German has over 100 million native speakers and is one of the most important languages for business, research and engineering.  We look at interesting topics  such as youth culture, music, tourism, immigration, social media and a little bit of German history. Film is a popular part of the course, as is the short novel we read in the second year. Small group conversation sessions ensure you become more fluent and confident in your spoken German. A level German is available from scratch, provided your other GCSEs are suitable. It’s amazing how much German you will recognise from your own language!


1st year
Topics include youth trends and issues, regional culture in Germany and German speaking countries, education & careers, German film and art.

2nd Year
Topics include cultural identity and social issues, some modern German history, a more in-depth look at German film and a short literary text. You will also research an individual aspect of German life/culture that interests you.

(Exam board: Eduqas)
(QAN number: 603/0070/X)

The course is delivered in 6 hours a week (5 hour lessons & 1 hour conversation class). The language is taught through a wide range of activities which include vocabulary building, reading authentic texts, grammar practice, listening to conversations, speaking tasks, studying video clips and independent research. All students of German have a weekly speaking practice with our Language Assistant.

 

A Level will be a 2 year linear course with all assessment at the end of year 2 – it makes sense to take your exams after as much input as possible! The skills that will be tested are reading, writing, speaking, listening comprehension and translation. In the second year we will also have an in-depth look at a German film and read a literary text

The normal minimum entry requirement is a grade 5 in German at GCSE and an average GCSE score of 5.0. However, a formal entry qualification is not always required:

  • Those who have spent time living in Germany will be considered for direct entry to the course
  • Those who have not had the opportunity to study German at school, but who are good linguists or who have a strong GCSE profile, may be accepted.

You should also meet the general college entry requirements for advanced level study. Please refer to the current prospectus – advanced programmes, entry requirements.

In this subject, particular skills and aptitudes will be required, many of which will be demonstrated by students’ GCSE profiles.

Students will also need to meet the general College entry requirements. Entry requirements are subjects to change.

Modern Languages graduates have some of the lowest unemployment rates and are highly sought after by large companies. They also earn, on average, 8% more than other graduates! Our students realise this, and many continue studying a language at university – often with subjects like International Business or Law.

Our students choose a wide variety of universities, but all comment on how well prepared they feel when they start their languages course. A language is needed to allow students to compete on an equal footing with our mainland European counterparts whose level of English is often as good as our own!

A number of our students have progressed through our courses to study German at university (often alongside business or science / engineering). Some have found work in Germany or have spent a year studying or working as an assistant teacher in a German speaking country.

German goes well with any subject combination, as it is the perfect way to broaden your skills portfolio, especially if you are studying two similar subjects, such as science or maths. These days it is useful to have a working knowledge of several languages, so combine it with French or Spanish for maximum employability! German is also a popular choice with Law, Travel & Tourism, Business and Arts subjects. Any student contemplating applying to Oxbridge for Languages is advised to take English Literature alongside German.