ML7187: German History and Culture in Transnational Context

School German
Department Code MLANG
Module Code ML7187
External Subject Code 101135
Number of Credits 20
Level L4
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Nicholas Hodgin
Semester Double Semester
Academic Year 2022/3

Outline Description of Module

The module will introduce students to a study of national cultures and societies and how they connect with transnational contexts beyond national borders. Learning activities in the first semester will focus on the national contexts of the chosen languages of study and chart the emergence of these nations either through a historical overview, or a survey of key foundational moments. These will be followed by webinars that introduce students to the study of Modern Languages and a consideration of how the local intersects with the global. The second semester develops this by identifying how languages, cultures and societies both operate on a national level and interconnect according to historical, geographic, economic, political, spatial and cultural conditions. After two transnational lectures outlining this, further lectures will reflect on how these common themes play out on a national level referencing, for example, the emergence of symbols and traditions designed to foster a sense of national belonging. Seminars will focus on the acquisition of critical and analytical skills through discussions of a range of ‘texts’ which complement the lectures (primary and secondary source materials ranging from articles, statistics and graphs to visual materials including film, sculpture, and photography). 

On completion of the module a student should be able to

  1. Discuss selected aspects of German history, culture and society in relation to a broader transnational context
  2. Analyse text-based and visual course material
  3. Formulate a coherent, evidence-based argument drawing on relevant secondary literature
  4. Identify, evaluate and accurately reference reputable sources of information

 

How the module will be delivered

The module will be delivered through a range of interactive teaching sessions supplemented by online teaching and learning activities and materials – and may include, where relevant, asynchronous materials such as lecture recordings. Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year – and may be, in part, determined by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance.  

Skills that will be practised and developed

1. Personal transferable skills

  • Communicate ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.
  • Use communications and information technologies for the retrieval and presentation of information.
  • Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time-management.
  • Collaborate with others and contribute to the achievement of common goals.

2. Academic and subject specific skills

  • Gather, organize and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of sources.
  • Develop a reasoned argument, synthesize relevant information and exercise critical judgement.
  • Reflect on your own learning and make use of constructive feedback.
  • Manage your own learning self-critically.

3. Employability skills:

  • Critical thinking
  • Problem solving
  • Teamwork
  • IT literacy
  • Self-reflection
  • Time management

How the module will be assessed

The method(s) of assessing the learning outcomes for this module are set out in the Assessment Table, which also contains the weightings of each assessment component.

Mapping of Assessments to Intended Learning Outcomes:

Assignment 1 assesses ILO 4

Assignment 2 assesses ILOs 1, 2, 3, 4

Assignment 3 assesses ILOs 1, 2, 3, 4

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE: 

You may be required to resit one or more of the assessments in this module if you fail the module. The Examination Board will advise you which assessments you need to resit during the August resit period. Resit assessments that are not supported by extenuating circumstances will be capped at the pass mark applicable to your programme.

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 10 Information Literacy Assignment N/A
Written Assessment 40 Essay 1 N/A
Written Assessment 50 Essay 2 N/A

Syllabus content

 

At the schoolwide transnational levels, students will explore the following topics:

  • What is the transnational?
  • What does it mean to be a modern languages student?
  • How to move between the global and the local
  • The concept of the nation
  • National identity, nation building and concepts of belonging
  • Contemporary debates in European and non-European cultures and societies
  • Regional and (de)colonial identities within the nation
  • Multilingualism, language identities and globalisation

At the national level student will explore:

  • Key developments in German history and culture from the late 18th century to the present day in a transnational perspective
  • German History in the autumn semester
  • German Culture in the spring semester
  • The making of a German nation-state and its founding mythologies
  • Major works of German literature between enlightenment and expressionism
  • Central Europe in the age of digital automation, mass migration and climate change

This module provides the foundations for all further studies in year two, the year abroad and your final year.


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