German

German is the study of the German language in the cultural, political and social context of Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

It is our aim that every child at Key Stage 3 should acquire knowledge and understanding of the German language so as to be able to communicate effectively in everyday situations. Your child will be able to develop language skills that are of use in giving basic information about himself/herself and in developing confidence in asking for information in the target language. We consider it important that students develop an awareness and appreciation of cultural difference and diversity through the study of a foreign language.

Your child will:
Be taught for two lessons a week.
Be introduced to the subject by emphasising the oral component through listening and speaking practice
Develop competence in all four areas of skill by accommodating different learning types and styles in the lessons
Experience a variety of activities ranging from audio-visual methods (authentic listening material, videos, satellite TV, overhead projections) to role plays, songs and mime
Be introduced gradually to reading and writing tasks based on oral work
Be given ample opportunity in class to gain confidence in pronouncing words and phrases regularly regardless of ability or educational needs
Acquire oral competence in German that will provide enjoyment and interest in learning

Year 7

A brief introduction to Germany, Switzerland and Austria
Greetings and personal details
Details about home and family
School life including numbers and time
Talking about food - likes and dislikes - cooking a German dish
Buying things - talking about money (euro)
Interest and hobbies
Asking and giving directions
Talking about past events

Your child will acquire basic phrases, ask questions, develop dictionary skills and be introduced to basic grammar. At the end of Year 7 students will be able to use verbs in the present and past tense.

Years 8 and 9
Talking about the weather and holiday activities
Daily routines
Friendships and resolving disputes
Accepting and declining, making excusesGiving opinions
Talking about environmental problems
Talking about health and lifestyles· Making plans for the future

Your child will expand on basic phrases, learn to use more complex sentence structure and develop vocabulary.

All students at Key Stage 3 follow the Oxford University Press course KLASSE 1-3. Your child will use book 1 in Year 7 and progress to book 2 in Year 8 and book 3 in Year 9. The course book is supplemented by a work booklet. Students are asked to purchase this additional resource through the department at reduced cost.

How will your child be assessed?
Oral assessment in terms of class feedback
Written class work and homework will be regularly marked and assessed
Formal assessment will take place after every three units in the course book.

Your child will be advised about the criteria against which this assessment is made
Oral tests will take place in class during lessons
Listening, reading and writing skills are assessed through specifically designed work sheets

Work set for your child will be differentiated:
By providing appropriate extension or revision tasks
By using a variety of teaching methods which take into account many different learning styles· By encouraging independent learning through open ended tasks
By praising and rewarding effort regardless of attainment level
By providing additional help or extra time in completing the tasks
By asking for support through classroom assistants who are familiar with German.

Homework is used to revise or extend work. In Year 7 your child will be set one homework assignment a week of approximately half an hour, increasing to one hour in Year 8 and 9.

What extra-curricular activities will be on offer?
Your child’s acquisition of German will be enhanced by visits to Germany, Switzerland or Austria.
In Year 7 and 8 your child will have the opportunity to take part in a study tour to a major German-speaking city.
In Year 9 students will be able to take part in the annual exchange with our German partner school in Bremerhaven.
Your child will also be encouraged to establish contact with a pen friend through letter writing, audio tape or email as part of our afternoon activities programme.

Languages are vital for mutual understanding and for personal development in a global world. They have become increasingly important in work and leisure; more and more people travel abroad to work or decide to live abroad.

Even if your future place of work is in the UK, whether you work in the Sciences, Education, the Arts, the Media, or in Business, you will almost certainly need to use a foreign language in our world of faster communication technology and expanding international markets.

Finance, IT, and legal services are the three business sectors from which language providers currently have the most work. It is predicted that future demand will remain constant in these three sectors, while demand increases in the property industry, leisure and tourism, as well as in the public service sector.

With 200 + countries taking part in the Olympics, an estimated 70,000 volunteers will be needed to help run the 2012 Games at least bilingually in French and English, so languages look set to get a huge boost over the next few years and already, organisations and businesses are starting to factor the need for language skills into their planning.

In your future studies, you may decide to undertake work experience or have a gap year abroad, or you may study at an English University that offers a period at a partner University in France or Germany.

Whatever your future qualifications you will be able to make use of language GCSEs for work abroad in any country of the European Union. Anyone who wants to succeed in today's global job market needs to be able to understand the motivation of business colleagues and to be able to communicate their own interests, so speaking their language will always be an advantage.

Our course
You will use multi-media language software as well as language sites on the Internet. You will study increasingly advanced authentic texts in the German.  The topics cover the situations you are likely to encounter while on holiday, or on an exchange trip, in German speaking countries. They are also the topics needed to provide information and give opinions about everyday activities, personal and social life and the world around us, including countries where German is spoken. There will also be discussions on current issues of interest to students.  Finally, it is highly recommended that you take part in our exchange programme, offered each year to Year 9 and 10 students, or other study tours. You will be expected to visit Germany at least once during the course.

