Colchester Royal Grammar School: German

German

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GCSE Course (edexcel 1231)

GCSE GERMAN aims to develop the student's ability to use German for practical communication, to form the foundation required for further study at AS or A-level, and to give insights into the cultures of German-speaking Europe.

The course covers the four National Curriculum areas - speaking and writing (the productive skills) and listening and reading (the receptive skills). There will be an oral approach from the start, so that students will learn to communicate appropriately in speaking as well as in writing. It is likely that most students will be entered for higher level papers so as to give them the chance of attaining the highest possible grade.

The majority of the responses in the listening and reading examinations will be in German. Although students will not be allowed the use of a dictionary in the terminal examinations, it would be advantageous to have one for classwork and homework.

The following topic areas will be studied during the course:

• At Home and Abroad: local area, weather, travel, transport, accommodation, customs and traditions, services and shopping abroad
• Education, Training and Employment: school life, job applications, future plans, work experience
• Health and Fitness: healthy eating, exercise, accidents, ailments, smoking, drugs
• House, Home and Daily Routine: types of home, rooms, furniture, helping at home, food and drink, information about self, family and friends
• Media, Entertainment and Youth Culture: sport, fashion, current affairs, social and environmental issues
• Social Activities: free time, special occasions, hobbies, sports, meeting people

Our students are fortunate to have the opportunity to study two modern foreign languages to GCSE and this experience will distinguish them from many other candidates when applying for university courses and employment. This GCSE course would suit those students who have achieved success in their first foreign language and in their studies in German in Years 8 and 9.

A-Level Course (OCR AS 3862, A 7862)

Full specification

German in the sixth form builds on the four skills acquired during the GCSE course - listening, speaking, reading and writing. By the end of the course these skills should have been developed to a high level and students will have increased their knowledge and understanding of the social, cultural, historical and political issues affecting Germany and German-speaking countries.

Much of the teaching of skills and usage is centred on topics, for instance:

At AS level

• Media/advertising
• Food and Drink
• Sport and pastimes
• Travel, transport, holidays

At A level

• Social issues
• The environment
• Law and order
• Technological and scientific advances

In class a variety of activities will be offered:

• Role-play
• Discussion
• Listening from audio and video cassettes
• Reading articles from German newspapers and magazines
• Studying various 20th century literary texts, possibly including poems, plays, novels and short stories

Homework activities might involve the production of summaries, letters, reports and essays on the topic in question. Students are encouraged to visit Germany, either privately or as a member of the school exchange, and to take part in conferences relating to German language and culture.

German fits well with any subject combination. It has been chosen in recent years by students interested in medicine and scientific careers using Maths and Physics, as well as those taking economics and traditional Arts subjects.

AS-Level Course

Unit 1: Speaking (15%)
Assessed by a 15-minute examination.

Unit 2: Listening, Reading and Writing (20%)
Assessed by a 90-minute examination.

Unit 3: Reading & Writing (15%)
Assessed by a 90-minute examination.

A2-Level Course

Unit 4: Speaking and Reading (15%)
Assessed by a 15-minute examination.

Unit 5: Listening, Reading & Writing (20%)
Assessed by a 165-minute examination.

Unit 6: Culture and Society Essays (15%)
Assessed by a 120-minute examination.
or
Unit 7: Coursework (15%)

Beyond A-level

Many students taking A level German choose to continue their study of the language at university, either in combination with another language or with another subject, for example Business Studies, Economics, Law or Politics. As Germany is a major trading partner of Britain, knowledge of the language is a tremendous asset in business, science and technology.