1 Year / 160 Hours
N4: Unit Assessments
N5:
25% of grade: Talking Assessment
12.5% of grade: Writing Assignment
N4: No Exam
N5:
Paper 1: Reading and Writing - 37.5%
Paper 2: Listening - 25%
No Cost
National 5 German gives you the chance to grow your skills, confidence, and curiosity about the wider world. Learning the language strengthens your communication skills, deepens your understanding of how language works, and supports your English—all while offering a fresh and rewarding challenge.
German is spoken across some of Europe’s most dynamic countries, and it connects you to opportunities in travel, technology, engineering, music, and business. Many learners also find that the clear patterns and structure of German make it especially satisfying to study, particularly if you enjoy logical thinking or have a more mathematical way of approaching problems.
For learners in a rural community, choosing German is a brilliant way to broaden your horizons. It helps you become more adaptable, more independent, and more prepared for whatever path you choose—whether that means staying local, studying further, or exploring new places. And when you do travel, speaking German turns everyday situations into more confident, meaningful experiences.
Choosing National 5 German means gaining a qualification that builds skills for learning, for life, and for work. It opens doors, encourages new perspectives, and makes the world feel bigger, brighter, and full of possibility.
Pupils will be encouraged to work individually, in pairs and in groups at various points to practice all aspects of the language in different contexts.
Teachers frequently use games and interactive resources to encourage competitive spirit and to provide enjoyable experiences that help learners develop confidence using key vocabulary and structures.
Digital Technology is also used regularly throughout the course, both to access foreign language websites and to help pupils present their work.
Most lessons are delivered through Microsoft Teams and ClassNotebook meaning that pupils have access to their learning wherever they are. This allows pupils to revisit work they have done in class at home to support revision and consolidation of their learning.
With teacher guidance, pupils will be involved in setting targets and evaluating their progress. They will learn how to analyse their own work and that of others, correct errors and improve their confidence in the language.
Pupils will begin to develop skills to discuss themes of Society, Culture, Employability and Learning at a more detailed level, learning strategies to hold lengthier conversations in the foreign language whilst building confidence in their linguistic ability.
The headings below provide an overview of the course content in Modern Languages at National 4 and 5. Throughout these courses, the grammatical structure of language is taught extensively and practiced throughout.
Society
Family & Friends
Lifestyles
Media
Global languages
Citizenship
Learning
Developing and applying learning skills
Comparing education systems in Scotland and abroad
Environmental education
Employability
Jobs
Work and CVs
Future Plans
Languages in the workplace
Culture
Planning a trip
Other countries
Celebrating a special event
Literature of another country
Film & TV
Everything you need to know before selecting this course
National 4 will involve completion of an Added Value Project and all course work and assessments in Talking, Reading, Writing and Listening undertaken by N5 pupils. There is no final exam.
National 5 will involve pupils completing a Talking exam and a Writing Assignment on topics of their choice, from those outlined above, both of these are done in class under exam conditions. Pupils then sit a final exam in the SQA Exam diet in May consisting of Reading, Listening & Writing.
We strongly recommend that pupils purchase a bi-lingual dictionary in the language they are learning as these are required for the exam and practising using a physical dictionary at home and in class will be essential.
It would also be beneficial for pupils to find an old set of plug-in earphones (3mm jack) for use when doing individual listening tasks in class.
Advice on this can be given by the class teacher.
Entry is at the discretion of the Principal Teacher Faculty, Modern Languages. However, as a guide:
A recommendation on completion of BGE S3 German Course.
A pass a the previous NQ level. i.e. for National 5, a pass at National 4.
All S5/6 pupils will be considered for entry. Previous SQA results in other subjects and BGE Tracking information will be used to determine whether entry at National 5 level is appropriate.
Homework will be set by the class teacher on a regular basis, this will be available on TEAMs.
At key points in the year National 5 pupils will have clear expectations to be practising and working at home, for example, in preparation for their Writing Assignment & Talking Exam. Time will also be offered at lunchtimes for pupils to attend practice sessions with teachers.
Everything you need to know about future pathways from this course
S5 – N5 or Higher
S6 – N5 or Higher S6 is a great time to pick up an additional modern language, or return to pursue a language dropped at the end of S3.
In the global economy, one of the most valuable traits an employee can possess is the ability to speak a second or multiple languages. Knowing an additional language illustrates to an employer the value you bring as an employee and a person. It shows that you are adaptable, open-minded and communicative.
These videos explain how languages can be useful in a wide variety of job sectors:
Languages in creative industries.
Languages in health and wellbeing.
Languages in manufacture and engineering.
Languages in hospitality and tourism