Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend
German
“Der Geist einer Sprache offenbart sich am deutlichsten in ihren unübersetzbaren Worten.”
Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916)
Year 7
The Year 7 German course is based on the textbook “Stimmt! 1”. Each chapter introduces new vocabulary and grammar structures for the set topics (introductions and personal information, family and pets, free time and leisure, school).
By the end of the year, all students will begin to infer language from short listening and reading extracts and begin to expand responses to questions in spoken German or write short paragraphs in German about the set topics. Students will be able to use the present tense, with some use of future time phrases to express near-future plans.
Year 8
The Year 8 German course is based on the textbook “Stimmt! 2”. Each chapter revisits vocabulary and structures from Year 7, whilst introducing past tense forms and vocabulary and structures for the Year 8 topics (holidays and travel, media, food and health and fitness).
By the end of the year, all students will be able to infer language from longer listening and reading extracts and be able to give spoken presentations and/or extended responses to questions in general conversation and in writing in relation to both Year 7 and Year 8 set topics.
Year 9
The Year 9 German course is based on the textbook “Stimmt! 3” and is supplemented by materials from the Edexcel GCSE Foundation and Higher courses. The topics introduced in Years 7 and 8 are now built on and new ones introduced (role models and life achievements, music and media, jobs and ambitions, childhood).
By the end of the year, students will be able to recognise and produce new vocabulary which is now frequently more complex and less common. Past, present and future tenses are systematically revisited and applied in a range of contexts, and the conditional tense is introduced. This already equips students with the knowledge and skills required for working towards a high GCSE grade.
GCSE
Year 10: Students follow the Edexcel GCSE (9-1) course and use the Stimmt! GCSE Higher (9-1) textbook to support their learning. The students build on their strong foundation of topic-specific vocabulary and grammatical structures encountered in Years 7-9. Learners revisit and enhance their knowledge and understanding of the following topics: school, personal relationships, food and health, free-time and leisure, travel and tourism.
By the end of the year, students will be able to decode unknown vocabulary in spoken and written German in a range of task types. Students will be able to respond to a picture prompt in both speaking and writing, engage more meaningfully in general conversation in relation to the set topics by frequently justifying ideas and viewpoints, as well as produce a written response to a four-bullet-point task. Students will now recognise and use four tenses: past, present, future and conditional.
Year 11: Students complete their GCSE course by enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the following topics: holidays, world of work, environment and global issues.
The nature of these topics allow students to begin using the German language in speaking and writing to weigh up advantages and disadvantages, and to discuss problems and propose solutions, thus equipping students with some of the knowledge and skills required for the study of German at A Level. By the end of the course, learners will be prepared for all four components that form the assessment for GCSE: listening, speaking, reading, writing, each worth 25% of the overall grade.
GCSE German – guide for students and parents
Sixth Form
We offer a two-year course of study (A Level), following the Edexcel Specification detailed below. As of 2020, it is no longer be possible to complete an AS qualification with Edexcel in German. All students will therefore follow a linear two-year course of study.
Students gain a wide range of language skills during the course through the following topics:
Year 1
- Social development in Germany (including natural world and environment, education and training, employment and industry);
- Politics and the arts in German speaking countries and communities (including music, the media and its influence on society and politics, festivals, customs and traditions).
Year 2
- Immigration and multicultural society in Germany (including the positive impact of immigration on economy and culture, and challenges faced by the state and society with regards to immigration and integration)
- German Reunification (including society in the former GDR, fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism, and the impact of reunification on present-day Germany).
The course also involves the study of a film (in Year 12) and a literary component (in Year 13). We currently study the film Good Bye, Lenin! in Year 12 and the play Der Besuch der alten Dame in Year 13.
A Level German – guide for students and parents
Enrichment Opportunities
Students benefit from a wealth of enrichment opportunities which allow learners to develop their disciplinary knowledge, academic literacy and cultural capital. Mayfield students are encouraged to extend their interest in German by taking part in the following activities and events:
- Year 9 Trip to Aachen Christmas Markets
- Year 10 Trip to the Goethe Institut, London
- Year 12-13 Work Experience in UK or Germany
- German Language Day at the Bronte School
- Pen pal or email exchange with partner school in Neumünster
- Speaking Lessons with Modern Language Assistant
- German Games Club for Years 7-11
- German Support Club for Years 10-11
- German Cinéclub for Years 11-13
- Interschool Spelling Bee
- Anthea Bell Translation Prize
- This is Language Charity Competition (Nutty Tilez)
- Subscription to This is Language for Years 10-13