German

A-level course

The A Level course in German moves away from the GCSE topics to deal with more adult themes and helps pupils to gain in confidence in their proficiency in the language so that by the end of the course they are able to enjoy accessing original material in the German media. The use of internet resources, both those provided by the Nelson Thornes course we follow and German television channels and newspapers, helps pupils to acquire a wider range of vocabulary and a greater understanding of German grammar. The introduction of the cultural topic in the Upper 6^th gives pupils the opportunity to explore twentieth century German history through the study of a modern novel and film. We follow the AQA course to A Level in German. We are proud to have pupils continuing their study of German at top Universities.

Lower 6^th (Year 12)

There are four topics which make up the Lower 6 course. They are the Media, which includes television and advertising, Youth Culture, which includes fashion and the cinema, Healthy Lifestyles, which includes sport and holidays and finally Relationships, which includes friendships and lifestyle choices.

There are two exams in the Lower 6 year. The oral exam, which is worth 60 marks, is taken in January and the larger paper, which comprises listening, reading and writing and is worth 140 marks, is taken in June.

Upper 6^th (Year 13)

There are again four parts to the Upper 6 course. They are the Environment, which covers issues such as pollution and different energy sources, Foreign Citizens, which deals with racism and prejudice and finally Social Issues, which includes modern advances in science and law and order. In addition to this there is the cultural topic - this year we are studying the novel " der Vorleser" (The Reader) and the film "Das Leben der Anderen" (the Life of Others).

There are two exams in the Upper 6 year; both are offered only in June. The oral exam is worth 60 marks and the listening, reading and writing paper is worth 140 marks.

Trips and Extra-curricular

We were delighted to welcome Dr. Rosalind Galt from the University of Sussex, who gave a very insightful talk on the history of films in Europe. We have recently established a link with the Liebfrauenschule in Büren, Nordrheinwestfalen and two of our Sixth Formers spent a fortnight at the school last summer. We now look forward to the return visit of their exchange partners and hope to strengthen the link over the coming years.