Undergraduate Teaching 2025-26

Engineering Tripos Part IIB, 4M2: German, 2025-26

Engineering Tripos Part IIB, 4M2: German, 2025-26

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Module Leader

Jan-Moritz Bogdanovic

Secondary point of contact for queries

Prof. David Tual

Timing and Structure

Lent term. Assessment: 100% coursework

Prerequisites

German at Upper Intermediate Level or higher. In any case, students wishing to take a language module must contact the relevant language coordinator in order to ensure they hold the necessary qualifications.

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

  • improve understanding of German technology, society and culture;
  • enable all students to consolidate their listening skills and practise their speaking skills in class, while particular emphasis will be put on reading and writing skills outside the class;
  • improve understanding of how AI can be used for writing skills development.

Objectives

As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:

  • Be confident in communicating in the target language, especially in a work-related situation, as well as explaining and defending their opinion about specific issues and problems
  • Use the language as a tool to improve their understanding of technology and culture
  • Analyse a topic/an issue presented in German language, compare all the elements at play, synthesise the major points and make a balanced judgement
  • Reflect critically on the appropriate and effective use of AI.

Content

This module will significantly enhance students’ receptive language skills so that, at the end of this course, students will be able to follow lectures and presentations in their subject area held in German as well as participate actively in question-and-answer sessions on engineering-related topics. By regular training and application of specific productive/expressive language skills, they will further improve their ability to take part in discussions of both general and engineering-related issues. Students will develop the ability to use and critically reflect on AI for writing skills development.

7 Lectures (various speakers) + 7 seminars (module leader)

  • Presentations on engineering/science in German (5-6 Lectures)
  • Presentations on cultural/social topics in German (1-2 Lectures)

Seminars

Associated with each lecture will be a one-hour seminar. This may be held before the lecture for preparation, or following the lecture for discussion purposes.

Format may vary.

 

Further notes

A list of this year's module talks will be available on Moodle.

Coursework

The students will prepare 3 major pieces of coursework:

  • Two written reports (25% each)
  • Oral presentation (50%)

The assignments will be marked for language and/or content. In the case of native–speakers, the quality of the language production will be assessed accordingly.

 

Coursework

Format

Due date

& marks

Coursework activity #1 Report

A structured report of 700 words in the target language. Students should not use any online writing aid other than dictionaries. They should attach a list of the words they looked up as well as any reference material used (e.g. grammar books or websites). This assignment will be assessed for content and report structure, not language (although language mistakes will be flagged up as part of formative feedback, providing the students with the opportunity to reflect and self-correct).

Learning objective: 

·       Analyse, synthesise and/or critically evaluate a topic presented and discussed in class (topic related to science, technology or the culture of the German-speaking world);
 

·       Express ideas in a logical and articulate manner using a range of structures and expressions appropriate to the task and expected at the level of proficiency in the target language.

Individual report (700 words)

Non-anonymously marked

End of week 3

[25%]

Coursework activity #2 Report

A structured report of 500 words in the target language AND a revised draft (500 words). Student should submit a first draft produced without any aid at all, as well as a revised draft produced with the help AI (e.g. ChatGPT). They should be able to explain and justify the changes they chose to make and included in the revised draft (as this could be explored during the oral presentation). This assignment will be assessed for content and language (including the ability to reflect, self-correct and use AI appropriately).

Learning objective: 

·       Analyse, synthesise and/or critically evaluate a topic presented and discussed in class (topic related science, technology or the culture of the German-speaking world)
 

·       Express ideas in a logical and articulate manner using a range of structures and expressions appropriate to the task and expected at the level of proficiency in the target language.

 

·       Use AI appropriately and critically.

Individual report (1000 words)

Non-anonymously marked

End of week 5

[25%]

Coursework activity #3 Oral presentation

A structured oral presentation (5 minutes), followed by questions on content and/or language about the presentation and/or the two written assignments (10-12 minutes). This assignment will be assessed for content and language (including the ability to reflect, self-correct and use AI appropriately).

Learning objective: 

·       Analyse, synthesise and/or critically evaluate a topic presented and discussed in class (a topic related to science, technology or the culture of the German-speaking world)
 

·       Express ideas in a logical and articulate manner using a range of structures and expressions appropriate to the task and expected at the level of proficiency in the target language

 

·       Demonstrate an understanding of the target language and the ability to reflect critically on their language learning experience and the use of AI.

Individual oral presentation (5 minutes) followed by questions (10-12 minutes)

Non-anonymously marked

Last session (week 8)

[50%]

 

Examination Guidelines

Please refer to Form & conduct of the examinations.

UK-SPEC

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

GT1

Develop transferable skills that will be of value in a wide range of situations. These are exemplified by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Higher Level Key Skills and include problem solving, communication, and working with others, as well as the effective use of general IT facilities and information retrieval skills. They also include planning self-learning and improving performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD.

IA1

Apply appropriate quantitative science and engineering tools to the analysis of problems.

IA2

Demonstrate creative and innovative ability in the synthesis of solutions and in formulating designs.

KU1

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of essential facts, concepts, theories and principles of their engineering discipline, and its underpinning science and mathematics.

KU2

Have an appreciation of the wider multidisciplinary engineering context and its underlying principles.

P4

Understanding use of technical literature and other information sources.

 
Last modified: 04/06/2025 13:33