Faculty of Modern LanguagesGerman as a Foreign Language / German as a Second Language – Master
Students of the Master’s degree programme in German as a Foreign Language / German as a Second Language explore the following fundamental questions: How do humans learn language(s)? What are the cognitive prerequisites to learning a language? How can we measure a person’s competence in German as a foreign/second language? What concrete measures can be used to support language acquisition?
Facts & Formalities
| Degree | Master of Arts |
| Type of programme | Consecutive |
| Start of programme | Winter and summer semester |
| Standard period of study | 4 semesters |
| Language(s) of instruction | German |
| Fees and contributions | 151.05 € / Semester |
| Application procedure | Consecutive master’s programmes with access restriction |
| Application deadlines | Information about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program. |
| Part-time option | Yes |
| May be studied as a minor subject | Yes |
Course Content
The Master’s degree programme in German as a Foreign Language / German as a Second Language is a consecutive academic course within German linguistics. It may be studied as a major or minor subject. The degree programme focusses on diagnostic and didactic issues relating to the acquisition and use of German as a Foreign Language / German as a Second Language by children and young people in pre-school and school settings.
Students develop specialist skills in the fields of pyscholinguistics, sociolinguistics and theories of language acquisition. This serves as a basis for research and practice relating to German as a Foreign Language / German as a Second Language. In addition, the degree programme explores questions relating to diagnostic and didactic aspects of language learning in relation to German. This enables students to reflect on the teachability of the language.
The Master’s degree programme in German as a Foreign Language / German as a Second Language is suitable for graduates of a Bachelor’s degree programme in philological and pedagogical subjects. Students from Germany or abroad may complete the degree programme, but they should be intending to pursue their career in Germany.
As a minor subject, German as a Foreign Language / German as a Second Language offers students an insight into the varied areas of research and diverse applications of the subject. The degree programme considers linguistic, didactic and diagnostic dimensions of German as a foreign/second language which are of relevance for research and practice in relation to German as a second language.
It is possible to choose a minor in combination with this Master programme. For further information please refer to the Examination Rules and Regulations.
Course Structure
The degree programme German as a Foreign Language/German as a Second Language breaks down as follows as a major subject:
All students take three cross-profile specialised compulsory modules:
- Compulsory module: Languages by typological comparison
- Compulsory module: Language acquisition and language diagnostics
- Compulsory module: Multilingualism and language analysis
Students also need to choose between two study profiles: German as a Foreign Language or German as a Second Language.
The study profile German as a Foreign Language comprises two compulsory modules and one compulsory elective module:
- Compulsory module: Literary studies and foreign language didactics
- Compulsory module: Didactics of German as a foreign language
- Compulsory elective module: Subject-specific additional qualification in German as a foreign language
The alternative study profile German as a Second Language comprises three compulsory modules and one compulsory elective module:
- Compulsory module: Basics of German as a second language
- Compulsory module: Support practice and support concepts
- Compulsory module: Didactics of German as a second language
- Compulsory elective module: Subject-specific additional qualification in German as a second language
The major subject is completed by two examination modules:
- Compulsory module: Master’s thesis
- Compulsory module: Oral degree examination
Beyond this, 20 credit points must be achieved in a freely chosen supplementary subject. This applies only to the study version A (admission with sufficient prior linguistic knowledge). In study version B (admission without sufficient prior linguistic knowledge), linguistic basics at a scope of 20 CP must be acquired subsequently instead. The supplementary subject does not apply in this study version.
Students in the supplementary subject German as a Foreign Language/German as a Second Language will take the following modules at a total scope of 20 credit points:
- Compulsory module: Basics of German as a foreign and second language
- Compulsory module: Didactics of German as a foreign and second language