“Learning other languages enables children and young people to make connections with different people and their cultures and to play a fuller part as global citizens.” (Curriculum for Excellence)

 

S1 German

 

The S1 German course has been recently updated to take into account the principles of a Curriculum for Excellence. Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbing are embedded into the S1 course. This enables teachers to ensure that the standards and expectations laid out in a Curriculum for Excellence are rigorously applied.

 

Skills

Pupils will build upon their experience of German in the Primary School to develop the skills of reading, listening, talking and writing.

 

Content

Throughout the S1 course, pupils learn about the culture and traditions of German-speaking countries; learn to use a German/English dictionary and have opportunities to read and listen for pleasure. The Logo 1 course book is used to support and consolidate learning in class.

 

The main grammar focus is on the use of the present and near future tenses. Pupils also develop the ability to use connectives, adjectives and opinion phrases with confidence.

 

The S1 course is divided up into a Bridging unit and three main themes:

 

Bridging unit: August to October

This unit is designed to support the transition from Primary School to S1 by introducing and consolidating core vocabulary such as:

 

• Greetings and classroom commands
• Introducing oneself
• Numbers
• Colours
• Days of the week
• Months of the year
• Weather
• Family members
• Pets
• Home area

 

Theme 1: October to December

Within this theme, the main focus is on life in a German-speaking country. During this theme, pupils will discuss stereotypes and British people’s perceptions of life in the German-speaking world. At the end of this theme, pupils are able to use their knowledge of the German language to:

 

• Describe what they and other people look like
• Describe their and other people’s personalities
• Say what they and others are wearing
• Talk about where people live
• Identify key cities and landmarks in German-speaking countries

 

At the end of theme 1, pupils work with others in their class to carry out a research project. For this project, pupils are required to use various types of media and resources to find information about how Christmas is celebrated in a German-speaking country. They are then required to put together a presentation describing how Christmas inBritaincompares to Christmas in the country they have chosen to research.

 

Theme 2: January to Easter

The focus of this theme is primarily daily routine and school life. As well as learning the vocabulary to confidently describe their own daily routine and a typical day at school, pupils learn about life in the German-speaking world and how this differs from the British way of life. Areas studied are:

 

• Daily routine
• Time
• Breakfast food and drink
• School subjects
• School routine
• Classroom language
• Opinions about school subjects and teachers
• School uniform

 

A great deal of emphasis is also placed on reading skills within this theme and pupils will complete a reading passage describing life in a German-speaking country. As a follow-up task, they are then required to design a poster outlining the main differences between life here and life inGermanyor other countries where German is spoken.

 

At the end of this theme, pupils are required to work collaboratively to put together a group presentation in which they compare their lives and daily routines to those of a typical young person in another country. For this presentation, pupils are encouraged to use as much German as possible. However, English can also be used to express more complex ideas which would require a level of grammar not yet covered.

 

This theme concludes with a reading assessment which is completed under exam conditions and marked by the teacher.

 

Theme 3 – Easter to Summer

Within this theme, the main focus is on leisure, hobbies and the media. Dictionary skills are also revisited within this theme and pupils are offered more opportunities during class time to visit the library and read for pleasure. The main topics visited are:

 

• Leisure activities inGermany
• Sport
• Hobbies
• Music
• Television
• Computers

 

Pupils’ language ability will be tested in this unit. The assessment takes place in the form of a talking test and a listening test. In the talking test, pupils are required to give a talk in German, describing their hobbies and interests. The listening test requires them to listen for information and tests their ability to recall the vocabulary they have been learning in class.

 

At the end of theme 3, they then complete a film study based on the German film Der Junge im gestreiften Pyjama (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas). Once they have viewed this film in German, they write a character review on one of the characters in the film. Again, this is completed in the German language. This film study is not assessed but formative feedback will be given by the teacher, allowing the pupils to develop an awareness of their own strengths and areas for development.

 

 

S2 German

 

The S2 German course is currently being revised to take into account the principles of a Curriculum for Excellence. As is the case with the S1 course, Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbing are embedded into the S2 course. This enables teachers to ensure that the standards and expectations laid out in a Curriculum for Excellence are rigorously applied.

