Modulklausur Language & Use Advanced

Language & Use Advanced Modulklausur

Language & Use Advanced

General information

Language & Use Advanced is the examination which comes after Language Courses III and IV. It is a Modulklausur. That means it tests aspects of language dealt with in both language courses. It is also a proficiency test, not an achievement test. That means it is a test of whether your language has reached a specific level (approximately level C2 of the Common European Framework). The LC IV class is there to help you develop your own independent learning skills, identify any weaknesses and correct them where necessary, and give you practice in the exam tasks.

 

Language & Use Advanced is a bit different from Language & Use Intermediate in that LC III is a Fachdidaktik course. In this course you not only extend your own understanding of the grammatical system of English and develop your vocabulary, but you also think about different approaches to teaching grammar and vocabulary in school.

 

Ideally Language & Use Advanced should be taken fairly late in your studies and certainly after your stay abroad. You can do LC III and LC IV in the same semester, but bearing in mind that LC III is a Fachdidaktik course that assumes some knowledge of the teaching and learning process, LC III should be taken after you have done the introductory teaching lecture (Einführung in die Fachdidaktik) and at least one Praktikum.

 

Information about the exam

The exam can be taken once a semester (there is no re-sit/Nachklausur). It is generally held in the afternoon of the first Friday after the semester teaching period finishes, but this may change due to unforeseen circumstances. No dictionaries are allowed.

 

For students in the 2010/2012 STO and after, the exam:

  • is currently 180 minutes long
  • has one or more texts from different genres
  • has vocabulary and grammar questions based on the text(s)
  • may have a "Finding mistakes" section
  • may have one or two gap-fill exercises or other grammatical exercises
  • may have some questions on syntactic form and function
  • has an LC III section. In this section there will be questions about the teaching and learning of vocabulary/grammar which may include, for example, the lexical approach, use of "if" and "would" in the same clause, how vocabulary is stored in our minds, testing vocabulary and grammar, and spoken grammar and its implications for teaching. (Starting with the WiSe 2014/15, this section will no longer include three separate versions corresponding to the course you have taken. All students will have to complete an "LC III Vocabulary & Grammar Combined" section. Starting in WiSe 2022/23, if you pass the LC III part but fail the LC IV part—which leads to an overall fail on the exam—we will keep your successful LC III part on file and you will not have to retake it in subsequent L&U Adv attempts.)

 

Please note the tasks are not identical every semester. The above information is for your guidance only!

 

You must pass both the LC III and the LC IV parts of the exam.

 

Any remaining students in the 2007 STO do the "LC IV section" but not the "LC III section" of the exam (and will consequently have slightly less time to complete the exam than their fellow students).

 

Exam registration

Registration takes place via the department website. You will find various exams pages under Your Studies -- specifically the Exams: Registration, Dates, Times, Rooms, etc. page. Scroll down to find the Language & Use Advanced exam. Click on the "Register for..." link and complete the short form. If you change your mind you can cancel your registration by clicking on the "Cancel your registration" link below it. If you do not register in time you may not be able to take the exam.

 

Past Papers (old tests)

Your instructor will go through one or two past papers in class. Additional past papers are also available via a dedicated exams moodle course. (Moodle course link: https://moodle.uni-saarland.de/course/view.php?id=3393; course enrollment key: LandUmocks. We do not publish answer keys.) Please bear in mind, however, that simply going through past papers will not improve your level of English. In order to pass the exam with a good mark you need to understand grammatical items and have a good level of vocabulary.  

 

How to study for the exam

In addition to attending classes regularly, you may find some of the tips below useful:

  • If you have identified any particularly weak areas of grammar, refer to the Longman Advanced Learners’ Grammar, a self-study reference and practice book with answers. This is our course book in many different Sprachpraxis classes. You should consider purchasing your own copy (hint...).
  • You may also find it useful to have a good reference grammar, e.g., the Cambridge Grammar of English, to consult. This is the grammar book that is often used in the Referendariat. You may want to consider purchasing the excellent grammars from Quirk/Greenbaum and the Longman (Student) Grammar of Spoken and Written English.
  • You might want to subscribe to Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, their Twitter feed, Email service, and archive (or a similar service from another publisher or provider).
  • Regularly read newspaper articles (eg BBC news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/, Guardian Weekly http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekly. (Visit our Language Links page for more ideas.) The Guardian Weekly is also available in print format at the Saarbrücken railway station.
  • Consider keeping a learning diary for recording various aspects of language and lexis and to monitor your own progress. 

 

Deadlines

We are often asked whether we will make sure to have this exam graded and submitted in time for various Staatsexamen deadlines. The "problem" is not to be found in our department. The ZPL has repeatedly said that students should assume they will not make the deadline in the semester they take the exam.

 

Please read this information sheet on the (Cambridge) C2 Proficiency exam (previously called the CPE) option for those who have failed this exam twice.

 

If you have any questions about the L&U Advanced exam please ask your instructor or contact the module co-ordinator.