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Programme:

German Studies (2022/2023)

Study Cycle:	Second Cycle (Postgraduate)
Faculty:	Languages, Cultures and Communications

Programme Code:	N-MDE60C
Academic year:	2023 / 2024
Title:	Master of German Studies
ECTS:	60 (1 year) Accrediation
Decision:	Decision for starting of the program

After the completion of this programme the students gain the title Master of German Studies. This programme is focused, first of all in linguistics, literature, culture, teaching methodology of German as a foreign language (DaF) at the university level as well as in the history of German speaking countries. With a component of local and German native speaker teachers, who are best qualified to lecture using the most modern methods, our department plays a great role not only in the state level, but in the region as well, and further. First of all, it is worth mentioning the development and application of modern curricula and the stressed quality of the preparation of the teachers of German as a foreign language.

The graduates of this study programme have knowledge, skills and competences, which enable them to continue with the third cycle studies (doctoral studies) or they can start their career as modern teachers of German at university levels. Besides this, the modules of linguistics, literature, didactics and culture enable our graduates to do other activities as for example: work in State Administration and Marketing, the Diplomatic services, in public and private institutions, work as translators and interpreters, work to strengthen German-Macedonian affairs, work in the sphere of cultural politics and in cultural mediation; or in activities in the field of media, and in publishing houses; or in International corporations or tourism.

Knowledge and understanding

Has knowledge and understanding of German studies that is founded upon and extends that typically associated with Bachelor’s level.
Demonstrates specialist knowledge of German Linguistics, Literature, Culture and Civilization of German-speaking countries.
Has professional knowledge and understanding of the major trends in German language teaching methodology at primary, secondary and tertiary level.
Acquire academic knowledge for independent academic work.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Apply their skills in academic and non-academic environments related to German studies.
Is able to conceive, design, implement and adapt substantial research projects with scholarly integrity.
Use academic written and spoken German in various contexts.
Translate texts in the fields of law, economics, politics, literary texts and others from German into Albanian or Macedonian and vice versa.
Design a syllabus and a lesson plan appropriate for specific teaching contexts, for example, teaching younger learners (under 12 years old) or teaching business German to adults.

Making judgement

Examining the various linguistic aspects of the German language and their relevance to the teaching process of German for speakers of other languages.
Make complex methodological judgments in research design and analyses in the area of German studies.
Make judgements concerning the potential difficulty of different aspects of the German language: verb and tense construction, definite/indefinite object, idiomatic expressions, prepositions and other grammatical categories.
Make complex methodological evaluations in research design and discriminate between different methods of data collection and data analysis, as related to language and linguistics.

Communication skills

Clearly articulate the educational process in the context of German Language studies.
Teach different linguistic concepts to learners of different abilities.
Communicate in a proper manner those opportunities to achieve critical thinking, communication, and personal development of the students.
Show communicative competence in the classroom in terms of class management in primary, secondary and tertiary level.

Learning skills

Initiate and complete independent research to high academic standards in the area of German studies.
Is able to self-monitor and adjust teaching methods according to the particular situation.
Study in a largely self-directed or autonomous manner in German linguistics, literature, culture and civilisation.

