L0706 - GERMAN LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION I

courses

ID:

L0706

Duration (hours):

54

CFU:

SSD:

LINGUA E TRADUZIONE - LINGUA TEDESCA

Located in:

PESCARA

Url:

Course Details:

MODERN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES AND CULTURES/CORSO GENERICO Year: 1

Year:

2025

Course Catalogue:

https://unich.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/af/2025?co...

Date/time interval

Annuale (03/10/2025 - 31/05/2026)

Course Objectives

The course represents the first stage of a two-year advanced linguistic training program aimed at reflecting on the German language from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives, consolidating written and oral proficiency, and developing translation skills.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

understand and describe the main aspects of the linguistic history of the German-speaking area from the nineteenth century to the present, with particular reference to language standardization processes and orthographic and punctuation normalization.

Additionally, students will be able to:

clearly distinguish between Leichte Sprache and Einfache Sprache;

acquire theoretical and practical skills for simplified writing and translation;

understand the regulatory frameworks and target audiences of each variety;

evaluate the communicative function and inclusive potential of simplified texts;

develop a critical approach to simplification in contemporary linguistic society.

Finally, students will be able to:

recognize and classify morphological and syntactic phenomena in C1-level texts;

apply acquired knowledge from exercises to the morphological, syntactic, and pragmatic analysis of German;

describe linguistic phenomena using appropriate terminology, providing relevant examples with correct spelling;

demonstrate consolidated phonetic competence in German;

achieve C1 level according to the CEFR, with the ability to:

understand a wide range of complex and lengthy texts, including implicit meanings;

express themselves fluently and naturally;

use German flexibly and effectively for social, professional, and academic purposes;

produce clear, well-structured, and detailed texts on complex topics, showing secure control of textual structure, connectors, and cohesion devices.

Course Prerequisites

B2 level in the four core language skills. Basic knowledge of text linguistics, sociolinguistics, and translation principles.

Teaching Methods

Workload:

Classroom lectures: 60 hours

Independent study: 190 hours

Teaching methods:

Lectures with textual and digital materials

Analysis of authentic examples (websites, public documents, popular texts)

Guided and independent exercises in comprehension, simplification, and translation

Seminar discussions and collective reflection

Practical workshop (text drafting, collaborative correction, comparison with official guidelines)

The course has a strong practical workshop component and may include contributions from experts or organizations working in the field of accessible communication. Students will have the opportunity to produce work that can be used as a professional portfolio in contexts such as publishing, institutions, and social communication.

Assessment Methods

Written assessments:

Reading and listening comprehension: multiple-choice, true/false, and gap-filling exercises.

Short written production.

Practical exercises in adaptation, rewriting, and translation into Leichte Sprache and Einfache Sprache, with linguistic commentary.

Oral exam:

Free and guided conversation in German.

Discussion in German and Italian on the theoretical topics covered in the course syllabus.

Texts

Unterrichtsmodul I:
• Stephan Elspaß: „Standardisierung des Deutschen. Ansichten aus der neueren Sprachgeschichte ‚von unten‘“, in: Ludwig M. Eichinger und Werner Kallmeyer (Hgg.), Standardvariation. Wie viel Variation verträgt die deutsche Sprache?, Berlin/New York: de Gruyter, 2005, S. 63-99.
• Petra Ewald, „Rechtschreibung. Die Grundzüge der heutigen deutschen Orthographie als Ergebnis historischer Entwicklungen“, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Germanistenverbandes, vol. 58, iss. 1 (2011), S. 5-21.
• Livio Gaeta, „Il dibattito sulla punteggiatura nell’Ottocento fino alla codifica di Duden“, in: Bice Mortara Garavelli (ed.), Storia della punteggiatura in Europa, Roma/Bari: Laterza, 2008, S. 424-438.
• Dieter Nerius, „Die Rolle der II. Orthographischen Konferenz (1901) in der Geschichte der deutschen Rechtschreibung“, Zeitschrift für deutsche Philologie, 119 (2000) 1, S. 30-45.
• Peter von Polenz, Geschichte der deutschen Sprache, 10. Auflage, Berlin/New York: de Gruyter, 2009 (Kapitel 5, S. 123-177).
• Jörg Riecke, Geschichte der deutschen Sprache. Eine Einführung, Stuttgart: Reclam, 2016 (Kapitel 6, S. 188-246).
• Joachim Schildt, „Entwicklungstendenzen der deutschen Sprache im 19. Jahrhundert“, Brünner Beiträge zur Germanistik und Nordistik, vol. 5, iss. 1 (1986), S. 67-77.

Unterrichtsmodul II:

Bredel, U. / Maaß, C. (2016). Leichte Sprache – Theoretische Grundlagen. Dudenverlag.
Baumert, A. (2018). Einfache Sprache. Verständliche Texte schreiben. 1. Auflage. Spaß am Lesen Verlag.
Crestani, V. (2020). Mediare in “Leichte Sprache” in tedesco e in italiano, Italiano LinguaDue, 12(1), 586-602.
Crestani, V. (2022). Die periphere Übersetzung Deutsch – Italienisch. Audiovisuell und Leicht, pp. 103-166.
Di Meola, C.-Puato, D.-Porcaro, C. (2024). Il tedesco tra lingua difficile e “lingua facile” Prospettive sulla Leichte Sprache, Sapienza University Press

I non frequentanti aggiungeranno:

Maaß, C. (2015). Leichte Sprache. Das Regelbuch. UTB.
Netzwerk Leichte Sprache (2013). Regeln für Leichte Sprache.

Stadt Bochum (Hrsg.): Tipps zum einfachen Schreiben. o. O. (moderne-verwaltungssprache.de [PDF])
LiES. Literatur in einfacher Sprache. Hrsg.: Hauke Hückstädt. Piper, München 2020

Materiali integrativi:

Siti ufficiali (www.leichte-sprache.org, bpb.de, bundestag.de)
Esempi editoriali, amministrativi, museali, multimediali

The course is divided into two distinct teaching modules:
Teaching Module I: Introduces the linguistic history of the German-speaking area from the nineteenth century to the present, with particular focus on the processes of unification and standardization of the German language, as well as orthographic and punctuation normalization (Rechtschreibreformen). During the lessons, various types of texts (journalistic, specialized, and literary) will be read, analyzed, and translated.
Teaching Module II: Introduces and compares Leichte Sprache and Einfache Sprache, two linguistic strategies developed to facilitate comprehension and access to information. In addition to theoretical and regulatory aspects, the module will cover:

the target audiences and objectives of the two simplified varieties;

the specific editorial rules of Leichte Sprache;

the morphosyntactic and lexical characteristics of Einfache Sprache;

translation and pragmatic implications of both varieties;

authentic examples from institutional, editorial, and digital contexts;

practical exercises in adapting and translating complex texts.

The course includes a workshop on simplified writing and a critical reflection on the limitations and potential of simplified communication in contemporary society.

Course Language

German and Italian

More information

To support the achievement of the required language level (C1 according to the CEFR), the course includes exercises and other teaching resources (in-class, language labs, or online) organized by the instructors and the University Language Center (CLA).
Attendance at exercises with the Expert Language Assistants and participation in the corresponding final assessments, which are an integral part of the exam, is strongly recommended.
Schedules, assessment procedures, and office hours are available on the CLA website.