LV 145 Career Communication Skills - Leistungsschein / Prüfung

No Schein will be given for attendance only.

Whether this course can be counted as a Prüfung depends on your Prüfungsamt; it's your job to find out about this!

For a Prüfung** or a Leistungsschein (both of which get 6 ECTS points***), these are the requirements:

  • Attendance: 80%*

  • Writing (to be submitted via email): CV (20%), application letter (20%), and a written record ("log") of your out-of-class "autonomous learning" (10%).****

  • Speaking: 3 interview questions (15%) and a presentation (35%)*****

If you correct the written assignments within one week after I send you my commented version, and if there are no mistakes in your corrected version, you can get five extra points for the assignment. This "special offer" is only valid for assignments sent to me before the last week of class. You can only correct each assignment once.

*If you attend only 60%-79% of the classes, you will lose one full point from your final grade. If you attend less than 60% of the classes, you cannot get a Schein or a Prüfung, and you will not get any ECTS points.

**The "Prüfungsform" is "prüfungsäquivalente Studienleistung (PÄS)" not "schriftlich", "mündlich, or "Hausarbeit".

*** To receive 6 ECTS points, you must document that you did at least 128 hours of work on your English outside of class. Please see the next note.

**** This is to be handed in the last week of classes. You are required to do at least 128 hours of work outside of class. This includes the time spent preparing your class assignments, sending me emails, and any other activities you undertake in English that help improve your proficiency. It's recommended that you make the entries into your log on a weekly basis. Here are links to samples -> .doc format  / .odt format (1. Please right-click the link and save the form on your computer. 2. Please don't send me an Excel table.)

***** The "talking time" of the presentation has to be at least ten minutes and should not be longer than twelve or thirteen minutes. If you show a YouTube video or play a song this isn't considered as part of the "talking time". The criteria for assessment of the presentation are listed below.

A video will be made of the interview questions and the presentation, and a copy will be sent to the student.

What does this mean in the TU system?

Final Grades

96%-100% =  1,0
90%-95% =  1,3
87%-89% =  1,7
83%-86% =  2,0
80%-82% =  2,3
77%-79%s =  2,7
73%-76% =  3,0
70%-72% =  3,3
67%-69% =  3,7
65%-66% =  4,0
0-64% =  5,0

Assessment of Presentation
 

Pronunciation Mistakes*

>10

5 – 10

<5

Points

6

8

10
Structure / Grammar Mistakes

>10

5 – 10

<5

Points

6

8

10
Read from notes

Usually

Rarely

Never

Points

6

8

10
Visuals ≈ Text

Same

Similar

Different

Points

2

3

5

* Some (but not all) definitions of "pronunciation mistakes"
(1) I had to stop the video and listen again because I wasn't able to understand what you said for
other than "technical" reasons. A "technical reason" means there was a problem with the video.
(2) Incorrect pronunciation of the English "th sounds" (think vs. this). Every time it occurs is one mistake.
(3) "Mixing" English sounds. Every time it occurs it's one mistake.
 e.g.
"s" and "z" (loose vs. lose)
"j" and "ch" (jeep vs. cheap)
"sh" and "ch" (ship vs. chip)
"sh" and "zh" (pressure vs. pleasure)
"f" and "v" (have vs. half)
"v" and "w" (veil vs. whale)
etc.

By the way, if you'd like a nice Business English book with audio exercises:
Book Audio

Last update: 12 Apr 2012