Aims and purposes of German
German offers opportunities for pupils to:
- become increasingly familiar with the sounds, written form and grammar of a modern foreign language;
- use their knowledge with growing confidence and competence to understand what they hear and read, and to express themselves in speech and in writing;
- develop language skills and language-learning skills, including applying their knowledge of grammar and structures, so that they become increasingly independent learners and users of German;
- use German as the principal means of communication within the classroom, and beyond it where opportunities exist;
- increase their cultural awareness by learning about German-speaking countries and their peoples, and by working with materials from those countries;
- form a sound basis for further study in key stage 4 and beyond.
Creativity in language learning
As pupils' independence increases, they can be encouraged to become more creative in their use of language and in the way they work, using language for their own purposes rather than merely to practise skills.
Examples of creativity in learning German include:
- replacing words or phrases in sentences with other words or phrases of pupils' own choosing;
- adding extra details or ideas to what they say or write, eg in role plays or letters;
- adapting or composing songs, poems and rhymes;
- 'brainstorming' ideas, as a whole class or in small groups, around a topic or aspect of language, eg listing as many adjectives as possible before describing their favourite actor or actress;
- using a variety of media, including ICT, to express themselves in German;
- expressing or presenting things differently, eg using information from a holiday brochure as a stimulus for writing a holiday diary or postcard;
- creating spoken and written presentations, sketches and role plays that draw on previously learnt language.
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