Exam Board: Edexcel

What does the course consist of?

The course consists of opportunities for pupils to develop the ability to understand and use German effectively for the practical purposes of communication whilst developing an awareness of the nature of language and language learning.  By now pupils have covered most of the intricate grammar points in German required at GCSE. The course also offers insights into the culture and civilisation of Germany and German-speaking countries. Please see list of topics:

Theme: Identity and culture      

• Who am I?:  relationships; when I was younger; what my friends and family are like; what makes a good friend; interests; socialising with friends and family; role models  
• Daily life: customs and everyday life; food and drink; shopping; social media and technology (use of, advantages and disadvantages)
• Cultural life: celebrations and festivals; reading; music; sport; film and television

Theme: Local area, holiday and travel       

• Holiday preferences, experiences and destinations  
• Travel and tourist transactions: travel and accommodation; asking for help and dealing with problems; directions; eating out; shopping
• Town, region and country: weather; places to see; things to do

Theme: School  

• What school is like: school types; school day; subjects; rules and pressures; celebrating success  
• School activities: school trips, events and exchanges

Theme: Future aspirations, study and work

• Using languages beyond the classroom: forming relationships; travel; employment
• Ambitions: further study; volunteering; training  
• Work: jobs, careers and professions

Theme: International and global dimension  

• Bringing the world together: sports events; music events; campaigns and good causes / Environmental issues: being ‘green’; access to natural resources.

Assessment and Coursework

Assessment in all four skills will take place at the end of year 11 in examination format. There is no coursework.

LISTENING

Students are assessed on their understanding of standard spoken German by one or more speakers in a range of public and social settings. Students will respond to multiple-response and short-answer open response questions based on a recording featuring male and female German speakers

SPEAKING

Students are assessed on their ability to communicate and interact effectively through speaking in German for different purposes and in different settings.

Task 1 – a role play

Task 2 – questions based on a picture stimulus

Task 3 – conversation based on two themes. The first theme is based on the topic chosen by the student in advance of the assessment. The second theme is allocated by Pearson.

READING

Students are assessed on their understanding of written German across a range of different types of texts, including advertisements, emails, letters, articles.

WRITING

Students are assessed on their ability to communicate effectively through writing in German for different purposes and audiences. Students are required to produce extended responses of varying lengths and types to express ideas and opinions in German.

Skills

German at GCSE will enable you to speak and understand German at a good level for practical communication.  The course will also develop your ability to memorise, analyse, draw inference and adapt language, as well as to empathise with a different nationality and culture.