German

Curriculum Intent

The intent of the German curriculum at Walton-le-Dale is to develop language learners who have a love of languages, are resilient and independent, are confident speakers of German and have a secure understanding of phonics. They will have a strong awareness of the culture of German-speaking  countries and they will have access to the use of authentic materials. They have a sound understanding of German grammar which includes the ability to apply it in new contexts and the ability to use and understand a range of tenses with confidence. They are inquisitive linguists, with intellectual curiosity, who are able to make connections with their learning of French, who ask searching questions and who like to understand how languages are interlinked and who can relate the influence of other languages to the English language. Pupils are also able to progress to the next stage of their language learning and they are proud of their linguistic achievements.

Programmes of Study

Upper band pupils start to learn German alongside French in Year 8 and they continue with French and German in Year 9.
Pupils develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing at both Key Stages.

Year 8

Topics	Culture	Grammar
Introducing yourself Talking about where you live Appearance and personality Personal equipment Family Pets Numbers, dates, birthdays Sports Free time Online usage School subjects School routines Teachers Ideal school Opinions Local Area Shopping Food and Drink Currency Holiday Plans	Christmas in Germany New Year in Germany German traditions German school system Towns and cities in Germany German food and drink German geography and key locations German sports and athletes	Cognates Introduction to German verbs Adjectives Definite and indefinite articles Adjectival agreements Possessive adjectives Negatives Simple interrogatives Prepositions Formation of tenses Opinions Word Order

 

Year 9

Topics	Culture	Grammar
Past holidays Travel and transport Weather Problems on holiday Film and television Reading preferences Online usage Speaking different languages German meals and foods Healthy lifestyles Youth hostels Daily routine Asking for directions German festivals Activity holidays Clothes Arranging an evening out Fairtrade labels	German film and television Reasons for studying languages Employability with languages German food and drink German recipes Festivals in German-speaking countries Ethnical shopping German brands	As Year 8 plus: In-depth work on at least 3 tenses Justifying opinions Word order: Time Manner Place and inversion Modal verbs Prepositions and the dative case Comparatives and superlatives Reflexive and separable verbs

 

Key Stage 4 German
AQA GCSE

Themes	Topics	Culture
People and Lifestyle	Identity and relationships with others Healthy living and lifestyle Education and Work	Families and relationships Health and fitness considerations Schools and systems in Germany and German-speaking countries
Popular Culture	Leisure activities Customs, Festivals and traditions Celebrity culture	Sports and leisure activities in Germany and German-speaking countries International traditions and events Celebrities including film/media stars, role models and media influencers
Communication and the world around us	Travel and tourism, including places of interest Media and technology The environment and where people live	International geography including holiday destinations and tourism Weather and climate Digital platforms and internet usage Global environmental concerns Local area and local issues

Marking and Internal Assessment

Key Stage 3
The four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are marked using internal assessments, linked to GCSE marking criteria, where appropriate.
Key Stage 4
The four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are marked using GCSE marking criteria.

Examinations

Pupils are entered for the AQA GCSE German exam.
Grades 9 to 1 are available.
Examinations are taken at the end of the course.
Pupils will be entered for either foundation or higher tier in all four skills.
Foundation tier of entry: Grades 1 to 5
Higher tier of entry: Grades 4 to 9

Revision Guides/Supporting Resources

CGP GCSE German (AQA) revision guide
BBC Bitesize website
Linguascope – school subscription
Duolingo app – free version recommended

Staff Details

Mrs R Holden – Modern Foreign Languages (French and German) Curriculum Leader
Mrs P New – Teacher of French and German

Careers and Progression

Having knowledge of a foreign language is seen as a bonus in many jobs and a GCSE in a foreign language contributes to the EBacc portfolio of qualifications.  A foreign language is seen as important by many universities, regardless of the subject taken at degree level. Studying a foreign language leads to employability in education, public services, travel and tourism, journalism, international business, law, management, administration, marketing, publishing, politics amongst others, as well as providing an ideal opportunity for living and working abroad in a number of disciplines.  A good grade at GCSE MFL will be required for access to A-level MFL courses. Individual colleges will have their own published selection criteria.