This is an exceptional module designed as part of the replacement for COOP due to emergency travel restrictions. This module is set at B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It aims to prepare students to communicate with increasing confidence when using German in a German, Austrian or Swiss working environment and to give them an overview of current affairs and economic and socio-cultural issues in the German-speaking countries. More specifically, it aims to prepare students for job interviews and applications and to reflect on their professional goals and career aspirations, and to enable students to write and communicate successfully in a professional business and/or legal context in a form they are likely to encounter during their work experience and future career.

The emphasis in this module is on supporting students who have completed CEFR levels A1 and A2 and have started level B1 during their first 3 semesters of study. This will entail scaffolding their independent language learning across the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), as well as expanding their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar at CEFR level B1.1. The focus in the lecture is on the job application process in German-speaking countries, future career, and familiarisation with current affairs, in particular socio-cultural and economic topics. Tutorials concentrate on written production in the area of matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure and dealing with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken; written and oral language production describing experiences and events, hopes & ambitions and giving reasons and explanations for opinions and plans; production of texts including some business correspondence; text work in form of summaries and descriptions of graphs etc.; consolidation and revision of all grammatical structures and expanding vocabulary at level B1.1

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: * understand straightforward factual information about common everyday or job related topics, identifying both general messages and specific details; * recognize significant points in straightforward newspaper articles on socio-cultural and economic subjects and summarize such texts; * describe experiences and events, and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans; * enhance their ability to work independently by developing their Personal Learning Environment (PLE); * apply frequently-used linguistic features, phonetics, grammatical structures and vocabulary at CEFR level B1.1 correctly; *write business letters with appropriate levels of accuracy, vocabulary and presentation; * develop an application dossier (including a CV, letter of application and possible questions and answers) for a specific job advertisement of their choice; * present themselves at a professional level for job interviews in a German context * demonstrate skills in oral communication in a professional context (telephone conversations, videoconferencing)

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: * plan and monitor their own strategies for effective long-term language learning; * demonstrate an increasing appreciation of workplace culture in the German speaking countries; * display more confidence in communicating through the target language; * demonstrate increased intercultural awareness, in particular with regard to the workplace; * value the significance of intercultural communicative competence.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: * pronounce German in an accurate and consistent manner taking into account issues of language register in different professional communicative situations such as a job interview.

The module will be taught using a blended learning approach, combining on-line/ face-to-face tutorials and independent learning. Independent learning will be integrated throughout the module and online resources will be provided to assist students learning. Students will make use of innovative language learning methods involving computer mediated communication tools and other blended learning materials. Students will be engaged in active learning in order to enhance linguistic skills and cultural knowledge. The module consists of four six contact hours per week, one lecture and three tutorial hours.