German

Subject Leader: Mrs L Simpson
Email address: l.simpson@becketonline.co.uk

What specification (syllabus) is being taught?

A Level German is taught using the Edexcel syllabus.
Please see more at https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/home.html

General overview

Studying German at A-Level gives students an opportunity to learn about the history, culture and society of France and other French speaking (francophone) countries.

It also gives students the opportunity to master more sophisticated vocabulary and grammar in French in order to communicate extremely effectively in German.

Who should take this course?

Any student who wishes to learn more about the German language or the culture of Germany and other German speaking countries should take this course

What are the entry requirements?

In order to succeed at A Level, students will need to have a minimum of a grade 6 in their GCSE German.

What are the key topics and themes?

When will they be taught?

There are 4 key themes, each consisting of 3 subtopics. Themes 1 and 2 are taught throughout Year 12, and themes 3 and 4 are taught throughout Year 13.

In addition, students are given the opportunity to study a film in Year 12 and a book in Year 13.

These are :
Year 12
Theme 1- Developments in Society in Germany
sub topics
The environment
Education
The world of work
Theme 2- The political and artistic culture of the German speaking world
sub topics
Music
Media
The role of festivals and traditions

Year 13
Theme 3 – Immigration and the German multicultural society
sub topics
The positive effect of integration
The challenges of immigration and integration
The reactions of the State and society to immigration

Theme 4- the reunification of Germany
sub topics
The society in the GDR prior to reunification
Events before the reunification
Germany since reunification

How will students be assessed?

When do these assessments take place?

Year 12

Students will be assessed with an End of Year Assessment.
The End of Year Assessment will be made up of three papers.
Paper 1 will cover both of the themes and assess the students’ listening, reading and translation skills.
Paper 2 will cover the students’ understanding of the film they have watched and assess the students’ ability to write in German.
Paper 3 is the opportunity for students to showcase their skills of speaking in German, with a one-to-one interview with the teacher discussing the themes that they have studied in German lessons so far.

Year 13

Students will be assessed at the end of Year 13 using the Edexcel A Level Paper.
This is made up of three papers.
Paper 1 will cover all four of the themes studied throughout the course and assess the students’ listening, reading and translation skills.

Paper 2 will cover the students’ understanding of the film they have watched, the book they have read and will assess the students’ ability to write effectively in German.
Paper 3 is the opportunity for students to showcase their skills of speaking in German, with a one-to-one interview with the teacher.

At A Level, the students will not only discuss the themes they have studied throughout the course, but also discuss in German in detail a project that they have researched independently on a topic of their choice. This part of the speaking exam is called the IRP (The Independent Research Project).

What can students do for revision at home?

What materials are provided or available online?

For Languages, exposure to a wide range of different styles of spoken and written German is essential.

Students should aim to listen to or watch German radio, TV, podcasts and films.  They should aim to read articles and literature in German , both closely linked to their course, and also purely for pleasure.

Deutsche Welle, for example, produces a range of articles that can be read and listened to in order to practise key skills.

Every student will be given a booklet for each strand of the course, which incorporates both the core knowledge for the A Level and also further reading/watching suggestions that are relevant to the course.

Academically, we use the dynamic learning platform to which students will be given a log in. This enables them to practise the academic elements of the course through key listening and reading activities as well as through targeted grammar practice.

There are also past papers available here which are often a very valuable tool for students to use to practice their exam technique in the run up to exams.