German: Beginners – Part 2

Course starts 21 January 2027

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Thursdays, 4.45-6.45pm.

The weekly course schedule below is intended to give an overview of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change according to the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.

Week 1: Talking about events in the past (introduction)

Week 2: Describing places in a city, asking for directions

Week 3: Narrating past events (continued)

Week 4: Events and festivities, seasons and months, giving the date

Week 5: Customs and traditions, expressing surprise

Week 6: Habits and routines, discussing intercultural differences

Week 7: Describing and comparing cities, expressing wishes and needs

Week 8: Describing your house: rooms, furniture, appliances

Week 9: Shopping for clothes and gifts, expressing opinions

Week 10: Topics for small talk, asking for and giving advice

Key grammar points

* Perfect tense using haben and sein

* Separable verbs in the present tense

* Two-way prepositions using the accusative or dative cases

* Prepositions using the dative case bei, mit, von, zu 

* Adjectival agreement in the nominative and accusative cases 

Key functions

* Understanding, asking for and giving directions

* Describing one’s daily routine

* Narrating events and celebrations in the past and present tenses

* Describing accommodation and interiors

* Shopping in a department store, asking for assistance, and stating preferences   

Course aims

To develop interactive skills at a basic level to communicate with speakers of the target language in a limited range of practical, real-life settings.

Course objectives

• Develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing for basic everyday communication in the target language.
• Consolidate listening comprehension skills to understand the gist of very short, basic written texts and audio excerpts.
• Familiarise learners with high-frequency vocabulary and grammar structures for basic routine communication.
• Develop an appreciation of the culture and civilisation of the country (or countries) in which the target language is spoken.

Learning outcomes

By the end of your course, learners will be better prepared to:

• interact in a simple way using a basic range of language in routine everyday contexts;
• understand and respond to basic spoken or recorded language relating to very familiar everyday situations;
• demonstrate comprehension of very short, simple texts containing high frequency vocabulary and basic grammar structures;  
• write very short texts to provide basic personal information or simple descriptions.    

Level and demands

New students, who have not completed ‘German: Beginners – Part 1’ whose proficiency in the language is appropriate for the course level are very welcome.

Pitched at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Find your language level

Teaching methods

You will learn through practical, scenario‑based classroom activities that encourage the active use of the target language. Sessions typically integrate meaningful tasks, pair and small‑group work, and collaborative problem‑solving in a supportive and friendly environment. These activities bring together speaking, listening, reading, and writing, enabling you to apply the language purposefully in real‑world situations.

The course is designed to build your spoken and listening abilities while deepening your understanding of cultural nuances, etiquette, and everyday usage. We will work with new grammar structures through meaningful, communicative tasks, and you will continue developing your reading and writing skills both in class and independently through self‑study.

Assessment methods

You will be set short, optional assignments to consolidate your learning and to allow you to progress at your own pace.

Ms Paula Eberlin

Paula is a Departmental Lecturer in German. She contributes to the Weekly Class and Intensive Weekend programmes as well as teaching German and French at the Oxford University Language Centre. She studied at Durham University and previously worked in the City of London before pursing an academic career. She joins us from Regent’s University, London.

Digital badge

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.

After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses

Textbooks

To participate in the course fully, you will need access to the following textbook:

Recommended reading

Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.

Library facilities

All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.

• More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website. 
• This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.

Course Reading

• A1.2. DaF leicht. Deutsch als Fremdsprache für Erwachsene. Course and Workbook with DVD-ROM / Sabine Jentges et. al

Recommended Reading List

Module code: O26P551XDW

How to enrol

Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.

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