Semester 1

[MCGR1011] [6 ECTS] Research Methodology
The goal of this course is to explain the methodologies and techniques of scientific work, which mostly create many difficulties for student beginners. Practical exercises are designed to help us in the way how we should behave in the library, how to write an essay, papers or something else. Within this course will be included the following topics: defining the topic, bibliography, citation rules, scientific codes, organizing work.
[MCGR1010] [6 ECTS] Theory of Valency
Within this course students will become familiar with the structure of the German language under the theory of valency. It will also be discussed its core issues. In the first part of the course will be discussed on the history of the theory of valency and the draft think about valency described in the work of Tesniere and will be discussed also its shortcomings and contradictions. Furthermore, this course will include the following topics: rection, dependency, valency, subject - valency and dependency, the basic questions of the theory of valence and its holders. In the second part will be treated the question for making the distinction between aktant and cirkumstant (Ergänzungen und Angaben bzw. Aktanten und Zirkumstanten). The discussion about valency for a long time was treated apart from the question but also by the request of specific criteria for distinguishing between these two terms, with a tendency, valency to not be understood as dichotomous, but rather as a gradual phenomenon. In the third part of the course as a central issue will be treated the pattern of sentences and valency of the other types of words (especially adjectives and nouns).
[MCGR1040] [6 ECTS] Authors and Classical Works of German Speaking Countries
It is expected extensive knowledge and understanding of the terminology of German literature through the centuries from the period from XV to XVII century. Is expected to apply their literary knowledge and understanding in their occurrences, processes and works of the period from XV to XVII century. Collection, evaluation and interpretation of relevant data and information within the German literature of the German literature period mentioned above will be examined. Discussions of German literature from this period and working with specific examples from selected authors will be realized. Students will develop learning skills that are relevant and necessary for the further education of their own in the German literature of the above-mentioned period. This course includes: reading literature, literary analysis, preparation of written and oral theses of papers and discussion regarding the most developed scientific literature on the most eminent authors (with selected works), from the German speaking countries from late medieval German literature and the classic literature epoch (medieval age: Hartman von Auer, Volfram fon Eschenbach, Gottfried von Strassburg, from renaissance until 18 h century: Grifius, Grimmelshausen, Viland, Goethe, Schiller, Heine, Büchner, Kleist, Novalis, Tik, Hoffman, Aeichendorf, Arnim, Brentano, Hajne, Keller, Stifter, Meier, Hebel, Hauptmann; Fontane).
[MCGR2040] [6 ECTS] Developmental Tendencies of Contemporary German Language
The German language is in progression. If there were no changes, it would be a dead language. This course aims to familiarize students with the latest tendencies of the German language as seen from different aspects. In addition to the issues in the field of language change will be discussed the issues and standards of language. Meanwhile it will discuss the most important changes in the field of morphology, syntax and German vocabulary. Will be put attention also to some selected topics such as. words borrowed from English in modern German and actual use of language in selected areas of communication (language in advertising, language in the media). Theoretical introduction will be practically demonstrated and encouraged by reports.
[6 ECTS] General Elective
- [EGL-505] Introduction to Methodology and Techniques of Research Writing
  The aim of this course is to explain the methodologies and techniques of academic and scientific work, which can be difficult for new students in particular. Practical and exercises should help students in terms of getting around in a library, writing essays, speeches, etc. Within the framework of this course the following topics will be included: choosing a thesis, referencing, citing rules, scientific codes, organization of scientific work, etc.
- [EGL-503] Contemporary German Literature
  This course aims at providing an overview of German literature of the 20th century. The students are expected to get acquainted with the most famous authors and works from this period, in order to understand the circumstances under which they had created and produced their works in the mentioned time frame. The course should make students get into the motifs for the interpretation and creation of written texts. The students will get information about values and movements in literature and the society as a whole across all Europe. The following periods of German literature will be covered in this course: 1945 - 1949, 1949-1961, 1961-1977 and 1978-1989.
- [EGL-506] Acquisition of German as foreign Language
  The aim of this course is to introduce students to the basic problems of the theory of learning German as a foreign language, with different aspects of learning foreign languages, etc. Within the framework of this course the most important models of learning a foreign language and a second language will be reviewed. Other topics will also be included: * forms of bilingualism, namely multilingualism * psycholinguistic teaching models (the monitoring theory, form focus, interactive approaches) * research results for L2 - stadium of language learning * socio-linguistic approach (simplified register, code switching, etc.) * individual variables such as age and cognitive style * broadened concepts (psychology of cultures comparison). In addition, factors such as age, motivation and series of languages will also be discussed.
