A/AS German

A/AS German

What is AS/A Level German?
If you are interested in the way of life of German speakers, if you enjoy speaking German and want to be able to express yourself in sophisticated, accurate German, if you are fascinated by German and its differences from English, then more advanced language study is for you. Through listening, reading, speaking and writing the language you will gain awareness and understanding of the cultural and social background of the countries where German is spoken.

Is German suitable for me?
Our students tell us they like learning about German-speaking culture and society, and mentioned for example the Berlin Wall as a fascinating topic. They enjoy conversation in small groups with a native-speaker German assistant and appreciate the variety of resources we use. There is much more independent work and a choice of reading. Listening is seen as demanding, going beyond picking out general facts towards understanding details and the implications of what you hear. Students also say they find the increased emphasis on grammar challenging but they feel we offer them excellent help with the transition from GCSE.

How will I learn?
In lessons you will use German constantly to understand and to communicate your own reactions and views. You will learn about people and society in German-speaking countries from a variety of German language sources, fact and fiction, using print, audio and video media. You will often work in pairs and small groups and can work at your own pace using audio, video, text and internet based resources in the multimedia Language Laboratory and via the College†s Moodle VLE.

In the first few weeks we help you make the transition from GCSE to more advanced work, starting with short texts and audio extracts for discussion and short pieces of writing. You will develop your personal study skills and start individual reading and listening programmes. To enable you to feel more confident about the language you can use there will be a strong focus on grammar understanding and grammar practice.

Constant practice and use of the language are the key to progress, so besides set tasks for homework you will be expected to spend time on guided independent study, including reading, listening, watching news reports and other video materials, whether paper-based or online.

How will I be assessed?
In each year there are 2 Units, one testing Listening, Reading and Extended Writing Skills, the other an individual oral examination.

In year 2 Reading and Writing includes translation skills and formal essay writing.

Progression
Language study contributes to a broad general education and gives you invaluable practical and transferable skills for the future.

You may choose to specialise in German at university or combine German with other subjects such as engineering or history. In most careers nowadays language abilities are highly valuedand most modern HE courses encourage an element of language study as an extra module or additional skill. Recent A level linguists have gone to take among others, Business Studies, European Studies, International or European Law.

Emily gained top grade A levels in German, History and English Literature. At Durham University she combined German Literature and History, including a year studying History at a German University. Katie took A levels in Business Studies, French and German and is now taking a Business course with German at the University of Buckingham.

Course costs
All students will be expected to provide their own textbook and stationery, computer disks and calculators (where appropriate). Estimated costs are outlined below:

Essential: £35 for textbooks. Up to £20 for other materials over two years

Desirable: Good quality German/English dictionary to use at home (£15 - £30)

Optional: German magazine subscription (£15 - £20 per year) trips, eg plays, conference days (£15-£20 per trip)

Course: AQA 1661/2661

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