listening:
    - follow shorter lectures that are more complex in language and content and are scientifically oriented
    - grasp the main points of such lectures
    - distinguish between main statements and (detailed) individual information

    Speaking:
    - exchange a larger amount of more complex factual information with relative confidence in your area of expertise and interest
    - reproduce the main content of meetings and presentations
    - participate actively in discussions on current social issues, evaluate other opinions in a differentiated manner and explain your own point of view

    Overall, you will have largely reached a level in oral communication, written composition, listening comprehension, reading comprehension and scientific language structures that exceeds Level B2 of the Common European Framework.