INTRODUCTION
German is, surprisingly, the most widely spoken language in Europe today and is extensively used in Scandinavia and the new democracies of Eastern Europe. The German language and way of life are readily accessible to the people of the North of England and there are numerous links between the two countries. Always an important language of culture and commerce, it has traditionally been regarded as a key language in science, particularly chemistry, and many courses in business studies and science at British universities incorporate a German component in their syllabuses. Careers in law and business increasingly have a foreign language dimension in their activities as the countries of Europe come closer together.
GCSE German is a stepping stone to gaining
access to this world. The course emphasises communication and comprehension
skills as it seeks to be interesting and relevant to pupils' needs.
Equal importance is placed on all 4 language areas: speaking,
listening, reading and writing, to provide a balanced course
matched to the needs and abilities of our students.
Examinations are taken in Listening, Reading and Speaking at
the end of Year 11. The written work, however, is assessed solely
by coursework and there is no written examination in this area.
The department feels that pupils react positively to the coursework
option - a portfolio of 3 pieces of writing of about 200 words in
length, prepared and carried out in class time - as it enables them
to write maturely and creatively over a variety of topics developed
naturally from what they learn in lessons. The standard of writing
and the grades gained are very encouraging.
Pupils learning German are encouraged to develop links with people
in the German speaking world and amongst the initiatives is a pupil
exchange with the Bonhoeffer Grammar School near Heidelberg. We
are at the present time seeking to develop e-mail links for our
pupils.
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about students who studied German GCSE & German A Level at BRGS: |
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