GERMAN (EDEXCEL)

A2 Course Outline

What Is German at A2?
German at A2 builds on the skills which have been gained at AS level. For unit 3 students will have the opportunity to develop their oral skills and to achieve a greater degree of fluency. They will be asked 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. The assessment will be up to 5 minutes longer then the AS oral assessment and will require a greater range and complexity of language use.

Unit 4 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 general topic areas such as:

• Lifestyle: health and fitness
• Education and employment
• Customs, traditions, beliefs and religions
• Literature and the arts.

What Skills Will Students Develop When Studying German?
Speaking a foreign language fluently and being able to express their point of view will be a great asset to students in their future career.

If students wish to live in a German-speaking country later in their lives, they will be conversant in this country's culture and understand issues that hold its society together.

Students will be able to write letters in German, answer the phone, take part in meetings where only German is spoken and deal with German customers or companies.

Students will develop their essay writing skills during the course and will have to assimilate information and present it in a clear and concise way.

GERMAN (EDEXCEL Board) AS Specification
Unit Three 11-13 minutes 50 marks 17.5% of the total A level	Unit 3: Understanding and Spoken Response in German Students first outline their chosen issue for about one minute, adopting a definite stance towards the issue. They should then defend and justify their opinions for up to four minutes. The teacher/examiner will then initiate a spontaneous discussion in which a minimum of two further unpredictable areas of discussion will be covered. Students will be recorded on either cassette or CD. All students for this unit will be assessed by Edexcel.
Unit Four 2 hrs 30 minutes 100 marks 32.5% of the total A level	Unit 4: Research, Understanding and Written Response in German Section A: A short written translation exercise to test students' ability to transfer meaning from English into German effectively. Section B: A German-language essay in response to one from a choice of seven questions, linked to the prescribed general topic areas, that invite either discursive or creative writing. Section C: A research-based essay in German (240-270 words) to reward students for German-language research skills linked to an area of interest to the student that relates to the culture and/or society of a German-language country, countries or community. They have freedom to determine the content of their research (potentially in negotiation with their teacher) but it must relate to the four research-based essay topic areas for this unit.

Structure of the Course
This course will be taught for 6 lessons per week. Homework will be set on a regular basis. Students will work from textbooks and as well as a variety of materials drawn from books, newspapers, magazines, television and the internet.

Recommended Reading
Brennpunkt Neue Ausgabe, 2nd Edition Sandry Nelson Thornes

Fees and Dates