- [CGL-403] Civilization of the German - speaking area
  The aim of this course is to inform students of the basic components of the culture and civilization of German-speaking people including the ideological, scientific-technological, social and cultural aspects, developments, case studies and achievements of Germany and other German-speaking countries in centuries. The following topics will be dealt with specifically: Review of the German history (19th and 20th century), Review of authors, ideas, concepts and reception of German philosophy, German music, German sciences (cultural and technological), other German science , etc.
- [EGL-405] Language Policy in EU
  The goal of this course is to inform students about language policy and multilingualism in the EU by answering questions such as what a language policy is and who administers it. Apart from the explanations and answers to these questions, the beginnings of the German language policy and current issues will be reviewed, especially in relation to the EU. What is the role of the German language and other important languages such as English, French, and Spanish in EU institutions? Is it an advantage for people in German-speaking areas if their language plays a key role in the institutions of the EU? If the answer is yes, then how can the position of the German language, as an official language in the EU, be enforced? Different positions of the EU’s language policy will be discussed in this respect. This course supplements and deepens the basic knowledge in this field.
- [EGL-602] Error Analysis
  As future teachers of German as a foreign language, students should be able to speak and write without any mistakes. However, learning is a process in which mistakes are inevitable and we should draw a lesson from each of them. Therefore, we don’t want just to identify the mistakes, but to analyse them and reflect on them, so that later we can identify them as diagnostic instruments. The problems of contrastive linguistics will also be taken into consideration.
- [MCGR3020] Pragmatics
  The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the fundamental importance of pragmatics as a linguistic discipline and its intercultural significance. In this context, exploring methods of Austin, Searle and Wunderlich, relations between the linguistic communities and users of signs and the question about the context in which signs are used. Will also be given an introduction in terminology and in the working research methods of linguistic pragmatics, especially in the area of grammar. The difference between the universal use and culture-related differences in pragmatics based on comparing the languages and culture - the Albanian-German and Macedonian-German. This field complements builds and binds the traditional disciplines of linguistic intonation (phonetics), vocabulary, syntax and semantics.
- [MCGR3011] Theories of Language Acquisition
  The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the problems of the theory of learning foreign languages, with different aspects of learning the language as well as methodological knowledge of empirical research in the field of foreign language. Within this course will be explained the important models of learning foreign and second language (e.g. Controlled-not, controlled-mixed) modes of bilingualism or multilingualism; psycholinguistic based models of teaching (e.g. Monitoring theory, focusing the forms, and interactive approaches), research results on L2-stage study of languages etc.., sociolinguistic approach (simplified register, codeswitch etc..) individual variability as age or cognitive style; extended concepts such as. psychology of comparing cultures. This course complements and deepens the basic knowledge in this area.
- [MCGR2010] Sociolinguistics
  Within this course students will become familiar with theoretical and practical part of sociolinguistics. The theoretical part covers basic concepts: the relationship of language and society, or the way we use language in different social contexts, and underlying causes of linguistic variation, the function of language in society, the relationship between language and culture, horizontal and vertical stratification of the language, sociolectal difference, language policy, standardization of the language etc. The practical part includes the preparation of personal sociolinguistic portfolio, seminar paper based on research that will conduct the sociolinguistic topic of their choice and agreement with the professor, as well as its presentation and critical analysis and commentary. Sociolinguistic issues associated with other disciplines, particularly psychology and pragmatics.

Semester 2

[MCGR4010] [30 ECTS] Master Thesis
This module enables students to transfer their skills and knowledge to research and carry out more complex tasks related to their master thesis. The module is designed to be fully practical and students to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to approach writing the thesis. The module has unique return result-to enable students to write the master thesis with minimal difficulties, and with maximum efficiency. The course aims to improve research techniques and style of writing the paper, taking into account the prevention of the usage of illegal means, such as plagiarism and infringement of copyright, which are prohibited by the Statute of SEEU.