German

Course details: Board and Specification: AQA 7662

Dear Student,

Congratulations on applying to study German at The Judd School in September. We are looking forward to seeing you.

I have put together some ideas and guidance, as I know that some of you would like to use some of the time between now and September to enable you to start the A level course from a position of strength. You will find loads of useful resources and links on the German subject site. Please check it out if you have not done so already.

Revise and brush up on your vocabulary

Use Quizlet and/or Memrise, Linguasope to revise GCSE vocabulary:

https://www.memrise.com/course/953348/aqa-2016-onwards-gcse-german-vocabulary/

https://www.linguascope.com/secure/students/intermediate/topics.php?language=german

username: juddschool password: let5learn

You could also change the language settings on your mobile to German.

Revise and brush up on grammar and structures

A thorough grammatical grounding is essential and shall be further developed throughout the course.

It would be beneficial if you revised the grammar studied for the GCSE course and perfected your knowledge and understanding of the different types of verbs and tenses. The grammar sections at the back of your course book and the verb tables are a great reference point. You should also spend time learning the irregular verbs which you will find on pages 192- 195. Once you start A Level in September we will continue to revise and learn other aspects of grammar.

The booklet Bridging the Gap (password: zz2ghc4)will provide you with essential practice of the very logical German grammar rules. You can always check your answers with the solutions provided at the back of the booklet. The electronic version can be found on the subject site. If you would like a paper copy, please email me in advance and I will get one copied for you.

Some useful website for grammar revision: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zk92tfr

https://www.languagesonline.org.uk/Hotpotatoes/germanindex.html#Grammar

The booklet Bridging the Gap will provide you with further practice of the very logical German grammar rules. You can always check your answers with the solutions provided at the back of the booklet (the booklet will be posted home to external applicants)

Comprehension Practice & More Vocabulary Knowledge

Nicos Weg is an online video course for PC or mobile devices: https://learngerman.dw.com/en/overview

Each unit also offers a grammar section, cultural information and a script of the video, where some of the words or expressions can be listened to. Users can create an account which tracks the exercises completed, including the scores per unit. At the end of each unit, students can save the result or choose to improve it by repeating the exercises.

You can take the placement test at the start.

European framework levels: A2 would roughly equal GCSE and B1 GCSE Higher /AS level.

Films Glorious Films

On Netflix: Please select German audio, as Netflix defaults to the dubbed English version for some films e.g. “Dark”.

I think adding German subtitles - even for 5 minutes - is a great tool to focus on both listening and reading, and it can be used for learning new words and to stay on top of spelling.

https://www.secondhalftravels.com/german-tv-shows-netflix/

Recommendations:

If you enjoyed Stranger Things, you will most likely enjoy the supernatural thriller Dark on Netflix.

Interested in history? The following films would be my recommendations:

Downfall (German: Der Untergang) is a historical film set during the Battle of Berlin in World War II, when Nazi Germany is on the verge of defeat, and depicts the final days of Hitler.

I loved the series Deutschland ’83. It is a thriller, set against the real events, culture wars and political realities of Germany in the 1980s’’. The sequel Deutschland ’86 is also great. However, you need to give it a little bit of time (that is what I found). The most recent series Deutschland ‘ 89 is gripping. All three are available on Channel 5 on demand and the first two are on Amazon too.

You will find many other films that are worth watching.

Spoiler alert! Please do not watch The Lives of Others (German: Das Leben der Anderen).

We will be watching and studying this film at A level.

Music is Sticky!

Ever had a song stuck in your head? Repetition, accompanied by a catchy tune, is the perfect formula for getting new words and phrases stuck in your brain.

You can easily find the lyrics online and often an English translation to go with the German song.

Long gone are the times of having to sit in front of a cassette recorder and repeatedly rewinding the tape, trying to figure out the lyrics (and still not being able to understand the words!). This is how I was expanding my knowledge of English and driving my parents mad at the same time.

If you have a Spotify account, you could use these links:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wmmXu0XjFgvMiVvhbB4Mx

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Jk3ttyFVIyqkAIzDxmAa9

The Step into German - Music - Music Videos - Goethe - Institut website provides you with the video and lyrics both in German and in their English translation.

http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/saf/prj/stg/mus/vid/enindex.htm

Deutsche Welle & Nachrichten

On a more serious note, the link below will take you to news reports, which are spoken slowly. The transcript to the news items is also available. You don’t need to listen to all reports and could pick one that interests you. This is an excellent way to expand your knowledge of German and to stay up to date (auf dem Laufenden bleiben).

https://www.dw.com/de/18042020-langsam-gesprochene-nachrichten/a-53171027

Remember the time you have now is an excellent opportunity to explore the German language and other aspects of German-speaking society.

German on Insta

You could follow @stepinto_german on Instagram or kaici_.

I find her comments on ‘’In Germany we don’t say … , we say….” humorous and enlightening. Try it!

Viel Glück und bleibt gesund!

Frau Lambert and the German Department