German
All teachers in the German department have spent time working and/or studying in a German-speaking country. We have a love for German-speaking countries, the language, the history and the many diverse cultural events that fill the German-speaking world’s calendar.
We aim to share our love for our subject with our students. Thus, we deliver challenging but enjoyable lessons throughout our students’ learning journey at Invicta.
The topics we cover in Key Stage 3 allow our students to develop an understanding of the German basics and enables them to be able to hold a sound conversation on a range of the topics we cover by the end of Year 8. In Year 9, the Foundation Year, we continue to build on these basics, allowing our students to deepen their understanding of grammar whilst introducing some of the concepts of Key Stage 4 study. Years 10 and 11 allow us to explore the more profound and complex components of the GCSE course whilst allowing all students to fully develop their own individual character and sense of responsibility as a British and a global citizen. This, we hope, will ultimately lead some students to German A Level study and beyond, because in this day and age, the ability to communicate both verbally and in written form with others in the workplace is an increasingly more desirable attribute to have.
Viel Glück und viel Spaß!
Year 9 - Foundation Year
The Foundation Year in German is an important year where students continue to build on the basics that have been covered during Years 7 and 8. We aim to make this an enjoyable and confidence-boosting year, allowing us to explore the differences between UK and German-speaking countries’ daily life, family set up and the free time activities that we all enjoy.
Topics Covered
- Leute heute - Family, friends and opinions of famous people
- die Medien - Music, film and TV
- coole Schule - German and British schools: what is similar and what is different, writing school reports on teachers, future plans
- meine Welt, deine Welt - What's important to me, how environmental am I?
- Projekt Deutschland - Planning a visit to Germany
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 5 hours of guided classroom learning
- 4 x 10 minutes of guided independent homework
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
To Read
- Momo, Michael Ende
- Das kleine Gespenst, Otfried Preußler
- Emil und die Detektive, Erich Kästner
- Tintenherz, Cornella Funke
To Watch
- Balloon – 1979, escape from East to West Germany, in a hot air balloon. Do they make it?!
- Look through Netflix and find plenty of German language films. Check BBFC ratings before watching.
- Ostwind – Zusammen sind wir Frei! – if you like horses, you’ll love the film!
To Listen
- Atemlos durch die Nacht – Helene Fischer
- So’ne Musik – Deichkind. Humourous Hip-hop, German slang and improving your rap skills
- 99 Luftballons – Nena
- Tune into a German radio station… listen to the ads, the songs and the news
To Research
- Where in the world is German spoken? Why is it found in these countries?
- Find out about who the top German scientists are. What have they discovered? Give your opinion on their discovery / findings.
- Find out about German-speaking actors in Hollywood.
Extra Activities
- Lunchtime club
- After school film club
- Oxford translation competition
- European Day of Languages event
- Trips
Key Stage 4
In the GCSE years we aim to further develop our students’ knowledge and understanding of effective communication with a sympathetic native German speaker. The topics are wide-ranging and allow for all different interests to be catered for.
This is an exciting time for both students and teachers: increased independent learning for the students is always so interesting to see as we begin to see the young adult emerge from childhood, through personal development. We spend time considering how to revise effectively, learning how to read for pleasure in the target language and identifying how their determination and drive to do their utmost to achieve well will have long term benefits.
We strive to use interactive games to support their learning. Other resources used include; Kahoot, The Language Gym, LanguagesOnline.org.uk, Deutsche Welle and we dip into the Goethe Institut’s website to continue introducing cultural, historical and geographical points of interest. The intent throughout is to inspire further and higher studies in German.
Examination Board/Qualification: AQA - GCSE
- Paper 1 – listening exam 45 mins (25% of GCSE exam)
- Paper 2 – speaking exam 12 mins (25% of GCSE exam)
- Paper 3 - reading exam 1 hour (25% of GCSE exam)
- Paper 4 – writing exam 1 hour 15 mins (25% of GCSE exam)
All exams completed at the end of Year 11
Topics Covered
Year 10
- Healthy living
- Home life
- Holidays
Year 11
- Future Study and Employment
- National and International festivals, events and campaigns
- Environment and global issues
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 5 hours of guided classroom learning
- 6 x 10 minutes of guided independent homework, plus 1 x 30 minute piece
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
Resources
- Stimmt! AQA GCSE Higher German textbook, by Pearson
- AQA German Grammar and Translation workbook, by Jon Myer
- AQA GCSE Revision Guide, Pearson
- https://uk.language-gym.com/
- www.languagesonline.org.uk
- www.germanrevision.org.uk
To Read
- Momo, Michael Ende
- Das kleine Gespenst, Otfried Preußler
- Emil und die Detektive, Erich Kästner
- Tintenherz, Cornella Funke
- https://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/s-9097 - Deutsche Welle - in German or English
To Watch
- Downfall (der Untergang) – the last days in Hitler’s Bunker
- Balloon – 1979, escape from East to West Germany, in a hot air balloon. Do they make it?!
- Look through Netflix and find plenty of German language films. Check BBFC ratings before watching.
