GERMAN (PEARSON)

GCSE Course Outline

Why choose Edexcel GCSE German?

German

Learning languages is a liberation from insularity, and provides a path into understanding and appreciating cultures and societies beyond one's own. GCSE German involves studying a variety of relevant and interesting topics and through these you will be able to listen, speak, read and write German in a wide variety of situations. The GCSE course also provides an excellent grounding for those wishing to continue to A Level German.

Manageable content
The content has been structured across five themes. This flexible programme of study allows time for a focused revision period at the end of the course.

Themes:

Theme 1: Identity and culture

Who am I?: relationships; when I was younger; what my friends and family are like; what makes a good friend; interests; socialising with friends and family; role models
Daily life: customs and everyday life; food and drink; shopping; social media and technology (use of, advantages and disadvantages)
Cultural life: celebrations and festivals; reading; music; sport; film and television

Theme 2: Local area, holiday and travel

Holidays: preferences, experiences and destinations
Travel and tourist transactions: travel and accommodation; asking for help and dealing with problems; directions; eating out; shopping
Town, region and country: weather; places to see; things to do

Theme 3: School

What school is like: school types; school day; subjects; rules and pressures; celebrating success
School activities: school trips, events and exchanges

Theme 4: Future aspirations, study and work

Using languages beyond the classroom: forming relationships; travel; employment
Ambitions: further study; volunteering; training
Work: jobs, careers and professions

Theme 5: International and global dimension

Bringing the world together: sports events; music events; campaigns and good causes
Environmental issues: being 'green' access to natural resources

GERMAN (EDX) GCSE Specification
Paper 1: Listening and understanding in German Written examination Foundation tier: 35 minutes including 5 minutes reading time; 50 marks Higher tier: 45 minutes including 5 minutes reading time; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification	This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics. Students are assessed on their understanding of standard spoken German by one or more speakers in a range of public and social settings. Students will respond to multiple-response and short-answer open response questions based on a recording featuring male and female German speakers.
Paper 2: Speaking in German Internally conducted and then submitted to Pearson for external marking. Foundation tier: 7-9 minutes plus 12 minutes preparation time; 60 marks Higher tier: 10-12 minutes plus 12 minutes preparation time; 72 marks 25% of the total qualification	Students are assessed on their ability to communicate and interact effectively through speaking in German for different purposes and in different settings. There are three tasks: Task 1 - a role play based on one topic that is allocated by Pearson. Task 2 - questions based on a picture stimulus based on one topic that is allocated by Pearson. Task 3 - conversation based on two themes. The first theme is based on the topic chosen by the student in advance of the assessment. The second theme is allocated by Pearson.
Paper 3: Reading and understanding in German. Written examination Foundation tier: 45 minutes; 50 marks Higher tier: 1 hour; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification	Students are assessed on their understanding of written German across a range of different types of texts, including advertisements, emails, letters, articles and literary texts. Students are required to respond to multiple-response and short-answer questions based on these texts. Section A is set in English. Section B is set in German. Section C includes a translation passage from German into English with instructions in English.
Paper 4: Writing in German Written examination Foundation tier: 1 hour 10 minutes; 60 marks Higher tier: 1 hour 20 minutes; 60 marks 25% of the total qualification	Students are assessed on their ability to communicate effectively through writing in German for different purposes and audiences. Students are required to produce responses of varying lengths and types to express ideas and opinions in German. The instructions to students are in German. Word counts are specified for each question. Foundation tier - three open response questions and one translation into German. Higher tier - two open response questions and one translation into German.

Introductory Reading
Nico's Weg: https://learngerman.dw.com/en/nicos-weg/c-36519789
Key Stage 3 revision: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zcj2tfr

Core Textbook
Edexcel German for GCSE (Stimmt!)
Hodder Publications
ISBN: 9781292118192