Learn to speak and understand German in a wide range of practical situations and explore life in German-speaking communities with this carefully structured beginners' module. It introduces topics relevant to adult learners while offering insights into life in German-speaking countries and communities worldwide. Topics include impressions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, travelling on public transport, lifestyles and cultural events, jobs, and technology. Study resources include books and a dedicated website with activities that support independent learning. Alongside your tutor and fellow learners, you'll gain language skills and a real feel for German-speaking countries and communities.
What you will study
After an introduction to language learning, six thematic units will present new language in spoken and written form, invite you to collaborate and communicate in German, and revise and consolidate what you have learned.
The following themes will be covered:
introductions and personal details
shopping, work and leisure activities
accommodation and life in German-speaking countries
travel, trips and relaxation
family and history
culturally specific celebrations throughout the year.
New language, including useful phrases, grammatical features and tips for interacting successfully with speakers of German, are interspersed with cultural information and critical thinking skills. Up-to-date technology, such as machine translation and online communication tools, is discussed and critically evaluated.
We appreciate the diversity of learners and acknowledge that not every topic might be of interest to you. From the beginning, you will be encouraged to select appropriate elements of the course and focus on areas you need to develop, including a wide range of skills for communicating in a second language environment. And most of all, you’ll learn to enjoy different cultures and views of the world by meeting German-speaking people in videos, audio clips and through authentic texts from German media.
This module is designed to enable you to achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level A2 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. You will have developed your knowledge and understanding of the language as well as an awareness of cultural diversity in German-speaking countries which form a key part of the learning outcomes for studying at this level. By the end of the module, you will have developed key OU level 1 undergraduate study skills, such as learning to work independently and using strategies which enable you to solve problems and analyse data.
Entry requirements
This is a key introductory OU level 1 module. OU level 1 modules provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning.
No prior knowledge of German is required to study this module. To help decide if this is the module for you, use our self-assessment quiz.
Preparatory work
As part of the module, there will be an induction week to help you to familiarise yourself with OU materials, websites, and terminology.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
3 Interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs)
TMAs test your writing and speaking skills. Your listening and reading skills will be tested by iCMAs. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the module.
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
assessment details and submission section
online tutorial access
access to forums where you can communicate with your fellow students.
You will also be provided with printed course books, comprising 180 hours of study material, and online learning material, comprising 120 hours of study and revision.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying L103 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Introduction to German studies (beginners) (L103) starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2036.