To Listen
- Atemlos durch die Nacht – Helene Fischer
- So’ne Musik – Deichkind. Humourous Hip-hop, German slang and improving your rap skills
- 99 Luftballons – Nena
- Coffee Break German on Spotify
- Tune into a German radio station… listen to the ads, the songs and the news
To Research
- Visit the Goethe Institut in London: https://www.goethe.de/ins/gb/en/sta/lon/ueb.html
- Is it true that you can study at university for free in Germany?!
- What careers are in need of German speakers?
- What is Germany’s top industrial output? Where are these firms based?
- Why is Germany so good at environmental issues?
Extra Activities
- Lunchtime club
- After school film club
- Oxford translation competition
- European Day of Languages event
- Trips
Useful Tips
Spread your homework time over a number of days so that you learn your vocabulary little and often.
When learning vocabulary, remember to listen, say, cover and write the words to help you practise all four skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking)
Use the electronic textbook to go over reading and listening exercises completed in class, and use the marked exercises to check your new answers.
When revising for a speaking assessment, practise asking questions with a friend without looking at your answers.
Create revision posters for particular grammar points.
Use mind maps to help revise topics (think of headings, such as Grammatical Concepts, Verbs, Nouns, Phrases, Adjectives, etc…)
Key Stage 5
German and the German-speaking countries are a constant source of fascination and joy to us in the German department. We love the language and our subject and we love having the opportunity to instil and develop a love of this in others. We are also incredibly proud of the fact that we help the school stand out in its individuality and support its internationalism by offering German.
Not only do students learn how to communicate accurately with German speakers, but we cover a multitude of topics that will broaden their knowledge and understanding of German speaking countries: the politics, the daily way of life, the contribution Germany and other speaking countries made in building the EU into the powerhouse it is today, are all such examples. These examples all go to show how multiculturalism and diversity are now a way of life in these countries.
German is one of the most gratifying subjects to take at A Level and we in the German department are proud of all that we pass on to our students. We do this through a multi-media approach combining the use of; videos, films, extracts from radio interviews, topical and current articles from newspapers, as well as magazines to support the learning taking place. It goes without saying that we also read a book and discuss the many themes, characters and attitudes interwoven in the text as we do with a film.
We encourage our students to learn beyond the curriculum and recommend students watch German TV channels, take out a subscription for German magazines and read other novels, collections of poetry, plays and other films that are of interest to them.
Due to the huge range of themes that we cover, we are proud to say that we teach our young adults the skills to be articulate, honest, and resilient in all that they strive to do with their futures, and the future of not only Britain but also the world.
Examination Board/Qualification: AQA - A Level
- Paper 1 Listening, Reading and Writing: 2 hours and 30 minutes (50% of A Level)
- Paper 2 Writing: 2 hours (20% of A Level)
- Paper 3 Speaking: 21-23 minutes (30% of A Level)
- Individual research project (included in speaking exam)
- All papers completed at the end of Year 13
Topics Covered
Year 12
- Changing state of the family
- The digital world
- Youth culture: Fashion, music and television
- Festivals and traditions
- Art and architecture
- Cultural life in Berlin
- Analysis of a German Novel
Year 13
- Immigration
- Integration
- Racism
- Germany and the EU
- Politics and youth
- The Reunification of Germany and its consequences
- Analysis of a German Film
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 8 hours of guided classroom learning
- 2 hours of guided independent study
- 10 hours of guided independent homework
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
Resources
- AQA German AS Grammar Workbook
- Aktion Grammatik!, John Klapper and Trudi McMahon
- Wort für Wort: New Advanced German Vocabulary, Paul Stocker
- http://german.net/
- https://deutsch.lingolia.com/en/
- http://www.canoo.net/
- http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/top-thema/s-8031
- http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek#/hauptnavigation/ startseite
- www.uk.diplo.de
- www.spiegel.de
- www.fluter.de
To Read
- Der Vorleser, Bernhard Schlink
- Die Verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum, Heinrich Böll
- Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder, Bertolt Brecht
- Der Besuch der alten Dame, Friedrich Dürrenmatt
- Andorra, Max Frisch
- Gedichte – Buch der Lieder, Heinrich Heine
- Zonenkinder, Jana Hensel
- Die Verwandlung, Franz Kafka
- Russendisko, Wladimir Kaminer
- Fundbüro, Siegfried Lenz
- A Concise History of Germany, Mary Fulbrook
Extra Activities
- Lunchtime club
- After school film club
- Oxford translation competition
- MUN conference in Geneva
- Trips/Exchanges
- Mentoring opportunities
Useful Tips
Regularly read and listen to the news in both German and English to gain an understanding of current affairs and issues.
Listen to and watch German films and/or podcasts outside of the classroom to improve listening skills and broaden vocabulary.
Learn vocabulary little and often to ensure it is being stored in your long-term memory, not forgetting to keep revisiting previous vocabulary lists.
Always look up and make a note of new words you may have come across in classwork or at home.
Try to attend various events and exhibitions relating to German-speaking countries to help broaden your knowledge of the countries where German is spoken. e.g. at the Goethe Institut in London
Regularly practice typical speaking questions outside of the classroom with a friend without relying on pre-learnt answers
Ensure you maintain well-organised notes on all the different topic areas.
Create revision mind-maps or notes by topic as you go through the year.
Try to take part in an exchange or trip to Germany or other German-speaking countries where possible.
Careers
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