German
Why learn German for GCSE?
German is no longer offered by many schools in Norfolk. So give yourself a competitive edge, be different, learn German and stand out from the crowd.
German is easier to learn than you think because it's related to English. With a reasonable amount of effort and the right approach to learning, most students can expect to do well.
Travel and Tourism
Germany is a short flight away. You can ski or snowboard in the mountains, sunbathe by the lakes, visit the Berlin Film Festival or the Oktoberfest in Munich. It is a great country to travel in - discover the people, the culture and the cities. Anyone who can speak German can communicate with around 100 million people in their own language, for German is not only spoken in Germany but also in Austria, Switzerland and in many other countries in Europe. Germans love to travel and you are bound to meet them on holidays abroad, particularly in Greece and Spain.
How is the subject taught?
Pupils are expected to be active participants in the learning process and be willing to try to communicate in the language. We enjoy excellent results at GCSE with 100% pass rate and most pupils achieve the higher grades. The exam board is Edexcel.
Curriculum
| Year 10 | Year 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Aut.1 | Theme 3: School Main grammar areas: verbs in the present tense, cases including adjective endings, word order |
Theme 2: Local area, holiday and travel Holidays, Town, region, country |
| Aut.2 | Theme 3: School Main grammar areas: 3 tenses |
Theme 4: Future aspirations, study and work Mock exam preparation |
| Spr.1 | Theme 1: Identity and culture family and personal relationships, free time activities, sport, celebrations |
Theme 5: International and global dimension: Festivals, global problems Exam preparation |
| Spr.2 | Theme 1: Identity and culture tv, cinema, daily routine, media mock exam preparation |
Exam preparation |
| Sum.1 | Mock exam preparation Theme 5: International and global dimension environment |
Exam preparation |
| Sum.2 | Mock exam preparation Theme 1: Identity and culture Healthy eating and lifestyle |
Career Pathways
Improved Career Prospects
Speaking German will improve your job prospects, not just in Germany but also in the UK and many other countries worldwide. You will develop your communication and analytical skills. Germany is the most important trading partner for many European and non-European countries.
Businesses are eager to recruit people with language qualifications. In many companies a foreign language will be the deciding factor when two candidates have similar qualifications. Graduates with German have some of the best employment prospects after the medical professions. Knowledge of German is a real asset for students and scientists. If you can read German, you have access to a whole host of research findings in all areas of modern science as many texts are still only accessible in German. Understanding and speaking German will enable you to gain a much deeper insight into the history and culture of the heart of Europe.
Career Options
You can watch a great series of videos of young people who are working in jobs that use foreign languages on the BBC Bitesize website.
For example careers leading from this subject click here.