This project (2020-1-PT01-KA226-HE-094809) has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Select language  >  EN ES HU IT LT PT RO
Login
Register

Database of Teaching Sources

A database of selected, reviewed, tested, assessed and validated e-learning based language teaching sources addressed to Higher education students for the learning of 18 different European languages.

Back to Teaching Sources

Goethe Institut-Deutsch am Arbeitsplatz- Deutsch für Wissenschaft und Technik

Date of Publication

nicht angegeben

Target Group

Lecturers
Students

Domain Area

Engineering

Learning Scenario

Autonomous learning
Classroom Context

Target Language

German

Language of Instruction

Any language

CEFR level

A1
A2
B1

Type of Material

Activity/task
Audio
Game
Picture/Graphics
Test

Linguistic Features

Vocabulary
Grammar
Prosody

Skills

Listening
Reading

Description

"German for Science and Technology" is a range of exercises offered by the Goethe-Institut. A wide range of exercises introduces the students to the specific vocabulary common in scientific professions (e.g. electrical engineer, IT system electronics technician, electrician, civil engineer). The target group includes beginners (level A 1) who want to get familiar with the vocabulary of these professions in real-life situations. Simple object naming and matching using pictures or interactive games such as memory (topic: "On the construction site") provied a varied learning process. Certain grammar topics (e.g. verb conjugation, indirect speech, prepositions) are covered by some exercises that are realistic and applicable in a professional context.
The student trains his listening comprehension skills through a selection of audio material and related exercises. He/she can furthermore work through realistic dialogues of everyday professional life and familiarise himself with the vocabulary in the corresponding exercises. The exercises mainly focus on reading and listening comprehension. The student learns to match sentence components and to put conversational components in the right order. In the end a brief insight into the dual training system as well as the school-based training (apprenticeships) is given . Particularly noteworthy are the audio files, that have been recorded by both native German speakers as well as learners of German themselves. The student thus has access to authentic audio material - in everyday working life it is likely that he or she will have to communicate with non-native speakers of German.
The exercise set can be used as part of a self-study programm, but teachers can also easily integrate individual exercises into their lessons.
Being short exercises, the units are particularly suitable for short but regular practice and repetition and can therefore also be integrated into the everyday life of employees and workers.

Case study

Deutsch für Wissenschaft und Technik is part of the larger LSP pool Deutsch am Arbeitsplatz provided by the Goethe Institut. It comprises two chapters at the B1 level, one is dedicated to the area of transport planning, the other deals with the German dual education system using the example of an electrical engineer. In both chapters an audio file invites students to train their listening comprehension skills. For students at a B1 level the audio file in the first chapter is very difficult to understand and should therefore only be used as a listening activity with the guidance of the lecturer. The story of Faming, who comes from China and works for a company based in Munich, is arbitrarily interrupted by work related discussions, but a logical connection between his story and the workplace conversations is missing. The technical quality of the audio also does not facilitate understanding. On the contrary, the audio file in the second chapter does not have the problems mentioned above and can be used very well for a listening exercise, even in an autonomous setting. A transcript is available for both audio files. The number of additional exercises is sparse: There are 6 online-exercises included in the first chapter and seven in the second one.

Guidelines

The use of the course offer does not require any registration or enrollment. Since the course is divided into four modules, which are arranged according to the difficulty of level A1-B1, it is recommended to follow the given order when working through the modules. The use of the course does not require any registration. It is recommended to start with the exercise set "Objects in the workplace: On the construction site" in order to familiarize yourself first with simple object names (language level A1). As the level of difficulty increases with each exercise set, it is generally recommended to work through the sets in the given order. The exercise sets are marked with the respective language level, so that it is no problem to find the suitable offer for yourself. After completing a task, it is possible to have the answers checked automatically. The percentage of correct answers is displayed in a field, incorrect answers are left open for further processing.

Review

Category
Rate
Comprehensive approach
Capacity to match the needs of lecturers and students

5

Added value
The provided tangible improvements

5

Motivation enhancement
The capacity to motivate students to improve their language skills

5

Innovation
Effectiveness in introducing innovative, creative and previously unknown approaches to LSP learning

5

Transferability
Measurement of the transferable potential and possibility to be a source of further capitalisation/application for other language projects in different countries

5

Skills assessment and validation
Availability of appropriate tools for lecturers to monitor students’ progress and for students to assess own progress and to reflect on learning

3

Adaptability
Flexibility of the contents and possibilities for the LSP lecturers to adapt the contents to their and to students’ need

2

Usability
Assess the technical usability from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

4

Accessibility
Assess the accessibility from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

5

Comments:
Overall, the exercise offer is clearly designed and definitely invites learners to take advantage of the offer due to its modern user interface and the different types of exercises. However, the improvement of possible errors that learners may make while practicing is missing. Here, the learner only receives an error message and a percentage displayed at the bottom, which shows how many of the tasks were answered correctly. To find the correct solution in case of errors, the learner has to refer to other sources if necessary. The aim of the offer is to enable a kind of "taster" in job-relevant contexts. The exercise offer should by no means be understood as a complete language course - the scope is simply too small for that. Many of the topics are addressed only superficially (e.g. indirect speech) and must be deepened elsewhere if necessary.
Website of the Teaching Source:
Visit