The ability to speak and understand other languages is an extremely important skill. German combines some very familiar spellings with a rather more rigid grammatical structure and english-speaking students will enjoy the challenge of dealing with some very un-English sentence patterns. German speakers are increasingly sought after in today’s world of business, science and technology. Learning the German language allows access to a wide range of cultural interests. German literature has long been popular, with writers ranging from Goethe to more modern playwrights like Bertolt Brecht, while German cinema has undergone a resurgence in recent years, with a number of highly successful directors and writers coming to the fore. Throughout the course emphasis is placed on comprehension and communication, where students are encouraged to express and justify their ideas.
At KS3 Year 7 students follow the Pearson Stimmt Scheme of Work and elements of Zoom 1 and 2. Stimmt has been developed to encourage students to learn with a wide vocabulary and many structures to help them communicate. Students start in the beginner or advanced classes which enable progression at a pace that suits their learning. Students are assessed throughout the two years to ensure they are in the the right class to suit their progress in German. In Year 8 students in the advanced class will take the A1 Goethe exams to give them the opportunity take exams which are part of the CEFR internationally recognised group of exams offered externally at the Goethe Institute, Prague.
By the end of Year 9 students will be able to use in German with a range of everyday situations and will already have learned the past tenses. At this stage they will be able to decide whether they wish to study for the IGCSE German exam in KS4. We follow the Cambridge International Examination. At KS4 Years 10 and 11 lessons form the basis of the IGCSE course, where students continue to develop their grammatical knowledge and their competence in the four basic language skills. The topics covered are more demanding, dealing with lifestyle, health and fitness, holiday and leisure and education and work. Assessment will be by final examination in the four language skills.
In the final two years at Park Lane, students have the opportunity to study IB German B. The course is a language acquisition programme and focuses on developing students language skills at Higher Lever (HL) or Standard Level (SL). The language is examined in Year 13 alongside 5 other subjects and the IB Core Subjects (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and Community, Action and Service). The themes covered are Individuality, Experiences, Human Ingenuity, Social Organisation and Our Planet. Students are expected to develop fluency to be able to discuss a wide range of topics and develop their critical thinking skills. Higher Level students also read to literary texts in the original language.