Level German
What can I expect from an A-level course in German?
At AS we discuss contemporary topics such as youth culture and concerns, music and fashion as well as new technologies and different lifestyles. We read and write about travel & tourism, the environment and different education models in German speaking countries. The A2 course is about ‘The Wider Society’ and looks at politics and history, traditions and beliefs, literature and art as well as different regions in Germany.
Your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary will grow over the 2 years and you will be using the language you want to use in order to say what you want to say – and sounding pretty good about it at the same time!
You will be building on the knowledge you gained at GCSE. In year 9 for example you joined the German trip to Oberhambach and in year 10 or 11 you might have participated in the school exchange to Munich. During the two years in the Sixth Form you will have the opportunity to research a topic of your choice in more detail and you might choose a region in Germany you already know from previous trips.
What can I do with an A level in German?
Most students continue with some aspect of the languages they have studied at A-level. Several Battle Abbey Students have gained scholarships to study German at leading universities and received grants to enhance their language skills abroad.
If you are planning for any profession or career involving Europe, German is a useful language to learn. In Europe, approximately 100 million people speak German as their first language. In Eastern Europe, German is a major second language. German remains an international language in many disciplines, including philosophy, social sciences, medicine, music, and art history and many original texts are to be found in German.
At most universities German can be combined with subjects such as English, History, Politics, Economics, Linguistics, Computing, Mathematics, Management & Marketing, International Business, Law, European Legal Studies or European Management Studies.
AS Level Examination
Examination format
Unit 1: Spoken Expression and Response in German
30% of AS
The new oral will take 8–10 minutes.
Students will be required to choose one of four topic areas and to carry out two tasks on it:
- firstly, they will prepare answers to four questions on a stimulus card based on the topic area. The first two questions will usually be on the content of the material, while the others will usually ask for opinions or comment.
- secondly, they will answer the examiner’s question on other aspects of the same general topic area.
Unit 2: Understanding and Written Response in German
70% of AS
This paper, lasting 2 hours 30 minutes, replaces the former listening and reading papers which were an hour and 2 hours long respectively.
The listening and reading tasks all follow a similar format – listening texts with multiple choice and cloze tasks and with questions in German and reading texts with a matching question plus questions in both English and German.
A2 Level Examination
Examination format
Unit 3: Understanding and Spoken Response in German (11-13 minute assessment)
This unit requires students to demonstrate the effectiveness of their German-language skills by presenting and taking a clear stance on any issue of their choice. They will be expected to interact effectively with the teacher/examiner, defend their views and sustain discussion as the teacher/examiner moves the conversation away from their chosen issue. They will be expected to use the language of debate and argument to discuss the issue and will also be assessed for understanding as well as communication and quality of spoken language.
Unit 4: Research, Understanding and Written Response in German (2 hour 30 minute assessment in 3 sections)
This unit requires students to demonstrate skills in advanced-level German writing (discursive or creative essay) and translation from English into German. The unit also requires students to demonstrate evidence of independent, advanced-level German language reading and research of a chosen text, play, film or topic area that links to the culture and/or society of a German-speaking country, countries or community.
topic areas for this unit.
And visit the website www.goethe.de for more information about studying German
Additional information is available on the websites below
www.ukgermanconnection.org
www.goethe.de/london
www.spiegel.de
www.dw-world.de
www.zdf.de
www.swf3.de
www.faz.net
www.wordreference.com
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