German

Head of Department: Britta Reinecke; Valerie Cramp (mat. cover 2011-12)

 

Department Background
 The German department as part of the whole MFL department seeks to enthuse pupils with a love for learning foreign languages through a great variety of interactive teaching styles. These include encouraging pupils to frequently engage in classroom dialogues and discussions, using modern textbooks, Interactive Whiteboard resources, listening and reading materials relating to topics of interest to our pupils, interactive websites and online resources, software to create cartoons in German, films and film clips as well as traditional and modern literature in the 6th form. We value student progress over perfection and encourage pupils to develop from communicating simple facts about their everyday life at KS3 to engaging in sophisticated debates and essays on ethical topics, current affairs as well as literary and film studies by the end of KS5. We welcome and support pupils of all abilities, stretching the gifted and talented by extension work in class and extra-curricular activities outside the classroom as well as providing extra support for pupils who struggle, thus achieving very good to excellent results across the board.

Year 7 - 9
 At KS3, we cover topics relating to pupils’ personal interests and circumstances. Typical topics cover family, birthdays, pets, my local area, hobbies and talents, sports and music, school life, shopping, food and drink, German geography and culture, green lifestyle  etc. We do also place an emphasis on grammar from the very first lesson to ensure pupils are familiar with the present, future and perfect tenses as well as some simple subordination and an awareness of cases and adjective endings by the end of KS3. In year 9 there is a new emphasis on the topic of media and film which pupils particularly enjoy and which helps them prepare for their German studies further up the school.
Year 10 - 11
 During the course of their German GCSE studies, pupils build on the topics and grammar learnt previously to engage in more detailed discussions on issues like relationships, the world of work, comparing British and German school systems, advertising where they live, discussing environmental issues, media preferences, holidays, leisure and healthy living as well as develop their grammar and writing skills to a high level. With an emphasis on spontaneity and communication pupils develop confidence and greater fluency in German and are able to communicate with their peers in Germany on topics relevant to their personal lives.
 Sixth Form

 At AS level students are encouraged to broaden their minds and develop a knowledge of German that enables them to discuss topics like Youth Culture and Concerns, Leisure and Fitness, Tourism and Environment as well as Education and Work from a less personal and more complex point of view. Our work experience exchange gives students the opportunity to gain a German perspective of the topics studied as they stay with a peer and host family in Germany as well as experiencing the education system and/or world of work first hand.

In lessons, students learn to weigh up, develop and communicate two or more sides of familiar issues in preparation for engaging in more sophisticated topics at A2, such as history, literature, film, traditions, religion, animal welfare, environmental issues, racism, equal opportunities, legislation on alcohol, smoking, media and advertising etc. We also teach advanced grammar throughout the whole AS and A2 courses. Students are taught by two classroom teachers as well as attending fortnightly group and individual sessions with our German assistant. By the end of year 13 students are usually reaping the benefits of their advanced language studies and feel confident and prepared to continue German at university and to spending time studying and working abroad.
 Activities
 KS3:
Workshop on an introduction to German Film Studies at the British Film Institute on the Southbank.
German Film Club run at lunchtime by our year 11 UK-German Connections Embassador.
German peer mentoring (all year) and German Catch-up Club (summer term) to support weaker pupils.

KS4:
Year 10 German exchange to Gladbeck. Lunchtime sessions and small group support by our assistant to help pupils practice for their oral and written assessments.

KS5:
Year 12 German Work Experience Exchange to Bielefeld.
Lunchtime Film Club run by students.
Oxbridge preparation classes run by teachers.
Individual and small group sessions with our German assistant to prepare for the oral and help weaker students with grammar.
We also encourage students to make the most of German cultural events in London (theatre, cinema, lectures, exhibitions etc)
Recent Highlights
 Year 9 pupils went to the Europa Centre to practise their German in a simulated German market town in East London.
Both the year 10 Gladbeck Exchange and year 12 Work Experience Exchange continued to prove highly popular and successful last year.

The majority of our year 12 and 13 attended a lecture with Bernhard Schlink (author of our A-level literature novel DER VORLESER – THE READER) at the Institute of Contemporary Arts last autumn.

Some year 12 students enjoyed a performance of Schiller’s LUISE MILLER at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden in the summer term.