Here at The Crossley Heath School, we really value languages and language learning. German is taught from Yr7 through to Yr13; however, it is compulsory for students to continue to learn at least one Modern Foreign Language at Key Stage 4 with German being one of those on offer. German is spoken by over 130 million speakers and, due to the size and importance of its economy, is one of the most commonly used languages in business. At a time of considerable political change in Europe and against the back-drop of a national decline in language learners, we give every single Crossley Heath student the chance to learn a foreign language and to recognise the wide-ranging benefits which learning a foreign language brings.

Language learning significantly enhances communication skills. We promote pair and group work and develop in our students the ability to express themselves clearly and listen to others. We aim to build the confidence in our students so that they feel happy to converse with native speakers when on foreign visits or holidays. Students are also encouraged to work independently and use their initiative to solve problems by making connections between German and English. Therefore, through learning the German language, students also have an improved understanding of English.

Through our study of topics such as Festivals and Traditions, we foster an understanding of different cultures and an appreciation and tolerance of difference. We require students to take risks and to work outside of their comfort zone, for example by participating in our highly successful trip to Berlin or our long-running exchange programme with a school in Aachen.

These skills are valued by universities and employers. Languages are used and can be helpful in lots of different jobs not only translation, interpreting or teaching. In fact, many employers reward people with language skills with extra salary because they know they are essential in today’s international business world. Therefore, we aim to dispel the myth that English is enough.

Grammar is taught explicitly from the start of Year 7, as our objective is to ensure that students can use the language accurately but also manipulate it creatively. Lessons are engaging and are taught by highly-skilled and enthusiastic subject specialists who are passionate about languages. Teachers use a range of activities including games, songs and languages websites to suit different abilities and learning styles. Lessons are conducted in German and students are expected to communicate with each other and their teachers in the language. The four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are practised as well as translation skills and, later, the ability to paraphrase and summarise. Students enjoy learning German at The Crossley Heath School, succeed highly in their exams and value the opportunities these subjects provide.

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German at Key Stage 3

	Term 1	Term 2	Term 3
Year 7	Introduction to Germany and German Greetings and say name Alphabet Numbers and say age Countries and say where you live Classroom phrases Favourite things Your possessions Likes and dislikes Hobbies Pets Genders and articles Present tense verb endings (regular verbs) Present tense of verbs ‘sein’ and ‘haben’ Possessive adjectives Question words	Pets Family members Larger numbers Descriptions of family members Months and birthdates Sports Hobbies Online activities Pronouns Plurals of nouns Modal verb ‘können’ Adjective endings Adverbs ‘gern’ and ‘nicht gern’ Irregular verbs Word order – verb inversion	School in Germany School subjects Days of the week Telling the time Describing teachers Describing the classroom Give opinions Describe your school Say what you can eat in the canteen Verb second idea Possessive pronouns Prepositions and the dative case Modal verb ‘dürfen’
Year 8	Talk about what you did on holiday Ask questions relating to holidays Form the perfect tense with ‘haben’ and ‘sein’ Dative case with ‘mit’ Word order – ‘TMP’	Give opinions on types of TV programmes, films, books. Ask questions about the past Qualifiers Modal verbs	Talk about breakfast and traditional German food Understand recipes Healthy lifestyles Describe dinner parties Understand rules in a youth hostel Daily routine Places in the town and directions Traditional festivals in German-speaking countries Dative and accusative Imperative Future Tense Adjectival endings Reflexive and separable verbs

	Project 1 (Term 1)	Project 2 (Term 1 & 2)	Project 3 (Term 2)	Project 4 (Term 2 & 3)
Year 9	Role Models Create a presentation on a German-speaking role model. Present, Perfect and Future tenses	Create a time capsule of your ambitions. Conditional tense Um…zu clauses	Write a storybook for a child. Imperfect tense (+als) Superlative	Create a tourist brochure for a German-speaking country. Subordinating conjunctions Modal verbs Comparative and superlative Word order

 

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GCSE curriculum

Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in German allows students to develop their ability to communicate in German in both speech and writing. They will study language within a variety of thematic contexts relevant to their age and interests and will develop a greater awareness of the culture of German-speaking communities and countries.

Students will need to develop and use their knowledge and understanding of German vocabulary and grammar progressively through their course of study.

Subject aims

The aims of this qualification are to:

•  provide a coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study.
•  develop confidence in, and a positive attitude towards, German and to recognise the
• importance of languages.
• provide a strong linguistic and cultural foundation for students who go on to study languages at a higher level post-16.
• develop students’ ability and ambition to communicate independently in speech andnwriting with speakers of the language for authentic purposes.
• develop students’ ability to communicate independently about subjects that are meaningful and interesting to them
• build students’ confidence and broaden their horizons, enabling them to step beyond familiar cultural boundaries, develop new ways of seeing the world, and better understand relationships between the foreign language and the English language.
• enable students to become familiar with aspects of the contexts and cultures of the countries and communities where the language is spoken.

Thematic contexts

The vocabulary in this qualification enables students to communicate across a range of engaging and relatable thematic contexts, which are relevant to their current and future needs.