Assessment
Assessment can be either staggered or taken at the end of our course. You may be entered for a Foundation or Higher paper according to your strength in each of the skills of listening and reading. Speaking and writing will be untiered.

Unit 1: Listening – External examination (Foundation 30 mins or Higher 40 minutes) – worth 20% of the GCSE

Unit 2: Reading – External examination (Foundation 30 mins or Higher 40 minutes) – worth 20% of the GCSE

Unit 3: Speaking – Controlled Assessment – worth 30% of the GCSE
Students will complete two speaking assessment tasks. Both tasks will be in the form of a dialogue. One task will be finalised during year 10 during examination week. The second task will be taken during year 11.

Unit 3: Writing – Controlled Assessment – worth 30% of the GCSE
Students will complete two written controlled assessment tasks. One task will be finalised during year 10 during our examination week. The second task will be taken during year 11.

Specification: AQA German 4668
Click here to download the current specification for this GCSE course.

To find out more about the value of studying languages, or for careers information and advice about languages, visit the website www.languageswork.org.uk

AS and A Level

Sprechen sie Deutsch?
German is spoken by more than 120 million people around the globe and is in the top ten of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Germany is vital to the UK as our largest single trading partner, so wherever you choose to work you are likely to have contact with Germany and need the language. Studying German at A level will equip you with the skills you need for effective written and spoken communication and give you an insight into the culture and literature of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

What can I do with a language qualification?
Taking an A-level in a foreign language is no longer restricted to people who want to go on to university to study languages or other arts subjects, or who want a career purely in languages.

Scientists and engineers need languages: they travel and work throughout the world for companies which sell goods abroad, or are themselves multinational.

Whatever you decide to do as a career, it is highly likely that you will one day find yourself working for a multinational company or for a firm with connections abroad. You will need to be able to communicate with employees at all levels, not only about professional matters, but also on a social level.

Having knowledge of the foreign country and its culture, understanding how your counterparts in other countries think, will enable you to interact effectively with them. This is a skill that prospective employers are actively looking for.

Employers say they don't just want specialist linguists, but people with skills such as engineering, law, chemistry etc. who also can speak a foreign language.

Many firms will give preference to applicants with suitable language skills as indicated by numerous adverts in the national and foreign press, which stipulate a foreign language as an essential requirement.

Most universities offer combined courses which means you can study two subjects, and many of these combined courses involves studying a foreign language together with another, completely different subject.

Content of Specification
The syllabus is designed to develop students’ knowledge of language, their language skills and their appreciation of cultural aspects of Germany and other countries where the language is used. Topical issues ranging from drug addiction, immigration, unemployment and globalisation to youth culture and modern technology will be covered in some detail. Students are encouraged to understand the political system and democratic processes in the German-speaking countries by studying newspaper articles, television programs - the department has access to German TV channels via satellite link. German websites and first hand experiences through study visits to Germany and Austria complement the course book . Students are expected to develop an understanding of cultural aspects, together with a good level of critical awareness.

AS German
This one-year course builds on the knowledge and skills acquired at GCSE. It is a mid-way stage between GCSE and A-Level. The four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing are developed to the required standard through the study of topics in the country of the language studied. These include media, popular culture, healthy living/lifestyle and family/relationships. Students may opt to study German in 6i for an AS award without continuing for a full A level at the end of 6ii.

AS Examinations
Unit 1 – GERM1 - Listening, Reading and Writing
70% of AS, 35% of A Level
2 hour written examination

Unit 2 – GER2T/V - Speaking Test
30% of AS, 15% of A Level
35 minutes speaking test (including 20 minutes preparation)

A2 German
This involves the study of the four linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, based on the study of the world of work and leisure as well as social issues, education, the environment, politics, technological advances, law and order and human interest news items. Part of the oral examination offers an element of choice as students can select subject matters of particular interest to them, including literature, provided these are suitable for development in depth and are related to the country whose language they are studying.

A2 Examinations
Unit 3 – GERM3 - Listening, Reading and Writing
35% of A Level
2 hours 30 minutes written examination

Unit 4 – GER4T/V - Speaking Test
15% of A Level
35 minutes speaking test (including 20 minutes preparation)

Specification: AQA German  AS 1661  A 2661
Click here to download the current specification for this A level course.

Exchanges and Work Experience
Exchanges with students abroad are encouraged, "total immersion" in the language and culture being an almost irresistible way of improving one's language skills. Work-shadowing placements are available for those students wishing to use their languages and explore possible future careers.

Entry criteria
Students considering this course should normally have acquired the level of understanding and proficiency as specified for GCSE at Higher Tier and would have achieved Grade B or better.

Successful candidates in previous years have gone on to study German at degree level in combination with a main subject. A number of students have been able to put their German language skills into practice by spending a gap year in a German speaking country and several students have found employment in Germany.