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German at Ashbourne College
The German language “speaks Being,” while all the others merely “speak of Being.” Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), German philosopher.
Ashbourne’s Languages Department
Ashbourne’s best tutor by common consensus is Odette Hudson, who heads the languages department. Her commitment, enthusiasm and patience know no bounds. Odette holds a Licence d’enseignement des Languages from her native France as well as a DipLanguage obtained in Denmark. Odette is ably assisted in the languages department Louise Forster who holds a BA Hons from Reading and is fluent in both German and Italian.
Course Content 1.1
Spoken Expression and Response in German
This unit rewards students for their ability to converse in German on a general topic area that they have chosen in advance. Students will need to demonstrate that they can engage in a discussion in German that relates to a chosen general topic area and allied sub topics. They must choose one of the following general topic areas:
Youth culture and concerns
Lifestyle: health and fitness
The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the German-speaking world Education and employment.
Format The assessment for this unit has two sections that total 50 marks.
Section A
This requires students to respond to four Edexcel-set questions on a stimulus related to the student’s chosen general topic area.
Section B
The second part requires the teacher/examiner* to engage the student in a discussion that, although still relating to the same general topic area and its linked subtopics, moves away from the main focus of the stimulus.
Linked subtopics To inform teaching and learning, the following definitive list of linked subtopics has been produced for this unit.
Youth culture and concerns
Music and fashion
Technology (eg MP3/blogs/mobile phones/internet/games)
Relationships (family/friendships and peer pressure)
Drink, drugs, sex
Lifestyle: health and fitness
Sport and exercise
Food and diet
Health issues (eg smoking, skin cancer, health services)
The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the German-speaking world
Tourist information, travel and transport
Weather (eg natural disasters, climate change)
Pollution and recycling
Education and employment
Education (schooling and higher education) Education policy and student issues The world of work (eg the changing work scene, job opportunities and unemployment)
Unit 2 Understanding and Written Response in German
2.1 Unit description
This unit requires students to understand and convey their understanding of German-language texts and recordings. In addition, students will need to produce an essay to demonstrate an ability to manipulate the German language in continuous writing.
The unit draws upon four general topic areas:
Youth culture and concerns
Lifestyle: health and fitness
The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the German-speaking world
Education and employment.
Format The paper set for this unit has three sections.
Section A (20 marks)
Students will be required to listen to a range of authentic recorded German-language material and to retrieve and convey information given in the recording by responding to a range of German-language questions. Students will need to show understanding of both the general sense and specific details conveyed. The questions will elicit non-verbal responses and short answers in German.
Section B (20 marks)
Students will be required to read authentic German-language printed materials and to retrieve and convey information by responding to a range of mainly German-language test types. The questions will elicit non-verbal responses, German-language answers and English answers that require a transfer of meaning from German. Questions are linked to a range of reading comprehension exercises including some that require responses in English to test the student’s ability to transfer meaning from German into English.
Section C (30 marks)
Students will be required to write 200-220 words in the form of a letter, report or article in German based on a short printed German language stimulus. This unit will feature questions drawn from a variety of sources but which all relate to the general topic areas below. However, these should be considered as different contexts in which students can write and understand the German language.
General topic areas
Youth culture and concerns
Lifestyle: health and fitness
The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the German-speaking world Education and employment
Unit 3 Understanding and Spoken Response in German
3.1 Unit description
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.
Preparation
To prepare for this assessment, students should undertake research into their chosen issue. Students have a completely free choice of issue; it does not need to relate to the culture and/or society of a German-language country or community nor to any of the Edexcel general topic areas.
Unit 4 Research, Understanding and Written Response in German
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. The content of this unit will be linked to the following general topic areas:
Youth culture and concerns
Lifestyle: health and fitness
The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the German-speaking world Education and employment
Customs, traditions, beliefs and religions
National and international events: past, present and future Literature and the arts.
4.2 Assessment information
Format The paper set for this unit has three sections.
Section A (10 marks)
A short written translation exercise to test students’ ability to transfer meaning from English into German effectively. The English language stimulus will be about 80 words long.
Section B (45 marks)
A German-language essay in response to one from a choice of seven questions that invite either discursive or creative writing. The discursive essay requires students to write 240-270 words in German to reveal their ability to organise arguments and ideas and give a structured consideration of a general issue. The creative essay requires a different type of response based on an imaginative German-language text or a combination of text and visual(s). Both discursive and creative questions will link to the prescribed seven topic areas.
Section C (45 marks)
A research-based essay in German (240-270 words) rewards students for German-language research skills linked to an area of interest to the student. This must relate to the culture and/or society of a German-language country, countries or community.
a Geographical area
b Historical study
c Aspects of modern society
d Literature and the arts (eg text, play or film).
A question will be set for each of these four areas of research.
Geographical area (eg region or city)
Students would be expected to undertake wide research, become aware of and demonstrate understanding of the following: key people, events and issues (eg demographic, environmental, economic, social, political) that have impacted or are having an impact on the area customs, traditions, beliefs and religions.
Historical study
Students would be expected to undertake wide research, consider and demonstrate understanding of the following: a specific period of history of particular relevance to the chosen country key people, events and issues from the above period. Students would be expected to undertake wide research, consider and demonstrate understanding of the following: key current and recent (21st century/late 20th century) events and issues (eg social, cultural and political) and their impact on society.
Literature and the arts
Students would be expected to undertake in-depth study of a substantial German language text, play or film. They would need to consider and demonstrate understanding of the following: different characters key themes/issues social and cultural setting styles/techniques employed.
Possible University Degree Programmes Suited to Alevel German
A study of German at A level opens the door to many possibilities for undergraduate study including Journalism, Modern European Languages, Languages, Economics and Politics, European Business Studies, History, Business Administration and International Studies.
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