Modulklausur Language in Use Advanced

General information

Language in Use Advanced is the examination which comes after Language Courses III (Language Learning and Teaching Methodology) 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 English proficiency 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. See here for detailed information about the exam. 

Language in Use Advanced is a bit different from Language in 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.

Language in Use Advanced should ideally 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 held in the afternoon of the first Friday after the semester teaching period finishes. No dictionaries or other resources are allowed.

The exam:

• is currently 180 minutes long (i.e. standard version [for LiU Advanced this includes the LC III part of the exam]; the exact duration depends on the version of the exam being taken). See here (question no. 10) for more information.
• 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 grammar 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.

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. If you fail one part but pass the other, you only have to re-take the failed part in a subsequent semester.

Exam registration

Registration takes place via the department website. You will find various exam pages under Your Studies -- specifically the Exams: Registration, Dates, Times, Rooms, etc. page. Scroll down to find the Language in 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

Your instructor will go through one or two past papers in class. Additional past papers are also available via our dedicated Sprachpraxis UdS Students - Resources Moodle course (Enrolment key: LandUmocks). 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 grade, you need to understand grammatical structures and have a wide vocabulary.

How to study for the exam

See here and here.

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.
• Regularly read newspaper articles (e.g. BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/, Guardian Weekly http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekly). (Visit our Language Links page for more ideas.)
• Consider keeping a learning diary for recording various aspects of language and lexis and to monitor your own progress. 

Staatsexamen  Deadlines

We are often asked whether we will ensure that this exam is graded and submitted in time for the biannual Staatsexamen registration deadlines. The short answer is: no.

The “problem” does not lie with our department. The ZPL has repeatedly stated that students should assume that they will not meet the deadline in the semester in which they take the exam.

In a nutshell, if the deadline for registering for the Staatsexamen falls within six weeks of the exam, you will not make it. This is non-negotiable, so please refrain from asking whether we can prioritise your exam paper. Any questions about this should be directed to the ZPL and/or the Staatliches Prüfungsamt für das Lehramt an Schulen, not the UdS English Department.

The only exception to this rule is for students taking the reduced version after passing the Cambridge C2 exam (see below). We always aim to grade and submit reduced versions within a few days of the LiU Advanced exam.

Drittversuch / Cambridge

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 LiU Advanced exam, please ask your instructor or contact the module co-ordinator.