German at Tormead
German Language Lessons
The ability to speak another language broadens the mind and opens doors in the future. German is the most sought-after language by employers in the UK, and the most widely spoken native language in Europe. Germany is the fourth-largest economy worldwide, and home to some of the biggest and most influential science and technology companies.
The German Department prides itself on being engaging, supportive and successful. Our lessons include opportunities for creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and resilience, whilst gaining competence in the four key language skills.
- Lower School
Many of our pupils choose to study German as one of their two modern languages, with three hours of teaching per fortnight. The aim is to build their confidence as linguists and allow them to practise the skills required to continue to GCSE level and beyond. The Lower School curriculum follows the Stimmt! textbooks. There is a real focus on the key skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. By the end of Key Stage 3, the pupils are competent with using the main tenses, can converse in everyday situations, and have met many of the topics that they will cover in greater depth at IGCSE.
- IGCSE German (Edexcel)
A significant number of pupils decide to continue with German and follow the Pearson Edexcel IGCSE course. This provides seamless progression from the Key Stage 3 course, allowing students to study a number of varied topics that are interesting and relevant to them. These include education and future plans, environmental issues, holidays and tourist information, and shopping and money matters. The examinations at the end of Year 11 assess the students’ ability in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. All girls studying for their IGCSE in German have a weekly speaking session in small groups with our German assistant. During Activity Week, girls studying German in Year 10 have the opportunity to travel to Germany. Teachers work hard to ensure that lessons are engaging and give the pupils as much of an insight into the culture of the German-speaking world as possible.
- Enrichment
The German Department fully understands the importance of enrichment when learning a language, not only to boost linguistic competence, but also to broaden the pupils’ horizons to the cultural and social landscape in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. At Key Stage 3, all pupils can attend the weekly Modern Languages Club. These sessions are often led by our Sixth Form language mentors. At IGCSE level, all girls have the opportunity to take part in a visit to Germany and attend language workshops, as well as enjoying cultural trips to local landmarks. At A Level, we run visits to London where we take part in A Level workshops on our selected novel and film. We also have links with local schools, where we attend debating evenings and A Level conference days run by local universities. We are actively involved in the Guildford-Freiburg twinning association, where we enjoy taking part in the lectures and events provided for students following the A Level German course. All girls are encouraged to read the many magazines on offer in the library.
11-16 Years
Our pupils enjoy exceptional educational opportunities within a caring and happy environment.
