Willkommen in der Deutsch-Abteilung!

More people speak German as their native language than any other language in Europe.  Learning German can connect you to 120 million native speakers around the globe including such diverse countries as Argentina, Namibia, Turkey and Romania amongst others. Many people also learn German as a second language, particularly in Central Europe. In fact it is the third most popular foreign language taught worldwide and the second most popular in Europe after English!  Furthermore, Germany has the 3rd strongest economy and is the #1 export nation in the world and thus German is a very important business language. Multinational business opportunities exist throughout the European Union and in the Eastern European countries, where German is the second most spoken language after Russian. Companies like BMW, Daimler, Siemens, Lufthansa, Bosch and many others need international partners. Germany is the UK’s biggest European trading partner and some 1,000 British firms have German subsidiaries.

Besides, British cultural and political history is closely linked to that of Germany and students of German appreciate and acquire familiarity with the diverse nature of the culture and lifestyle of the German-speaking world.

German has a long tradition of excellent results at JAGS, disproving the myth that it is a particularly difficult language to learn. The grammar is very logical and with practice girls can handle it with confidence. Much German vocabulary is similar to English as these two languages have the same origins.

Our students quickly get a good grasp of the basics in Years 8 and 9 and the vast majority choose to continue with German as a GCSE option. In Key Stage 4 the course is enhanced by furthering students’ grammatical understanding and adding interesting authentic material to bring the culture of German-speaking countries to life.  The Sixth Form course deals with a range of current topics and girls benefit from weekly individual oral lessons to improve their communicative skills. There is a focus on study skills as well as adapting a fluent and sophisticated linguistic style.

To give girls an opportunity to speak the language and to experience German culture, they can take part in the Christmas markets trip in Years 8 and 9. All girls in Key Stage 3 and 4 are invited to come on the exchange visit to Bergisch-Gladbach, a quiet and picturesque town bordering Cologne in Western Germany, and for Years 12 and 13 we offer study trips to Berlin and Vienna. Pupils are also encouraged to do a week of work experience in Germany.  

Celebrating Poetry in Six Languages

Free Spirit Competition, Herzlichen Gluckwünsch! Congratulations!