PunktUm

The seminar is aimed at all international students who have to complete various written assignments (e.g. seminar paper, presentation, Bachelor's and Master's thesis) in German as a foreign language as part of their degree programme.

The aim of the course is to familiarise students with the key steps and working techniques involved in academic writing in German as a foreign language and to practise these at different stages of the writing process.
Topics covered include

• Topic search and narrowing down
• Work planning and time management
• Requirements for academic writing products
• Reading strategies/ systematically analysing literature
• Writing the rough draft (including structuring/ finding the common thread)
• Conventions of academic texts
• Knowledge of text types for various text elements (e.g. introduction and conclusion)

All topics are taught in a practice-orientated way. In this way, participants are shown how to approach academic writing projects systematically and learn how to deal with the conventions of academic language when writing in German, a foreign language.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Even in times of PowerPoint presentations and online scripts, active listening and taking notes in lectures, especially in a foreign language, still presents significant difficulties. You ask yourself:

• How do I recognise the important information?
• How do I organise my notes clearly?
• What can I do to ensure that I still understand the meaning of the transcript after some time?

Using the example of video recordings of authentic lectures, we will work on and practise the following topics in the workshop:

• Preparation and follow-up of a lecture
• Typical structure and sequence of lectures
• Outline signals as support for taking notes
• Techniques for taking notes

ECTS points can be awarded for active participation in the workshop.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available for the entire duration of the programme.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Language requirements for participation: Level A2

Attending a seminar to work in the library? A waste of time! Borrow a book, read it, done! You can do that without a seminar, BUT...

Many of the library's procedures and above all its services, which go far beyond "borrowing a book", are mainly held in German. It is also important for you, the students and doctoral candidates on English-language degree programmes, to know and be able to carry out the logistical procedures (filling out forms, making an interlibrary loan request, setting up a desk machine, etc.).

In addition, the Bielefeld Library offers you numerous other services to support you in your academic work!

Because do you know

• how you can search in all library catalogues worldwide and also in electronic article databases?
• how to work with the Smartboard and develop and present papers and presentations there?
• that the library supports you with the publication of your articles or doctorate?

Do you know and use the reference management programme Citavi, which makes it much easier for you to manage your literature and thus work on seminar papers, presentations or your doctorate?

Have you ever taken advantage of the opportunity offered by the subject librarians to discuss your systematic literature research for your Master's thesis or doctorate?

NO? Too bad!

In the seminar "Scientific work and writing in the library" we explore the library step by step. An initial tour shows what the library has to offer, where to find what and describes the requirements for use. In the further course of the seminar, the library's other services will be presented.

The "specialised" vocabulary associated with the library is taught in all modules. Practical tutorials (in connection with lecture/seminar) round off the programme.

After completing the seminar

• you will be familiar with the many possibilities and services offered by the library
• can use them effectively and profitably for your academic work or studies
• and will have considerably improved your German language skills for all related communication situations!

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) will be available throughout your studies

Regularly in the winter semester

The seminar "Wortschatz- und Formulierungstraining zur deutschen Wissenschaftssprache I" is the first of two courses in which the expansion of the typical vocabulary for different types of texts (term papers and theses) is specifically trained.

This course focuses on expanding vocabulary, especially for writing an introduction and conclusion, and teaching working techniques and procedures for expanding vocabulary. The focus is on the reception and retention of vocabulary on the respective topics as well as the function of the text modules introduction and conclusion.

The focus of the exercises is on

• Characteristics of the academic language German
• Structure and typical vocabulary of an introduction
• Structure and typical vocabulary of a conclusion
• Working techniques to expand and deepen the scientific vocabulary Vocabulary

At the end of the course, students will know the function, structure and specific vocabulary of the text modules "introduction" and "conclusion". Students will then be able to apply this knowledge in their own seminar papers. The knowledge of systematisation and the specialist vocabulary they have learned can also be transferred to other situations during their studies.

The two parts of the course "Vocabulary and formulation training for German academic language I and II" do not build on each other thematically. They can be attended in any order.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available throughout the entire degree programme.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Do you write texts in German for your degree programme but find it difficult to use grammatical structures correctly, resulting in problems with appropriate wording? Does this situation sound familiar to you?

Then we have just the right course for you: the "Intensive grammar course for academic writing" is an additional course offered by PunktUm.

The aim is to repeat and apply the grammatical structures of German academic language. All grammar topics are presented in a functional context for scientific writing, with application exercises on your own texts at the centre of the course.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

At the beginning of their studies, many Bachelor's students are confronted with the problem of having to familiarise themselves slowly and laboriously with the norms, rules and conventions of writing texts in their respective subject. The following questions arise, for example:

• How do I write a scientific text?
• How do scientific and non-scientific texts differ?

