German
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German A Level
This is a stimulating and challenging course which aims to develop the student’s love of the German by using it to discuss aspects of modern-day society and by analysing its grammar in greater depth than is possible at GCSE level. The skills assessed are the familiar ones of listening, speaking, reading and writing but lessons emphasise discussion and the development of students’ views and opinions. In addition to classroom lessons, students also have access to the Foreign Languages Assistant and the opportunity to take part in a work experience programme in Vreden, Germany.
A level German offers evidence to prospective employers of a significant level of achievement in all language skills, together with evidence of critical insight and a knowledge and understanding of another culture and the place of that culture within European development. A Level German students are also able to show some evidence of language skills relating to the world of work by undertaking work experience in Germany in year 12.
Our aim …
is to turn you into somebody who can:
– communicate more confidently in speaking;
– communicate in writing and speaking with increasing accuracy and to use more complex and varied language;
– become a critical thinker;
– develop a knowledge of a country which is likely to be greater than the knowledge you have about your own country!
… and somebody who wants to get out there and explore the country for yourself.
How do we get you from the GCSE oral, where you talk about your family and hobbies, to the ‘A’ Level oral in Year 13, where you discuss contemporary issues of the German-speaking world?
How do we get you from writing about your last holiday to researching, and being able to discuss, an in-depth study of an historical, political, cultural, or indeed, any contemporary issue relating to a German-speaking country?
We teach you:
– to understand and use simple, and then increasingly more complex, grammar;
– how to work out what a text means;
– how to develop your own ideas about issues and how to argue your point of view;
– how to pick out essential information from a long spoken or written passage;
– how to speak with a better accent;
– how to include idioms in your spoken and written work, and make it sound more authentic.
– to analyse a film and a book from a country where the language is spoken.
We ask you:
– to learn vocabulary (lots of it!);
– to read texts at home and come to lessons, having worked out most of what it means;
– to translate texts;
– to prepare little talks on simple issues (then big talks on bigger issues);
– to write about the topics studied;
– to listen to people speaking and to sometimes listen for gist, sometimes listen for details;
– to keep up with current affairs in German-speaking countries by listening to foreign radio and reading foreign newspapers online.
You will be assessed at the end of Year 13 on all of the work covered over the two years by means of three exams:
- Listening, Reading and Translation Exam: Students will be assessed in these skills across all of the four themes of the course. They will also translate a passage from German into English.
- Writing Exam: Students will be assessed on their ability to criticise and analyse the film and book they have studied, and also to translate into German.
- Speaking exam: Students’ speaking abilities are assessed through discussion of their chosen research project, and one of the four themes studied over the two-year course.
We hope you have found the subject videos useful. If you would like to contact the subject leader directly please click on the link above.