 

Skills

Pupils continue to develop confidence in the skills of reading, listening, talking and writing.

 

Content

Pupils learn more irregular verbs in the present tense and begin to talk about the past using the perfect tense. The Logo 2 course book is used to support and consolidate learning in class.

 

The course is divided up into three main themes:

 

Theme 4: August to October

The main focus in this theme is on health and wellbeing. With this in mind, the following areas are studied in detail:

 

• The face and body
• Saying what’s wrong with you at the doctor’s
• Taking advice from the doctor
• Describing ways to stay fit and healthy
• Smoking, alcohol and drugs
• Food and drink

 

A great deal of grammar is also taught within this theme, enabling pupils to use possessive adjectives, imperatives and modal verbs confidently in German.

 

At the end of this theme, pupils complete a transactional talking assessment in which they are required to play the part of a customer buying fruit and vegetables from a market inGermanyor in a German-speaking country.

 

Theme 5 – October to Easter

This theme is currently being revised. More information will be provided in the very near future.

 

Theme 6 – Easter to Summer

This theme is currently being revised. More information will be provided in the very near future.

 

By the end of S2, pupils will have achieved all level 2 and level 3 Modern Languages Experiences and Outcomes. These experiences and outcomes can be accessed by clicking on the following link: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/modern_languages_experiences_outcomes_tcm4-539713.pdf

 

During the course of S1 and S2, pupils will keep a “passport”, which holds all of their writing assessments and marks for all reading, listening, talking and writing tests completed. As well as the teacher commenting on pupils’ performance in tests, pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning by assessing their own work and that of their peers. It is hoped that this will enable them to become successful learners and help them to prepare for their next steps and targets.

 

S3/ S4 German

 

Skills

The majority of pupils continue the language studied in S1 & S2 to Standard Grade. Over the two-year course they continue to develop the four key skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing.

 

Content

Pupils use the differentiated Logo 4 coursebooks. The red book is geared towards work at General/Credit level and the green book towards Foundation/General level.

Topics covered in S3 are school, leisure, home area, shopping & pocket money and train travel.

Topics covered in S4 are holidays & hotel booking, jobs & future plans and healthy living.

 

Grammar

At Foundation/General level, pupils build confidence using present, past and near future tenses. At General/Credit level, pupils also learn to use the future tense and will focus in more depth on grammar areas such as use of modal verbs and subordinate clauses.

 

Assessment

In S3 pupils are assessed regularly in speaking, reading, listening and learn to draft and redraft written work.

In S4 pupils are assessed in speaking by their teacher as part of the overall standard grade award.  These assessments are in the form of a talk,  a conversation and a role-play for example in a shop or a job situation.  For writing pupils build up a folio of three pieces of their best work to be sent to the Scottish Qualifications Authority for grading.  Reading and listening are assessed in a final exam and marked by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.  Speaking and reading make up two thirds of the overall award and listening and writing make up one third.

 

Homework

Homework is a vital to success in Standard Grade German.  Pupils are expected to learn vocabulary and grammar rules regularly at home.  They may also be asked to redraft written pieces and prepare for speaking assessments.   Pupils are also encouraged to access the internet as a means of independent study – the modern languages rooms in the VLE www.fronter.com/qahs  provide links to other useful sites such as Linguascope.com and BBC bitesize.

 

 

S5 / S6 German

 

The department generally has a strong uptake of modern languages post-16.

In S5 pupils who have achieved a credit level pass at Standard Grade will be able to take Higher German and pupils with a general level pass will progress to Intermediate 2.

 

Intermediate 2 German

Course Content

The course is divided into 2 units. All pupils study the language unit plus one of the other 3 optional units.

