Levels available
AS (1 year) and A2 (2 year)
Examination board
WJEC
What do I need to know or be able to do before choosing this subject?
You will need a good grade at G.C.S.E. – usually an A or B, but your teacher will advise you on this. You need to be determined to work hard to build up your language skills. A willingness to speak German is essential, and openness of mind to other cultures and traditions is desirable. In addition to your timetables lessons you will have one hour a week in a small group with the German assistant.
What do the courses consist of and how will I be assessed?
The AS (Advanced Subsidiary Specification)
This is the first half of the full A Level course. If you and your teacher agree that it is best for you, you can take the AS level on its own at the end of Year 12. The final grade will count towards entry to Further/Higher Education.
The content is defined by the following list of topics on which the examination will be based:
- Leisure, including tourism and travel, sport, hobbies, entertainment
- Education, including Schools (primary and secondary, Further education, Higher Education, training and careers
- Social issues, including relationships, problems of young people, gender issues, drugs, Aids
An oral examination (12-14 minutes) 30% of AS/15% of A Level
A general conversation where you will be expected to discuss your personal interests, your studies and plans for the future, a more in-depth discussion of an aspect of German society, based on topic areas. You will select and prepare your topics in advance, and the examiner will base the conversation on your chosen topics.Listening and responding (1½ hours)You will be issued with individual cassettes which you will listen to on individual cassette players. Within the overall time limit for this paper, you will be at liberty to stop, rewind and listen to the recordings as often as you like.
There will be comprehension tasks on 2 items, and you will be asked to write a short letter/essay in German related to one or more of the topic areasReading and Responding
The reading comprehension tasks wll be based on items taken from newspapers, magazines and advertisements. You will be required to complete comprehensions tasks, and to produce a short writing task.
The AL (Advanced Subsidiary Specification)
The full Advanced Level qualification is made up of the 3 AS Units plus 3 more Units studied at A2Level. If you decide to continue with the second half of the course in Year 13 you will study the following additional topics
- contemporary Germany / German-Speaking countries, current affairs, EU, world of work, employment/unemployment, immigration
- media, including newspapers, radio and television, advertising, new media
- environmental issues, inlcuding energy, conservation, pollution, and transport.
The AL is also made up of 3 further Units:
An oral examination (15-20 minutes) 15% of AL
This consists of a structured discussion based on a prepared stimulus, and an oral exposé on a topic of your choice.A written coursework element 20% of AL
This consists of 2 independently written projects, based on either books studied in class, or topics suggested by the examining boardListening, Reading and Responding (3 hours) 15% of AL
What could I go on to do after the course?
There is an ever increasing number of further/higher education courses on offer where German is a component of the degree. Many of our former students have continued with German at university, combining it with law, Business, Marketing, Media Studies, B.Ed, and so on. Others have gone on to use A Level German as an entry qualification into jobs in accountancy, personnel work, travel and tourism and finance.