Year 10 German

German culture is an integral part of language learning and students gain an appreciation of another culture and another way of thinking. In particular, there is a focus on the lifestyle of people in Germany and other German speaking countries.

If you study German at Year 10, will be able to study German at all year levels. Year 10 students study German for the full year i.e for four terms. Learning German offers a range of pathways, such as:

•  career – German is useful in many fields - commercial, scientific, and technical and tourism – when studied in conjunction with other subjects. Scholarships and zero-fee opportunities are available for New Zealanders wishing to study at German universities

•  leisure – knowledge of another language makes travel more interesting

•  travel to Germany in Year 12 – all Year 12 students can apply to go to Germany for two months at the end of Year 12. Students stay with a family and attend school.

The main language focus will be on communicating in German and every effort will be made to speak as much German in the classroom as possible. In class we will be using the Stimmt One course. Students will be using their device to record spoken interactions and videos, for research and inquiry projects and for written portfolio submissions.

By the end of this year, you should should be able to:

•  cope with a variety of routine situations when talking to German speakers

•  use familiar language with some flexibility and pick up some new language from its context

•  read and write short emails, blogs and letters, and fill out simple forms

•  interact and converse appropriately in familiar social situations according to the norms and conventions of German-speaking people

•  use a range of language-learning strategies and be able to relate these to their own language.

This course is open to all Year 10 students. However, you cannot choose German unless you have previously studied it at year 9. The exceptions are: if you are a native speaker and have a parent(s) or grandparents with which you speak the language at home. We encourage students to know some of the basics from Year 9 rather than starting a new language in Year 10. Otherwise they will be at a disadvantage. You will need an exercise book, a pen and laptop for class to access online language learning platforms and google classroom. 

In the first half of the year, you will focus on understanding and using familiar expressions and everyday vocabulary. You will interact in a simple way in supported situations. 

In the second half of the year, you will focus on understanding and constructing simple texts using their knowledge of German. You will also describe aspects of your own background and immediate environment.

Topics Covered

At the beginning of the new school year, there will be revision on topics and modules previously covered in Year 9 German. These include:

1. Meine Welt und ich: numbers, alphabet, introducing yourself and describing your character, asking and answering questions about your belongings, preparing a poster, learning about famous people.

2. Familie und Tiere: talking about pets, talking about family members and age, talking about birthdays, finding out about German traditions.

3. Freizeit – juhu!: talking about which sports you play, talking about leisure activities, talking about mobiles and computers, writing a letter to the Year 10 students learning German at Wellington Girls’ College. 

In Year 10, Term 1 and 2, Year 10 students focus on the following modules:

1. Schule ist Klasse!: talking about school subjects, talking about days and times, describing your teachers, talking about school facilities and rules.

2. Gute Reise!: talking about what there is/isn’t in a town, talking about how to buy souvenirs/food/drinks, talking about holiday plans.

In Year 10, Term 3 and 4, Year 10 students focus on the following modules:

3. Ich liebe Ferien!: talk about what you do in the holidays, where you will go and describing the weather on holidays using the present and past tense. Students also learn about talking about problems on holidays and how to write a hotel review using the past tense. 

4. Bleib gesund!; talk about typical food for breakfast, using the verb essen-to eat, discussing traditional German food, talking about healthy lifestyles. 

There will be an investigation of an aspect of the culture of the German language. Topic-based vocabulary tests, writing and interaction portfolios, and assessments to measure progress in listening and reading comprehension. 

Formative and summative assessments take place throughout the year. You will be advised of due dates at the start of each term in our course outline which is provided on Google classroom at the start of the school year. The Learning Progression Framework will be used for all summative assessments. 

Assessment in the Junior School

From 2024, students in Year 10 &11 will be working towards the Wellington College Certificate. This certificate is replacing Level 1 NCEA however, students in Year 12 & 13 will be working towards NCEA Level 2 and 3 in Year 12 & 13. 

Assessment in the Junior School

Learning Progressions are an evaluation of student progress using various modes of learning as evidence (not just a one-off test).  They are based on the New Zealand Curriculum, and show the level at which a student is demonstrating knowledge or skills.  Our Learning Progressions Framework maps out students’ development as they move through Years 9 - 11.  

Within each subject, at the end of a phase of learning (ie. topic, unit or skill), students will be evaluated using these indicators: Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Advancing.  For more information about what these mean, please see the Year 9 - 11 section of our website.