This is especially true when German is a foreign language. Firstly, we will endeavour to gain an overview of the various steps involved in planning and producing a simple scientific text. We will then practise some helpful procedures using authentic scientific texts from various disciplines as examples. We will work on the following questions through tutorials in connection with lecture/seminar):

• How do I find a topic for a scientific text and how do I narrow it down?
• How do I read scientific sources systematically and effectively?
• How do I structure my text?

ECTS credits can be awarded for active participation in the workshop.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available throughout the entire degree programme

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

When you are at the beginning of your studies, even giving a presentation can cause uncertainty, especially if it is in a foreign language. Many foreign students ask themselves, for example:

• How do I avoid linguistic mistakes?
• Is my pronunciation good enough?
• Is my presentation too short or long enough?

In order to find answers and improve your own language skills in this area, we will cover the following areas in this workshop using various tutorials (in connection with lecture/seminar):

• Steps for the optimal preparation of presentations
• Practical structuring aids and easy-to-use phrases
• Strategies for giving presentations confidently and without fear
• How to deal productively with uncertainties

All preparation steps will be directly applied and tried out in the workshop.

ECTS credits can be awarded for active participation in the workshop.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available throughout the entire degree programme

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

"Universities are places of learning. This is a commonplace; what it means is not." (Ehlich 2003: 13)

Did you understand the example sentence above? Or do you know all the words, but the sentence doesn't seem coherent to you? If so, then this seminar is the right one for you!

Reading academic texts is a key skill in university. However, many texts require complex skills such as knowledge of reading strategies, familiarity with methods of acquisition, appropriate information management, etc. The seminar is aimed at all international students who want to improve their reading skills. Through practical tutorials (in connection with lecture/seminar), tips and reading training, the seminar helps students to become competent readers of academic texts.

Important topics:

• Characteristics of academic texts
• Types of texts during studies
• Reading strategies
• Recognising argumentation
• Methods of retaining what you have read etc.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Regularly in the summer semester

The rules and conventions of German academic language raise many questions. This is particularly true when studying and writing in German as a foreign language.

The question arises:

• What are the characteristics of German academic language?
• What is meant by "scientific behaviour"?
• What scientific language acts are there?
• What are their functions? By what means are they realised?

If you are asking yourself one or more of the above questions, this seminar is the right place for you.

The seminar is an extension of the course "Vocabulary and formulation training for German academic language I" and therefore also an opportunity for participants of this course to deepen their knowledge.

The aim of this course is to teach working techniques and procedures that promote the expansion of vocabulary in the context of scientific communication. The focus is on the reception and memorisation of vocabulary on the various topics as well as the function of language acts in academic writing. Writing.

At the end of the course, students will have a basic knowledge of the function of language acts in the context of academic communication and will have the necessary vocabulary for the written realisation of these acts. They will be able to recognise scientific language acts in texts and reproduce them using their own words.

Attendance of the course "Vocabulary and Formulation Training I" is NOT a prerequisite!

Participation in the seminar is free of charge!

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available for the entire duration of the programme

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Do you write texts in German for your degree programme, but have difficulty using grammatical structures correctly, resulting in problems with appropriate wording? Does this situation sound familiar to you?

Then we have just the right course for you: the "Intensive Grammar for Academic Writing" course is an additional programme offered by PunktUm.

The aim is to repeat and apply the grammatical structures of German academic language. All grammar topics are presented in a functional context for scientific writing, with application exercises on your own texts at the centre of the course.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

When you are at the beginning of your studies, even giving a presentation can cause uncertainty, especially if it is in a foreign language. Many foreign students ask themselves, for example:

• How do I avoid linguistic mistakes?
• Is my pronunciation good enough?
• Is my presentation too short or long enough?

In order to find answers and improve your own language skills in this area, we will cover the following areas in this workshop using various tutorials (in connection with lecture/seminar):

• Steps for the optimal preparation of presentations
• Practical structuring aids and easy-to-use phrases
• Strategies for giving presentations confidently and without fear
• How to deal productively with uncertainties

All preparation steps will be directly applied and tried out in the workshop.

ECTS credits can be awarded for active participation in the workshop.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available throughout the entire degree programme

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

"Universities are places of learning. This is a commonplace; what it means is not." (Ehlich 2003: 13)

Did you understand the example sentence above? Or do you know all the words, but the sentence doesn't seem coherent to you? If so, then this seminar is the right one for you!

Reading academic texts is a key skill in university. However, many texts require complex skills such as knowledge of reading strategies, familiarity with methods of appropriation, appropriate information management, etc. The seminar is aimed at all international students who want to improve their reading skills. Through practical tutorials (in connection with lecture/seminar), tips and reading training, the seminar helps students to become competent readers of academic texts.

Important topics:

• Characteristics of academic texts
• Types of texts during studies
• Reading strategies
• Recognising argumentation
• Methods of retaining what you have read etc.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

At the beginning of their studies, many Bachelor's students are confronted with the problem of having to familiarise themselves slowly and laboriously with the norms, rules and conventions of writing texts in their respective subject. The following questions arise, for example:

• How do I write a scientific text?
• How do scientific and non-scientific texts differ?

