Think positive
As our target in the English Department in Jena is to enable students to achieve near native-speaker competence in the English language, we place a clear focus on the rules of English grammar. In order for students to attain the next level of English, they need to properly grapple with the grammar of the language. To this end, students are required to take two grammar classes during their course of studies, each entailing three contact hours per week.
Grammar 1 sets sail from the safe haven of mere communicative competence, where mixing up simple past and present perfect might be acceptable, and journeys into the choppy waters of the mastery of the English language. It builds on what students have learned at Abitur level, consolidating that and adding several layers of nuance to the basic rules. Here our target is the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Grammar 1 provides the foundations for all the practical language courses, all of which return to it to a greater or lesser degree.
Grammar 2 addresses once again some of the major problem areas for German learners of English, but also takes students further to a more analytical level, providing them with the tools to properly assess the language in use. The final goal is for students to have reached the C2 level of the CEFRL.