We asked students and teachers about the subjects that were meaningful and interesting to them, and selected the following six broad thematic contexts to provide a focus for the teaching and learning of the vocabulary and grammar listed:

• My personal world
• Lifestyle and wellbeing
• My neighbourhood
• Media and technology
• Studying and my future
• Travel and tourism

Qualification at a glance

The qualification consists of:

• three externally-examined papers assessing separately listening, reading and writing
• one speaking assessment set by Pearson and conducted by a teacher.

All assessments are marked by Pearson.

The focus for the content of questions and tasks will be drawn from the listed thematic contexts (see Thematic contexts section on pages 11-13).

Each paper is available at Foundation or Higher tier. Students must be entered for a single tier across all papers.

Paper 1: Speaking in German (*Paper code: 1GN1/1F and 1H)

Internally conducted and externally assessed:

Foundation tier: 7-9 minutes plus 15 minutes’ preparation time; 50 marks

Higher tier: 10-12 minutes plus 15 minutes’ preparation time; 50 marks

25% of the qualification

Students are assessed on their ability to speak using clear and comprehensible language for a range of audiences and purposes, in different contexts, which are relevant to their current and future needs and interests. There are three consecutive tasks:

Task 1: Read aloud (12 marks)

Read aloud a short text and undertake a short, unprepared interaction relating to the text. In the read aloud task itself students will be assessed on their pronunciation and in the short interaction that follows students will be assessed on their communication. The task card will be allocated by Pearson.

Task 2: Role play (10 marks)

Undertake a transactional role play, in a setting taken from the defined list on page 20.

The task card will be allocated by Pearson.

Task 3: Picture task (12 marks) with conversation (16 marks)

Students select their thematic context for Task 3 in advance of the assessment. Students select one option from a choice of two of the six thematic contexts. The two options will be randomly generated by Pearson. The task card will be allocated by Pearson.

Describe a picture stimulus, related to the selected thematic context. Students have a choice of two pictures on the stimulus card. Answer two compulsory questions related to the subject matter of the picture, then move on to a short unprepared conversation developed from the same thematic context.

Paper 2: Listening and understanding in German (*Paper code: 1GN1/2F and 2H)

Written examination:

Foundation tier: 45 minutes, including 5 minutes’ reading time, 50 marks

Higher tier: 60 minutes, including 5 minutes’ reading time, 50 marks

25% of the qualification

Students are assessed on their understanding of standard spoken German by one or more speakers, across a range of formal and informal contexts, and in familiar and unfamiliar settings.

Section A: Listening (40 marks)

Students respond to multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer open response questions.

All questions are set in English and students produce all responses in English.

Section B: Dictation (10 marks)

Students are assessed on their ability to transcribe spoken German into written German.

They will be rewarded for their accuracy of spelling based on their knowledge and understanding of the sound symbol correspondences (SSCs) listed in the specification in

Paper 3: Reading and understanding in German (*Paper code: 1GN1/3F and 3H)

Written examination:

Foundation tier: 45 minutes, 50 marks

Higher tier: 60 minutes, 50 marks

25% of the qualification

Students are assessed on their understanding of written German across a range of formal and informal contexts, and in familiar and unfamiliar settings.

Section A: Reading and Understanding (40 marks)

Students respond to multiple-choice, multiple-response and short-answer open response questions based on these texts.

All questions are set in English and students produce all responses in English.

Section B: Translation into English (10 marks)

Students translate a passage from German into English, with instructions in English.

Paper 4: Writing in German (*Paper code: 1GN1/4F and 4H)

Written examination:

Foundation tier: 1 hour 15 minutes; 50 marks.

Higher tier: 1 hour 20 minutes; 50 marks.

25% of the qualification

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

Foundation Tier

• Question 1: picture-based task (8 marks)
• Question 2: one of two open-response questions, set in formal context (14 marks)
• Question 3: one of two open-response questions, set in informal context (18 marks)
• Question 4: translation into German (10 marks)

Higher Tier

• Question 1: one of two open-response questions, set in informal context (18 marks)
• Question 2: one of two open-response questions, set in formal context (22 marks)
• Question 3: translation into German (10 marks)

A recommended word count is specified for each open-response question.

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The enriched curriculum

Teaching and learning is underpinned by a range of extra-curricular activities and experiences for students across Years 7-11:

• German exchange trip to Aachen.
• Year 9 and 12 Berlin trip.
• The opportunity to have a German pen pal
• Study Days for German A-Level at universities.
• Opportunity to volunteer to be a German ambassador and to demonstrate resources on Open Evening (11+ and sixth-form).
• Linguascope online resource for KS3-4 – a fun resource for practising and enhancing vocabulary and listening.
• Pearson Active Learn and Pearson Active Hub – online resources to accompany the KS3 and KS4 text books to enable students to practise the skills, vocab and grammar in each topic.
• Kerboodle – digital text books and online resources for KS5.
• Quizlet – online vocabulary learning
• Free access to the British-German Assication newsletter (KS5)