Modern Foreign Languages – German
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Grade 6 in GCSE German
Head of MFL: Mr W. Alexander
Examination Board: Pearson Edexcel
A-Level Syllabus: German – 9GN0
Examinations: 100%
Non-Exam Assessment: None
What is A-Level German?
A Level German involves studying not only the German language at a much deeper level, but involves study of the arts, culture, politics and society of the German-speaking world. At A Level, there are three examination papers:
Paper 1: Listening, reading and translation into English
Paper 2: Written response to film and literary work and translation into German
Paper 3: Speaking
What makes a good linguist?
The basic criterion is a good grade at GCSE. The language that you will be reading and hearing at AS is significantly more difficult than at GCSE, so it is essential that you have a solid base from which to work. The second criterion is enthusiasm.
To be a really successful linguist, you have to go beyond the work that you will do in class, and make every effort to hear and see as much of your chosen language as you can. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you can do this. The school runs exchange programmes for students in Year 12, so you will have the opportunity to spend some time in France or in Germany. You will have a regular individual lesson with the French or German assistant, and there are also lots of resources available on the Internet which you will be able to use in your own time. The third criterion is a capacity for hard work. You will need to be prepared to spend time at home learning vocabulary, practising grammar, preparing oral presentations, and writing essays.
What can I expect to learn in German?
With the German-speaking world’s significant role on the world stage, our aim is to share with students our passion for these fascinating places. In a recent CBI survey published in The Telegraph, UK business managers rated German the most useful foreign language in a future job. We encourage our students to communicate with one another in German, to engage with authentic materials, to understand native speakers and write and speak in extended sequences to express themselves. You will study a film and a work of literature, and look in detail at a period of history (the German Democratic Republic and the Reunification of Germany).
As you cover these cultural topics, you will continue to broaden your vocabulary and deepen your knowledge of
grammar. By the end of the two-year course, you should be able to understand and communicate with native speakers of your chosen language speaking at their normal speed.
Where could Languages take me?
Languages count as enabling or facilitating subjects, according to Russell Group Universities. They are always a valuable thing to have on your CV, as employers respect them just as much as university admissions tutors do. The skills which you will develop include competent communication and presentation skills, the ability to gather information, assess and interpret it, analysis, evaluation and research skills, apply problem solving strategies, use critical thinking, creativity, to name but a few. All this fosters a more developed cultural awareness and global mindedness, useful perspectives to have in today’s globalised world. According to the government’s own statistics, Britain’s economy is being seriously harmed because of a shortage of foreign language skills: it costs the country 3.5% of GDP every year. Therefore, an applicant with a good grasp of a language is much more desirable than his or her monolingual counterpart.
Our A-Level German students play an active role as Language Ambassadors, acquiring very useful soft skills. They run clubs and competitions, support younger year groups in lessons and in lunchtime sessions – another exciting opportunity for our A Level German students at The Bishop’s Stortford High School.
The rewards for all your hard work are significant. There are few more satisfying experiences than being able to travel to a foreign country and communicate naturally and easily with the people there. If you wish to go to university, you will find that, in addition to degrees in languages, there are opportunities to combine languages with almost every other subject. Languages open up the world, and as a linguist, you will find that your experiences of foreign travel, and your job opportunities, are immeasurably enhanced.
