German

Why study German?


Germany is the biggest economy in Europe and if you are interested in BUSINESS, then German is a good language to have. German tourists love Scotland and make up the bulk of tourists here after Americans – so if you are interested in HOSPITALITY or TOURISM, knowing some German is a fantastic skill to have!


German is particularly widely used in SCIENCE and ENGINEERING and if you are interested in these you should consider picking German.


It is also ridiculously easy for Scottish people to pronounce! So if you don’t enjoy putting on a funny accent, German is for you.


Curricular Areas Covered in BGE

In S1, pupils cover the following topics:

  • foundations (greetings, age, birthday)

  • likes and dislikes

  • family and friends

  • physical and personality descriptions

  • pets


In S2, pupils will continue to build on their knowledge of German in Listening and Talking, Reading and Writing.

Topics covered will include the following:

  • school

  • free time

  • holidays

  • places in town


In S3, pupils will further build on the work done in S2, consolidating their knowledge of vocabulary and covering the topics of health, technology and media, films and employability, while addressing the relevant aspects of grammar, including starting to look at a range of tenses.

Classwork will also focus on developing effective dictionary skills.



Skills developed


Pupils will work on four key skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Talking. They will also gain other valuable transferable skills including communication, resilience, problem solving and confidence. Pupils will build on their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, while enhancing their awareness and appreciation of other cultures.


Assessment


Throughout the year, pupils will be assessed on all four key skills: Reading, Writing, Listening and Talking. The skill that is assessed will depend on the topic studied. Additional vocabulary tests will also be given.

There will also be an opportunity for pupils to gain the Understanding Language unit of the SQA National 4 qualification. This will assess the suitability of course choice in S4 and give pupils an opportunity to experience exams conditions similar to those in the senior phase.


Homework


Homework will be set by the class teacher through Microsoft Teams on a regular basis and may involve practice of skills, quizzes, listening tasks, preparation for assessments or vocabulary tests.

Pupils are encouraged to take their learning beyond the classroom and use various language websites. The faculty subscribes to the Linguascope website (www.linguascope.com), the password for which is made available to all pupils. Quizlet.com is also widely used. Both these sites can be used for revision and practice for all three languages.


Progression Routes


If sufficient progress is made, learners will be allowed to choose National 4 or National 5 German in S4. Class teachers will recommend levels for pupils.


Careers


As the demand for professionals with an additional language is rising, language skills can be a significant competitive advantage that sets you apart from other candidates.

The most popular career areas for students who study languages are as follows:

- education

- hospitality, leisure and tourism

- business

- international development and aid

- journalism

- advertising and marketing

- interpreting and translation