Why should I learn a language? “Only 6 per cent of the global population are native English speakers.” “75 per cent of the world’s population speak no English at all.” “English material on the web has fallen from 51 per cent in 2000 to only 29 per cent in 2009.” “77 % British exporters believe they lose business because they can’t speak other languages.” “60% UK employers are dissatisfied with the foreign language skills of school leavers.” “Modern linguists earn more than graduates from any other discipline except medics, architects and pharmacologists.” “More than 30% UK businesses want people specifically for their language skills.” “Most employers do not require complete fluency.”

The AQA GCSE German course is designed to: -Develop your ability to listen, speak, read and write in German -Develop language skills in a variety of contexts -Allow you to perform to your best through its flexible structure and offer a degree of choice to students and teachers -Build on KS3 study and prepare you for AS-level German

The course covers a variety of topic areas, such as: -Family and friends -Healthy living -Holidays -Free time and media -School and careers

Written exam; You will write at least 3 essays over 2 years; the best 2 pieces of work are submitted. (You will write more coursework if you submit unacceptable work) After studying a topic, you will be given an essay title, along with points to be covered (in English) You will have 6 hours (class time) to prepare for the essay. During this time you are not allowed ANY help from your teacher

During the 6 hours you will prepare a piece of written work using your text books, exercise books and any notes you have made, covering ALL bullet points Any work cannot be corrected by a teacher (use work in your books that has been marked that relates to the topic) You can write your draft as many times as you like and must learn it in the 6 lessons (work cannot be taken home!!) You can write up to 40 key words (in English or German) which can be used during the controlled assessment

After the 6 hours preparation, you will have 60 minutes to reproduce your work under exam conditions. All essays are sent to the exam board to be marked Grades; A* - C = 400 – 600 words D – G = 200 – 350 words (across 2 pieces of coursework; 200 – 300 per essay for A* - C) 15 marks are awarded for Content, 10 for Range of Language, 5 for Accuracy

Speaking exam; There is no final speaking exam. You will complete at least 3 speaking exams during the course Again, at the end of a topic you will be given a title and bullet points to be covered (in English) You MUST cover all bullet points in the exam or you will lose marks You will have 6 hours to prepare for the exam

During this time you are not allowed ANY help from your teacher During the 6 hours you will prepare a piece of work using your text books, exercise books and any notes you have made, covering ALL bullet points, in preparation for answering relevant questions in the exam, and you must learn your work Work cannot be corrected by your teacher Again, work cannot be taken home!! You can write up to 40 key words for use during the assessment

The exam will be conducted by your teacher and will be recorded You will be asked ONE unprepared question Exams will last 4 – 6 minutes The exams will be marked by your teacher, and some will be sent to the exam board for moderation 10 marks are awarded for Communication, 10 for Range and Accuracy of Language, 5 for Pronunciation, 5 for Interaction and Fluency

To look at it another way, this is what you will need to do to pass the GCSE: ComponentPercentage of GCSE TopicGrade Speaking assessment 1 15% Speaking assessment 2 15% Writing assessment 1 15% Writing assessment 2 15% Listening exam 20%Foundation/Highe r Reading exam20%Foundation/Highe r