RHS Sixth Form Curriculum 2020-2022

Group 2

Course outline

The IB Diploma Course aims to develop oral and written skills in a range of contexts such as letters, emails, speeches, blogs, diaries, factual pieces, analytical essays and imaginative work.

As a linguist, a huge array of career options is open to you.

German is the most widely spoken language in Europe with 110 million speakers. German speaking nations are at the forefront of design, environmental and scientific technology. German can be combined with many other subjects at university, allowing students to develop their linguistic and vocational skills simultaneously.

Past students have studied German and Law, German and History, German and Russian. The transferable skills of linguists make them highly sought after across all professions; including banking, business, accounting, the media, travel and tourism. On average, languages graduates earn 8% more than their peers.

We believe that it is essential for students to experience the German language and culture first hand. All students are given the opportunity to take part in the German exchange trip to Münster where they follow a tailor made programme.

There may also be the opportunity to participate in a language visit to Berlin, visiting a language school and experiencing the fascinating city of Berlin.

Students are encouraged to use German in a wide range of contexts. All our audio material is available on the school intranet and websites are used regularly in lessons, as well as music, poetry and film. In addition, we have an extensive selection of DVDs, which aid students to widen their experience and understanding of the culture of German speaking countries. You will study topics of global and personal relevance; the environment, the family, cultural diversity, health, immigration, popular culture and the media.

In year 1 of the course and then at a more sophisticated level in Year 2, you will be building upon the skills learnt and developed at GCSE, becoming more proficient at listening, speaking, reading and writing.

At Higher Level, an exciting and rewarding part of the course is the study of literature, which will give you insights into the target language culture.

By the end of the course, you will feel confident about speaking, writing and understanding German. In addition, you will have gained an insight into Germany, Switzerland and Austria, their people, language and culture. Taking German at IB level will give you the potential to pursue it at a higher level, possibly with another subject.

Paper 1 (25%) tests writing and involves showing one’s writing skills in the form of a text, for example a blog, email or speech, etc.

Paper 2 (50%) tests listening and reading comprehension skills.

Paper 3 (25%) is the oral. At Standard Level, you will have to speak about a picture and discuss topics studied. At Higher Level, this involves analysis of a literary extract, followed by general conversation.