Language A German

Overview

The Language A German Department serves the needs of native or near-native students in German.

Our Philosophy

Language is a key to global understanding, tolerance and peace and enables a successful and responsible way of living together in a society. Therefore our focus is to promote every child’s emotional, social and academic growth by developing a profound competence in the German language.

In our courses we aim to reflect the increasingly globalised world we live in, in which the nature, context and uses of texts have changed. We explore language through various sources of texts and media, which enable the students to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, human nature and values, and the world around them. Our approach is interdisciplinary and intercultural in order to develop a holistic and independent learner. New technologies are an essential part of our teaching practice. We focus on the five skill areas of language: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing and on developing critical literacy with our students.

Our courses

In Grades 6-10 we align our curriculum with the philosophy of the Middle Years Program (MYP) and with the key aspects of the curriculum of the Bavarian Gymnasium. At the end of Grade 10, students have the opportunity to take German as one of their subjects in the IGCSE exam, which is recognized by the Bavarian government as “Mittlere Reife”.

We study a wide range of literary, non-literary and visual texts and provide opportunities for students to write creatively as well as analytically for a wide variety of purposes and audiences. Enhancing the students’ reading competence is another key aspect of our Middle Years Program.

In our Diploma Program (DP) courses in Grades 11 and 12, students can take German within the International Baccalaureate (IB) as an A1 or an A2 course. From 2011 onwards these courses will change to A1 literature and A1 language and literature. At present, A1 German is a pure literature class, whereas A2 German focuses on the study of language and literature. In both DP classes we seek to further develop the students’ language competence and foster an appreciation of literature.

Grades 9 & 10

The German Language A MYP represents a progressive course of study. Therefore, in grades 9 and 10 we continue to refine and deepen previously acquired skills and particularly emphasize critical engagement with texts and reflective thinking. The students’ oral and written language competence is further developed with various age-appropriate texts and activities. For example, in grade 9 the students work on a newspaper project to gain exposure to journalistic writing and in grade 10 the course prepares students for their work experience by practicing job interviews and writing job applications. Analytical as well as creative writing skills are promoted and the students are expected to read independently.

Grades 11 & 12

IB German A1 (Higher and Standard Level)

This course, intended for native speakers and equivalent, prepares students for the IB Language A1 examination (Higher and Standard Levels) in German. It covers fifteen (Standard Level: eleven) works from a wide cross-section of German literature including a World Literature section. Students read extensively, acquaint themselves with social, philosophical and religious ideas of various literary epochs and engage in detailed literary analysis. The course encourages independent and critical thinking and promotes the students’ powers of expression, both in oral and written communication.

The achievement of the students is assessed internally and externally over the two years of the course. Assessment includes two World Literature essays (Standard Level: one), two oral activities and an examination, which consists of two written papers.

IB German A2 (Higher and Standard Level)

This course prepares students for the IB Language A2 examination (Higher and Standard Levels) in German and is intended for native speakers and near-native speakers whose language proficiency exceeds that required for Language B. At MIS it is particularly intended to serve the needs of those students who have attended the school and/or have lived in Germany for more than 5 years. Non-native students who have taken German lessons from Junior School through Middle School and into Senior School would be expected to take A2 German for the IB Diploma.

The course includes both demanding literary analysis and topics relating to culture and contemporary society. Students will be given the opportunity to explore and use the language in a range of literary and non-literary contexts and to make connections to other languages and cultures. The course covers the study of three works of German literature and of three (Standard Level: two) non-literary options. The achievement of the students is assessed internally and externally over the two years of the course. Assessment includes two written tasks, two oral activities and an examination, which consists of two written papers.

Students who have opted for the IGCSE will take the German First Language examination. They start to acquire the required skills already in grade 8 and refine and further develop them in grades 9 and 10