German and Economics (BA)

Our teaching is heavily informed by research and combines academic rigour with practical relevance. While our internationally recognised faculty consists of academics who are at the forefront of knowledge within their field. They bring the lessons learned from their most recent research into the classroom, giving you access to critical business thinking and contemporary real life examples and scenarios. The teaching covers all the key competencies, and is enhanced by the inclusion of digital learning.

We will provide your teaching and learning resources, and will be responsive to your needs and views. For your part, you will need to put in the necessary amount of work both during and outside formal teaching sessions, and make good use of the facilities provided.

You will primarily be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars, although German modules will also offer the opportunity for workshops and language classes. Most modules involve a mixture of lectures and small group teaching (called classes, seminars, workshops or tutorials). 

In tutorials and seminars you’ll have the opportunity to discuss particular themes or topics, to consolidate and get feedback on your individual learning and to develop skills in oral presentation. Communication skills are developed in tutorials, where you will make individual contributions to group study, for example by summarising a particular case study for the group.
 

Lectures provide an overview of the key concepts and frameworks for a topic, equipping you to carry out independent research for the seminars and to develop your own ideas. Seminars provide an opportunity for you to explore the ideas outlined in the lectures. Seminars may take various formats, including plenary group discussion, small-group work and student-led presentations. You will also enhance your team-working skills.

Language classes are taught in groups to enhance confidence and active learning. A varied timetable includes oral expression, aural comprehension and writing skills, which are taught in small groups to enhance confidence and active learning. These vital communication skills are practiced and developed through regular classwork exercises and written work. Our teaching methods allow you to engage with a range of language-learning technologies. Materials including textbooks, videos, films, novels, audio files and websites are supported by online resources that compliment classroom activities and promote and enable independent learning. Class materials include a range from literary and historical to contemporary journalistic texts, providing a broad insight into language and culture.

Independent study forms a key part of your learning, and our independent learning portfolios have been developed to provide you with online resources to support your independent language learning.  

How will I be supported?

Our BA German and Economics programme is team-taught, with the programme as a whole overseen by the Programme Director. You will be supported by a number of different staff, some focussing on academic performance in a particular area and some looking at learning and progress more holistically.

All academic staff have designated hours where they are available to meet with you to offer advice and feedback on the subjects that they teach.

You will also be allocated a personal tutor, who will meet with you regularly to reflect on your progress and development across your studies, and to think about how to build on your achievements and advance further. Your personal tutor can also guide you if you are experiencing difficulties towards appropriate support.

While you are away from Cardiff, you will be assigned a Year Abroad Coordinator, who will keep in touch with you and monitor your progress. You may also get a visit from one of your lecturers who will be keen to find out how you are getting on.

You will have access through the Learning Central to relevant learning resources, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion circles.

We pride ourselves on the level of engagement we have with our student body, giving you the opportunity to express your opinions and be partners in School decision-making where possible. We survey students regularly to make sure we are always working in your best interests.   

The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, the Academic Skills Development Centre and excellent libraries and resource centres.

How will I be assessed?

Feedback and assessment is a priority area within this programme, with a dedicated assessment and feedback lead tasked with ensuring you have the best experience. The focus of assessment in the School of Modern Languages and Cardiff Business School is in supporting you to develop your ideas, skills and competencies, with the feedback you receive feeding forward into future work. The programme offers a range of traditional assessment formats (such as essays, class tests, exams and dissertation) as well as more innovative forms of assessment, (such as vlogs, participation in radio shows, video and audio projects, interviews, portfolios, and so forth). Assessments include formative assessments (which enable you to develop your skills and do not count towards your final degree classification) and summative assessments (which do count towards your final classification).

As part of your skills training in year 1, you will be supported in understanding how the assessments work, what is expected of you, how you will be marked and how to make the most of your feedback.

What skills will I practise and develop?

Knowledge & Understanding:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• The ability to speak, write, and understand one or more foreign languages to a high level of competency.
• An in-depth intercultural understanding including specific knowledge of other cultures, allied to the ability to navigate and mediate between more than one culture.
• A sound understanding of the foundations of and developments in economic theory.
• Familiarity with the main forms and sources of economic data and how they are used in economic analysis.
• Understanding of the key current economic policy debates and contemporary economic problems.
• Appreciation of the contribution economic analysis can make to understanding a range of specific economic problems.

Intellectual Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• Enhanced linguistic skills, as well as a broad appreciation of the culture, literature, and history of Germany and German speaking countries.
• The ability to communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in writing and speech, in English and German.
• An ability to explain, manipulate, apply and critically evaluate specific economic models
• An ability to work with economic data used in economic analysis.
• Skills in understanding and using empirical findings from the economic literature.
• Skills in undertaking basic research into economic problems.
• A capacity to apply theoretical ideas to analyse worldwide economic problems, contemporary and/or historical.

Professional Practical Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• Using a range of IT programmes and digital media, where appropriate.
• Resilience and independence through time spent in immersive foreign language contexts.
• Communication and critical-thinking skills.
• Working to deadlines and priorities, managing a range of tasks at the same time.
• Working as part of a team, developing a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• An ability to model complex economic decision-making situations to produce analytical frameworks that facilitate both understanding and efficient problem solving.
• A capacity to apply deductive reasoning and logical analysis to model economic issues.
• Skills in using basic mathematics to elucidate economic ideas.
• Competence in integrating data, factual information, quantitative analysis and empirical work, in an appropriate manner.

Transferable/Key Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• The ability to grasp complex issues with confidence.
• The ability analyse complex texts.
• The ability to interpret and apply relevant data.
• Practical research skills.
• Imaginative solutions of your own that are rooted in evidence.
• Learning from constructive criticism and incorporate its insights.
• Responsibility for your own learning programme and Professional development.
• Critical skills (reasoning, evaluating evidence, problem-solving, relating theory to practice).
• Creativity and innovative thinking.
• Leadership, teamwork and self-management skills.
• Identifying, recording and communicating your relevant career attainments.
• Progression from problem formulation to solution identification. 
• Structured argument to derive a conclusion from a set of assumptions.
• Concepts of macroeconomics and be able to undertake basic macroeconomic analysis of, for example, the effects of a monetary expansion.
• Mastery of diagrammatic and algebraic techniques.
• The ability to undertake both diagrammatic and mathematical analyses of macroeconomic issues.
• Analytical, communication and learning skills through class work and web-based exercises.
• An ability to exercise numeracy, problem solving and IT skills.