Course detail
German for Specific Purposes II
FSI-N8 Acad. year: 2027/2028 Summer semester
The course requires a very good knowledge of the general language, at least at the B2 level.
The course is focused on developing specialized language skills with an emphasis on communication in technical and business contexts. Instruction develops students’ ability to understand specialized texts and spoken messages, use specialized terminology, and apply language features characteristic of professional communication.
Thematically, the course focuses primarily on the fields of economics and business, industry and engineering, work process organization, occupational safety, manufacturing, and materials management. Students work on describing work procedures, technical characteristics, and products; preparing and delivering professional presentations; and communicating during business negotiations, at trade shows, and at professional meetings.
Emphasis is placed on the accurate, comprehensible, and structured conveyance of technical information and on responding appropriately in various professional communication situations. Students apply the language knowledge and skills they acquire in professional communication within a German-speaking work environment.
Language of instruction
German
Number of ECTS credits
4
Supervisor
Department
Entry knowledge
This course is aimed at students with a very good command of general German, corresponding to at least level B2 according to the CEFR. Students are expected to be able to communicate independently in both everyday and more challenging situations, have a good grasp of grammatical structures, and be able to understand coherent spoken and written messages. This knowledge forms the foundation for the further development of specialized vocabulary and language skills necessary for communication in technical and professional contexts.
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
Credit is conditional upon active participation in the seminars, completion of the assigned tasks and passing the mini-tests for each lesson. To obtain credit, students must achieve 60 per cent of the total marks in each of the tests.
The examination at consists of a written and an oral section.
The written section of the examination assesses global and detailed comprehension of written and spoken texts, knowledge of general and specialized language structures, and the ability to formulate coherent written messages.
The oral part of the exam includes an individual presentation on a specialized topic and a conversation on professional and specialized topics. It assesses the student’s ability to independently prepare and deliver a structured specialized presentation, clearly convey specialized information, formulate and defend their own opinions, and respond appropriately to questions and comments in the subsequent discussion.
Attendance at seminars is compulsory and is systematically checked by the teacher. Students are allowed to miss two seminars. Regular attendance and active participation in classes are necessary conditions for taking the examination.
Aims
The aim of the course is to develop students’ specialized language skills in German and to enhance their ability to communicate in technical and business contexts. Students will expand and consolidate their specialized vocabulary and master the linguistic, grammatical, and stylistic tools characteristic of technical and professional communication. They will become familiar with the principles of structuring technical communications and presenting technical and work-related topics.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to understand technical texts and spoken messages, identify essential information within them, interpret it, and clearly reproduce or summarize their content. They will be able to describe work procedures, technical objects, their properties, and functions, and explain contexts related to production and materials management. They can independently prepare and deliver a technical presentation, convey technical information in a structured and clear manner, and respond appropriately to questions and comments from the audience. They are able to participate in business negotiations and technical discussions, formulate and defend their own positions, and apply their acquired language skills when addressing communication tasks in a professional setting.
The study programmes with the given course
Programme B-OBN-P: Common Offer, Bachelor's, elective
Programme N-OBN-P: Common Offer, Master's, elective
Programme BIT: Information Technology, Bachelor's
specialization BITP: Information Technology, elective
Type of course unit
Language exercise
26 hours, compulsory
Syllabus
1. Industries and companies
2. Industry and mechanical engineering
3. Day-to-day operations
4. Safety at work
5. Business negotiations
6. Production and material management
7. Describing workflows
8. Describing product properties
9. Product presentation
10. Participation in the industrial fair
11. Meetings in engineering companies
12. Company presentation
13. Credit test