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Beginners German 1: fang an!

This 16 week short course takes you on a journey to German speaking countries and introduces you to the linguistic skills you need to communicate effectively in everyday contexts. You will develop your reading and listening skills and learn to speak and write in German by studying 3–4 hours a week. You'll acquire a knowledge of the basic structures and key vocabulary to meet and greet people, learn to talk about yourself, and increase your awareness of the cultural diversity of German-speaking countries.

Standalone study only

This module is available for standalone study only. Any credits from this module cannot be counted towards an OU qualification.

Module

Module code
LXG001
Credits
0
Study level
To enable you to make international comparisons, the information provided shows how OU levels correspond to the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (FHEQ).
OU FHEQ
0
Study method
Distance Learning
Module cost
See Module registration
Entry requirements
See Entry requirements

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What you will study

Almost 100 million people speak German as their main language. Most of them live in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, making German one of the most widely used languages in Europe. Now associated with economic success, science and technology, German also has a long-standing reputation as a language of poets and thinkers.

This short course offers you an excellent introduction to the German language. You’ll learn the essentials of reading, writing, speaking and listening in German. You’ll also develop key skills that will enhance your future study of the language.

As you study over 16 weeks you’ll learn to:

  • introduce yourself and to give your address
  • say your nationality and which languages you speak
  • say and understand German numbers
  • join basic conversations
  • use important German verbs such as ‘to come’, ‘to go’, ‘to buy’ and ‘to speak
  • use the plural of nouns
  • use pronouns that help you to express to whom something belongs
  • ask for and give information about other people
  • make use of your new language skills when travelling
  • understand and make bookings
  • understand messages left by speakers of German and leave messages yourself
  • have informal conversations
  • know about strategies to memorise and use German vocabulary and grammar
  • understand and use the pronunciation of German names and place names.

You will also have many opportunities to develop your intercultural understanding through engaging with learning materials which reflect German-speaking countries and their people, and by learning about places and sightseeing in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Delivered through user-friendly, ‘bite-sized’ blocks, each week you’ll discover useful words and set phrases. Audio material, featuring recordings by native speakers of German, and a wide variety of speaking activities will aid your pronunciation. Throughout the course, you’ll build up your own German phrase book covering a variety of topics and typical situations. Along with completing the weekly activities and quizzes to strengthen your learning, you’ll gain a solid foundation of basic German to move onto the next level, Beginners German 2: mit vergnügen! (LXG002).

Viel Erfolg und bis bald!

You will learn

After completing this course you should be able to:

  • communicate with speakers of German in a range of predictable and simple contexts relating to everyday life
  • know and use the principles of German pronunciation
  • understand and use the special German characters (such as the ‘Umlaut') and be able to word-process or hand-write them
  • better understand the cultural differences and customs between German-speaking cultures and your own.

The course is designed to help you achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level A1 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).

Learner support

You will have access to discussion forums that you are strongly encouraged to participate in as these forums combine support from fellow students with input from a language-specialist learning adviser. Other support is available via the StudentHome website and Computing Helpdesk.

Course length

You'll study 3–4 hours per week, for 16 weeks. In total this course will require around 64 hours to complete.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

    Course work includes:

    No residential school


    Entry requirements

    There are no entry requirements for this course. It’s suitable if you are completely new to German and to language-learning, and it does not assume any prior knowledge.

    You will be given guidance on developing your language-learning skills such as different techniques to memorise vocabulary and approach grammatical topics.

    If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.

    Course length

    You'll study 3–4 hours per week, for 16 weeks. In total this course will require around 64 hours to complete.

    Register

    Start End England fee Register
    27 Feb 2021 Jun 2021 £199.00

    Registration closes 18/02/21 (places subject to availability)

    Register
    26 Jun 2021 Oct 2021 £199.00

    Registration closes 17/06/21 (places subject to availability)

    Register
    30 Oct 2021 Feb 2022 Not yet available

    Registration opens on 18/03/21
    This module is expected to start for the last time in October 2021.

    Ways to pay

    Credit/Debit Card – We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

    Sponsorship – If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.

    The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2020/21 academic year. Fees for short courses starting in the 2021/22 academic year or later may increase in line with the University’s strategic approach to fees.

    What's included

    All learning materials are delivered entirely online. You’ll have access to a course website, which includes:

    • a week-by-week study planner
    • course-specific materials and activities
    • audio content
    • discussion forums
    • support from language-specialist learning advisers.

    Computing requirements

    A computing device with a browser and broadband internet access is required for this module. Any modern browser will be suitable for most computer activities. Functionality may be limited on mobile devices.

    Any additional software will be provided, or is generally freely available. However, some activities may have more specific requirements. For this reason, you will need to be able to install and run additional software on a device that meets the requirements below.

    A desktop or laptop computer with either an up-to-date version of Windows or macOS.

    The screen of the device must have a resolution of at least 1024 pixels horizontally and 768 pixels vertically.

    To join in the spoken conversation in our online rooms we recommend a headset (headphones or earphones with an integrated microphone).

    Our Skills for OU study website has further information including computing skills for study, computer security, acquiring a computer and Microsoft software offers for students.

    If you have a disability

    The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to contact us about support which can be given to meet your needs.

    To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.