German studies 2: language and culture of the German-speaking world

This module takes you to an upper intermediate level of competence in German, which is equivalent to level B2 of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference. You’ll further develop your cultural knowledge, and practical language skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing and interacting in a variety of situations – ranging from everyday conversation to putting forward your point of view in a debate. You’ll also consolidate and further develop academic, digital and employability skills in German-speaking contexts.

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

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Module

Module code

L223

Credits

Study level

Level of Study
OU	SCQF	FHEQ
2	8	5

What you will study

This module further extends your language competence as well as enhancing your cultural knowledge and developing key skills necessary for studying at a higher level. The themes of the module cover different aspects of life in German-speaking countries today.

You’ll work with online materials, and study a variety of texts, and audio and video materials that will develop your reading, speaking, listening and writing skills. The activities provided will also develop your academic, digital, professional and intercultural skills in German-speaking contexts.

The module has six themes:

Work and education
Environment
Media and popular culture
History
Individuals and institutions
Social issues

Through each theme, you’ll gradually develop your knowledge and skills by:

consolidating and expanding your knowledge of German vocabulary and grammar
learning about and reflecting on language, culture and intercultural communication skills
studying with audio recordings and videos that explore topical issues in German-speaking cultures and societies
engaging in a wide variety of speaking and interactive activities
practising translation to support your language learning
consolidating and expanding your academic skills
using digital tools and resources to support your language learning
finding and using information from external sources
working independently and in collaboration with others
reviewing your personal goals and monitoring your progress using checklists and reflective questions.

The study materials provide confidence-building strategies to improve your learning skills. We’ve carefully structured these to equip you gradually with the key skills necessary for studying at a higher level.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You'll have a tutor to help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written and spoken tutor-marked assignments (TMAs). You can also ask your tutor for advice and guidance. This module includes online tutorials. Although you're not obliged to attend, we strongly encourage you to take part, as they will provide you with plenty of opportunities to speak and listen to German.

Assessment

You can find the assessment details for this module in the facts box. Please note the module no longer includes an embedded residential school, instead you will participate in an embedded online school. See below for more details.

The TMAs test your writing and speaking skills. The EMA tests your writing skills.

Online school¹

This module also includes a compulsory online school with a focus on developing spoken fluency and intercultural understanding. The online school will be delivered by Open University module team and tutors in collaboration with partners in the German-speaking world and will include a wide range of activities and intercultural encounters. The programme offers opportunities to enhance and develop skills covered in the module, to practise your German in a variety of situations and learn more about German-speaking regions and countries.

There will be a choice of joining a more intensive version of the online school over one week in late February/early March or a more extended version running across several weeks in March/April.

To pass the module, you must take part in the online school programme.

¹This module was previously advertised as including an embedded residential school in Germany. This has been replaced by an embedded online school. This page was updated on 11 April 2023.

Future availability

German studies 2: language and culture of the German-speaking world (L223) starts once a year – in October.

This page describes the module that will start in October 2024.

We expect it to start for the last time in October 2028.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Course work includes:; 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
: End-of-module assessment

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements to study this module.

However, as this is an OU level 2 module, you’ll need appropriate knowledge of German through any of the following:

German studies 1 (intermediate) (L113)
Auftakt: intermediate German (L130) – now discontinued
German knowledge equivalent to the above

If you’re not sure you’re ready, talk to an adviser.

Preparatory work

Anything you can do to keep practising your German will be helpful. For example:

listening to German radio broadcasts and podcasts
accessing authentic resources online
checking out the language materials available in iTunes U
borrowing German books and films from the local library
reading a German newspaper
redoing some of the activities in L113 (or L130)
watching and listening to the L113 (or L130) audio and video materials.

You can also visit OpenLearn to explore the free materials available for German.

Register

Start	End	Fee
-	-	-	No current presentation - see Future availability
This module is expected to start for the last time in October 2028.

Additional Costs

Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

If your income is not more than £25,000 or you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Joint loan applications

If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.

As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.

Employer sponsorship

Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

More than one in ten OU students are sponsored by their employer, and over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.

Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.

We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Mixed payments

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).

Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and therefore the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2024. Fees normally increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules

This information was provided on 01/12/2023.

Can you study an Access module for free?

In order to qualify, you must:

be resident in England
have a personal income of less than £25,000 (or receive qualifying benefits)
have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above, or completed 30 credits or more of OU study

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069 or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

monthly payments through OUSBA
part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

You'll have access to a module website, which includes:

a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
access to the Open University online library that contains resources for German
assessment details and submission section
online tutorial access
access to forums where you can communicate with your fellow students.

You'll also be provided with a printed grammar book.

Computing requirements

You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS (11 'Big Sur' or higher).

Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.

To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.

It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying L223 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

If you have particular study requirements please tell us as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Visit our Disability support website to find out more about what we offer.