This is especially true when German is a foreign language. Firstly, we will endeavour to gain an overview of the various steps involved in planning and producing a simple scientific text. We will then practise some helpful procedures using authentic scientific texts from various disciplines as examples. We will work on the following questions through tutorials in connection with lecture/seminar):

• How do I find a topic for a scientific text and how do I narrow it down?
• How do I read scientific sources systematically and effectively?
• How do I structure my text?

ECTS points can be awarded for active participation in the workshop.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available throughout the entire degree programme

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Regularly in the winter semester

The seminar "Wortschatz- und Formulierungstraining zur deutschen Wissenschaftssprache I" is the first of two courses in which the expansion of the typical vocabulary for different types of texts (term papers and theses) is specifically trained.

The focus of this course is on expanding vocabulary, especially for writing an introduction and conclusion, and on teaching working techniques and procedures for expanding vocabulary. The focus is on the reception and retention of vocabulary on the respective topics as well as the function of the text modules introduction and conclusion.

The focus of the exercises is on

• Characteristics of the academic language German
• Structure and typical vocabulary of an introduction
• Structure and typical vocabulary of a conclusion
• Working techniques to expand and deepen the scientific vocabulary Vocabulary

At the end of the course, students will be familiar with the function, structure and specific vocabulary of the text modules "introduction" and "conclusion". Students will then be able to apply this knowledge in their own seminar papers. The knowledge of systematisation and the specialist vocabulary they have learned can also be transferred to other situations during their studies.

The two parts of the course "Vocabulary and formulation training for German academic language I and II" do not build on each other thematically. They can be attended in any order.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available throughout the entire degree programme.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Regularly in the summer semester

The rules and conventions of German academic language raise many questions. This is particularly true when studying and writing in German as a foreign language.

The question arises:

• What are the characteristics of German academic language?
• What is meant by "scientific behaviour"?
• What scientific language acts are there?
• What are their functions? By what means are they realised?

If you are asking yourself one or more of the above questions, this seminar is the right place for you.

The seminar is an extension of the course "Vocabulary and formulation training for German academic language I" and therefore also an opportunity for participants of this course to deepen their knowledge.

The aim of this course is to teach working techniques and procedures that promote the expansion of vocabulary in the context of scientific communication. The focus is on the reception and memorisation of vocabulary on the various topics as well as the function of language acts in academic writing. Writing.

At the end of the course, students will have a basic knowledge of the function of language acts in the context of academic communication and will have the necessary vocabulary for the written realisation of these acts. They will be able to recognise scientific language acts in texts and reproduce them using their own words.

Attendance of the course "Vocabulary and Formulation Training I" is NOT a prerequisite!

Participation in the seminar is free of charge!

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available for the entire duration of the programme

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

Designing, planning and effectively carrying out the thesis writing project within a given time frame is a major challenge, especially in a foreign language. Students ask themselves, for example:

• What is the difference between a thesis and a seminar paper?
• How do I narrow down my topic appropriately?
• How do I manage to write the thesis in the allotted time?
• What assessment criteria do the examiners apply?
• Am I writing academically enough?

This workshop offers the opportunity to find answers to these and other questions. In addition, helpful working techniques will be presented and tried out directly on the topic of your own thesis. The questions and difficulties of the participants will determine the exact focus of the workshop. The workshop is aimed exclusively at students who are about to start or have already started their Bachelor's, Master's or Diploma thesis.

The number of places is limited. ECTS credits can be awarded for active participation in the workshop.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

 

 

Almost every writer at university has heard the phrase "Someone should proofread your text!". This is often well-intentioned, but it denies students some of their competences. What can you do yourself to successfully revise and correct your texts?

In the "Revising texts" workshop, strategies for effective text revision are reflected upon and actively applied. The main focus is on the linguistic level. The aim is to get to know helpful techniques for independent revision, which range from text precision to final correction, and to try them out using the current writing project as an example. These can also be used in later work and make you less dependent on external proofreading.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).

A convincing application is one of the prerequisites for the transition to the master's course or for a successful start to professional life. Many students are unsure of the requirements for this type of text because they do not usually practise it during their studies. A particular challenge lies in writing eloquently and convincingly in a foreign language. You ask yourself, for example:

• How do I structure the cover letter?
• How do I make a convincing argument?
• How do I revise and correct my text?

The aim of this workshop is to write an impressive application for admission to a master's course or for a job.

Blended learning:

The course is supplemented by an electronic learning platform in moodle, which contains numerous tasks, exercises and vocabulary lists. After attending the course, all course materials (e.g. for writing seminar papers etc.) are available throughout the entire degree programme.

Registration is possible in the electronic course catalogue (ekvv).