Year 8
When girls start learning German in Year 8 they are very quickly taught the most important vocabulary and grammar in order to cope when they go on the Christmas markets trip in early December. Great attention is given to good pronunciation so that they can communicate with confidence. The areas covered in this first year of German include: numbers and alphabet, family and friends, weather, food, shopping and money, directions, school, hobbies, houses and home life.

Along with language skills the pupils are also taught about the cultural, historical and geographical background of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Year 9
More topics and grammar are introduced and girls can now talk about what they did in the past and will do in the future. The main areas that are taught in Year 9 are: travel and holidays, daily routine, fashion and shopping for clothes, healthy living, post office, bank and lost property. Girls practise a variety of role plays both in the classroom and in the languages laboratory, so that they are well prepared for life in Germany if they join our annual exchange trip.

GCSE Years 10 and 11

Now the girls have chosen to take this language for at least another two years they are taught to communicate in more detail and to express themselves more fluently. They are given plenty of opportunity to develop the four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Girls will prepare and perform several writing and speaking tasks spread over the course whilst taking final examinations in Listening and Reading. Girls enjoy the sense of achievement as they are gradually becoming more accurate and sophisticated in their use of the foreign language. Smaller weekly oral classes support their confidence and fluency speaking in German.

Year 12 (AS level)  and Year 13 (A level)

In these two years girls learn to speak and write in German about any topic. At the end of the course they can claim that they really know this language as they are familiar with most vocabulary and all grammar. In Year 12 students learn to discuss and evaluate a wide range of contemporary and interesting topic areas. Speaking, listening, reading and writing are practised throughout this course and examined both years.  Girls are encouraged to research independently and to find out more about aspects of German culture, history, politics etc.  In Year 13 topic areas add a more global and ethical perspective and we study two cultural topics in depth (usually a play/novel and a film). There are two alternating Sixth Form trips during February half-term to Berlin and Vienna and they help very much to understand the politics and historical past of the country, while also experiencing the culture by visiting art galleries, exhibitions, shows and attractions.