 

Unit 1: Language – This unit covers 3 broad themes:

• Lifestyles (family/friends/leisure/daily routine)
• Education and Work (school/college and work)
• The Wider World (holiday/travel/tourism)

 

Unit 2: Personal Communication – Based on the themes of Lifestyles and Education and Work, pupils learn to write personal responses to letters written in German.

or

Unit 2: Language and Work – Pupils use language in a vocational context, the focus being on writing.

or

Unit 2:  Extended Reading and Viewing – The focus of study is on written text(s) and possibly a linked film or video.

 

Information Technology

Pupils are encouraged to make use of the internet and VLE and to re-draft written work using word processing.

 

Homework

Regular completion of homework is an essential part of the course.  For example pupils have to prepare reading passages, do grammar exercises, learn vocabulary and phrases and prepare for speaking tasks.  Pupils should have access to a German – English dictionary for use at home.

 

Assessment

A     In School assessments:

Unit 1          1 listening and 1 reading test on any of the 3 themes.

1 speaking test covering topics from two themes.

Unit 2         (Personal Communication) – 1 writing test.

(Language & Work) – 1 writing test (1 x business letter, 1 x e-mail)

(ExtendedReadingand Viewing) – 1 writing test

 

B      External:     1 test listening (20%)

1 test reading (30%)

1 test writing (20%)

The speaking test for Unit 1 counts towards 30% of the final course award.

 

 

Higher German

 

Course Content

The course is divided into 2 Units.

Unit 1:  Language    This Unit covers 3 broad themes:

• Lifestyles (family; friends; society; leisure; healthy living).
• Education and Work (school; careers).
• The wider world (holidays and travel; tourism).

Through reading and listening, pupils acquire the knowledge required for discussion of the topic.  Pupils learn to express views in German both orally and in writing.

 

Unit 2: Extended reading and viewing:  Pupils read a short novel written for native German speakers or study a film and transcript in the foreign language.

 

Information Technology

Pupils are encouraged to make use of the Internet on-line Scholar materials  and VLE for independent study and to re-draft written work using word processing.

 

Homework

Regular completion of homework is an integral element of learning.  For example pupils are expected to learn grammar, vocabulary and phrases thoroughly, complete reading assignments from the novel/film transcript, prepare for speaking tests and complete written tasks.  Pupils should have access at home to a reasonably large bilingual dictionary for the purposes of homework and independent study.

 

Assessment

A.      In school assessments:

Unit 1:         1 listening test and 1 reading test on any of the 3 themes.

1 speaking test which will cover topics from 2 themes.

Unit 2:         1 writing test – (based on study of the novel/film).

B.       The external exam consists of:    1  test in listening (20%).

1 test in reading (30%).

2 tests in writing (25%).

The speaking test done in unit 1 also counts towards the final course award (25%).

 

 

Advanced Higher German

A small number of pupils each year continue their study of German to Advanced Higher level.

Course Content

The course is divided into 2 Units:

 

Unit 1 – Language – this unit covers 3 broad themes:

• Personal and social issues.
• Topical and cultural issues.
• Environmental issues.
  • Pupils study 2 literary texts.

Unit 2 – ExtendedReading

Pupils may select a background topic for independent study as an alternative to the second literary text.  The topic should relate to a German speaking country.  It can be chosen from one of the following areas: geography, history, politics, economics, music, the arts.

 

Information Technology

Pupils are encouraged to use the internet, VLE and German Scholar materials on-line for research purposes and to redraft written work using word processing.

 

Homework

Various regular homework tasks are essential to the successful completion of the course.  For example pupils have to prepare the literary texts for discussion in class, do grammar exercises, prepare and write essays (see below), prepare speaking presentations, study current affairs in German speaking countries, do research on the background topic etc.

 

Assessment

A   Internal

Unit 1:

1  listening and 1 reading test on any of the 3 themes.

1 speaking test covering topics from the language themes.

Unit 2:

1 piece of writing in the foreign language on the literary text.

 

B     External

Speaking test in February/March with visiting examiner (25%).

Folio Writing: Essays in English, 2 for literature, 1 for background topic

for submission to SQA in April (15%)

Exam in May/June:

1 test in listening/discursive writing (35%)

1 test in translating/reading comprehension (25%).