Georgian I

Course - first cycle - 1-15 credits

Overview

Admission requirements

The special prerequisite for this course, besides basic eligibility for university studies, is fieldeligibility 6: Civics A and English B. Applicants are exempted from the English B and Civics A requirements but the equivalent of English A in Swedish secondary school is required.

Description

This Internet-based, English-language course offers an introduction to Georgian language and culture, as well as a basic knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary. It includes all the necessary material online: texts, audio files, grammar, interactive exercises, a dictionary, and other sources. A follow-up course, Georgian II, improves the students’ communicative skills and activates their vocabulary. No obligatory meetings.

Content

What is Georgian I about?
Georgian is a fascinating language with its unique alphabet and the documented history back to the 5th century A.D.

Georgian language course is an internet based course. Students have opportunity to learn the language without leaving their home or computer. No obligatory meetings are included. Examination is also conducted on the internet.

The course lasts 18 weeks. Lessons are published twice a week and are numbered as two-part lectures, e.g. Lecture 1, Lecture 1 (2), Lecture 2, Lecture 2 (2), etc. Each lesson contains information regarding the Georgian language, as well as regarding the Georgian culture and society. 

Demo:
http://www.caucasusstudies.se/geodemo/index.html

Download folder:
http://www.mah.se/PageFiles/52895/Georgian_online_course.pdf 

No previous knowledge of Georgian is needed
Lessons combine grammar, dialogues, exercises and other materials. Students have access to a large number of audio files and interactive exercises. The course also contains texts with a translation and detailed explanations of each word and each grammatical affix. Georgian texts are offered in Georgian script, parallel Latin transcription and audio files are also provided.

The course is time flexible. Published lessons are available to the end of the semester.
Obligatory assignments that should be completed and submitted are published every tenth day. The students receive individual feedback on assignments. In addition, non compulsory live sessions for interested students are offered.

The course combines opportunities both for those students who are interested in learning the language for communicative purposes and for those students who are interested to learn about the language structure and typologically interesting features of Georgian.

Students are not required to buy course literature. All necessary materials are offered online within a virtual classroom where students have access to the course material, to the teacher and to each other.

Why choose Georgian I at Malmö University?
Students who have already taken the course can explain it. Let us listen to their voices from anonymous course evaluation:

• I really think that the course was excellent and I have really enjoyed it very much. I still have a long way to go but I feel that it gives a good grounding in Georgian language. The quality of the course was excellent and the exercises that we could do ourselves were very good. It was very well structured and also pushed you a little.

• I have never done an online course before and so I was a little sceptical and thought that it wouldn't compare to a face to face course but in the end I actually found it better as I could fit it into my work schedule more easily.

• I learned so much from this course. And more than that, I really enjoyed it! The lectures were presented in a clear manner that was easy to follow.

• It is a fantastic course. Can't imagine any better way to teach online. Thorough explanations, clever exercises, pleasant and very high quality information. I wish the course could continue forever! This course kept me interested and busy the whole time. Thank you to its organizers.

Syllabus

Course Code: IM202L

Institution:
Department of Language and Linguistics
Revision:
1
For students admitted fall 2013   spring 2013   fall 2012  

Approval

The course was established 09 February 2012.
This course syllabus (version 1) was approved 01 March 2012 by the Board of Studies at Faculty of Culture and Society (SMS).
The syllabus is valid from 03 September 2012.

Education level

First cycle

Advancement in relation to the degree requirements

Independent course.

Entry requirements

The special prerequisite for this course, besides basic eligibility for university studies, is fieldeligibility 6: Civics A and English B. Applicants are exempted from the English B and Civics A requirements but the equivalent of English A in Swedish secondary school is required.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

After finishing the course, the student are expected to have obtained knowledge of
- main characteristic syntactic and morphological features of Georgian;
- main aspects of the political and cultural situation in Georgia


Applying knowledge and understanding

After finishing the course, the student are expected to be able to
- read, analyse and understand simple texts in Georgian by means of a dictionary;
- understand discussions on simple topics in Georgian;
- analyze main tendencies of the language situation and ethnic relations in Georgia;
- independently identify and search relevant information concerning the Georgian language and culture
Making judgments and communication skills

After finishing the course, the student are expected to be able to critically reflect over and make judgments in respect to
- own need of further studies for improving the communication skills;
- language situation and ethnic relations in Georgia and

Assessments

Compulsory exercises given to students throughout the term, as well as examination, focus on the assessment of knowledge of main morphological and syntactic features and basic vocabulary, as well as on the students’ ability to read, analyze and understand simple texts in Georgian. Audio questions are used for assessment of listening comprehension.
A project paper is aimed at the development of the ability to independently search and analyze relevant information concerning the Georgian language and culture.
Examination is conducted online.

Re-sit examinations

Students who do not pass the regular course exams have the minimum of two re-sit opportunities. Re-sits follow the same form as the original exams, apart from re-sits for group work, which take the form of individual written assignments.

Course content

The course offers
- a basic knowledge of the grammatical structure and vocabulary of Georgian with a particular focus on typologically interesting features.
- an introduction to Georgian and South Caucasian studies
- an overview of the language situation in Georgia
- an orientation to Georgian culture and society.

Learning activities

The course is offered as an IT-based distance learning course. The course presupposes active participation of the students. Learning activities include:
- lectures published every week combining theory (linguistic and cultural topics) and practise (texts and exercises).
- interactive exercises for individual studies
- compulsory exercises given to the students throught the term.
- non-compulsory live sessions on the Internet
- a large number of audio files aimed at facilitating the comprehension of oral speech and practising the pronunciation
- student to student interaction in the virtual classroom on the Internet
- a compulsory project work in small groups on cultural themes, shared with classmates for peer review.
All activities are conducted online.

Grading system

A,B,C,D,E,U.

Reading list and other media

Internet based course material includes all the necessary literature for the course, including texts, grammar, dictionary, exercises, audio files, research papers concerning the language situation and ethnic relations in Georgia;
Georgian texts are offered in Georgian script, parallel Latin transliteration is also provided.

Some external links are also included.

Additional material may be introduced in the course, but no more than 100 pages.


Course evaluation

All students are offered an opportunity to give oral and written feedback at the end of the course. A summary of the results will be made available on the school’s web-pages. The students are also given a possibility to offer feedback for each module/unit.

Students have an opportunity for discussions and suggestions concerning the course during the term both in Forum and through e-mail correspondence with the teacher. Students can also take contact to the student union.

Contact

Further information

Kathryn Peacock, student services assistant
Phone: 040-66 57165
E-mail: kathryn.peacock@mah.se

Manana Kock Kobaidze, course responsible
Phone: 040-66 57587
E-mail: manana.kock.kobaidze@mah.se

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