AQA Level 3 Advanced GCE in German

In addition to the vocabulary listed in the AS grammar list, students of A-level will also be expected to study the following:

Adjective endings Comparative and superlative Adjectives with the dative (eg es ist mir klar) Adjectives with prepositions (eg stolz auf)

Use of long adjective phrases (R)

Time Place Direction (eg hin, heraus) Manner Degree (eg sehr) Interrogative (eg wann, warum) Comparative and superlative Numbers and fractions Clock time, days of the week, months

Art and architecture (Kunst und Architektur)

Berlin – geprägt durch seine Geschichte

Cultural life in Berlin, past and present (Das Berliner Kulturleben damals und heute)

Die Vielfalt innerhalb der Bevölkerung Berlins

Feste und Traditionen – ihre soziale und wirtschaftliche Bedeutung heute

Feste und Traditionen – ihre Wurzeln und Ursprünge

Festivals and traditions (Feste und Traditionen)

Kunst und Architektur – Vergangenheit, Gegenwart, Zukunft

Kunst und Architektur im Alltag

Künstler und Architekten

Students may study sub-themes Festivals and traditions and Art and architecture in relation to any German-speaking country or countries. Students must study The cultural life of Berlin in relation to Berlin.

Theater, Musik und Museen in Berlin

Vielfältige Feste und Traditionen in verschiedenen Regionen

Beziehungen innerhalb der Familie

Das Internet

Die Bedeutung der Musik für Jugendliche

Die Digitalisierung der Gesellschaft

Die Rolle des Fernsehens

Mode und Image

Partnerschaft und Ehe

Soziale Netzwerke

Students may study all sub-themes in relation to any German-speaking country or countries.

The changing state of the family (Familie im Wandel)

The digital world (Die digitale Welt)

Verschiedene Familienformen

Youth culture: fashion and trends, music, television (Jugendkultur: Mode, Musik und Fernsehen)

Alte und neue Bundesländer – Kultur und Identität

Die Auswirkungen der EU-Erweiterung auf Deutschland

Die Rolle Deutschlands in Europa

Die Wiedervereinigung – Wunsch und Wirklichkeit

Friedliche Revolution in der DDR

German re-unification and its consequences (Die Wiedervereinigung und ihre Folgen)

Germany and the European Union (Deutschland und die Europaïsche Union)

Politics and youth (Die Politik und die Jugend)

Politisches Engagement Jugendlicher

Schwerpunkte der Jugendpolitik

Students may study Politics and youth in relation to any German-speaking country or countries.

Students must study the sub-themes Germany and the EU and German re-unification and its consequences in relation to Germany.

Vor- und Nachteile der EU für Deutschland

Werte und Ideale

Main clause word order Questions and commands Position of pronouns Position of adverbials Position of nicht Word order variation to change emphasis Subordinate clauses introduced by a conjunction (eg dass, obwohl)

Coordinating Subordinating

Definite article Indefinite article, including kein Demonstratives, including der/die/das Possessives Other determiners (eg alle, viel/viele, welcher)

Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland Yasemin Samdereli (2011)

Das Leben der Anderen Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (2006)

Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei Hans Weingartner (2005)

Good bye, Lenin! Wolfgang Becker (2003)

Lola rennt Tom Tykwer (1998)

Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage Marc Rothemund (2005)

A-level students will be expected to have studied all grammar and structures that appear in the lists for both AS and A-level.

AS and A-level students will be expected to have studied the grammatical system and structures of the language during their course. Knowledge of the grammar and structures specified for GCSE is assumed.

In the exam students will be required to use, actively and accurately, grammar and structures appropriate to the tasks set, drawn from the following lists. The mention of an item in these lists implies knowledge of both its forms and its functions at an appropriate level of accuracy and complexity.

The lists are divided into AS and A-level. The examples in italics in parentheses are indicative; they serve to illustrate the part of speech or structure that the student must know and do not represent an exhaustive specification of the required grammatical knowledge. For items marked (R), receptive knowledge only is required.

4.1 Aims Courses based on this specification should encourage students to:

A-level exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2018 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.

develop as independent researchers through the language of study.

develop control of the language system to convey meaning, using spoken and written skills, including an extended range of vocabulary, for both practical and intellectual purposes as increasingly confident, accurate and independent users of the language

develop knowledge about matters central to the society and culture, past and present, of the country or countries where the language is spoken

develop language learning skills and strategies, including communication strategies to sustain communication and build fluency and confidence

develop their ability to interact effectively with users of the language in speech and in writing, including through online media

develop their capacity for critical and analytical thinking through the language of study

draw together their knowledge, skills and understanding from across the full course of study

engage critically with intellectually stimulating texts, films and other materials in the original language, developing an appreciation of sophisticated and creative uses of the language and understanding them within their cultural and social context

enhance their linguistic skills and promote and develop their capacity for critical thinking on the basis of their knowledge and understanding of the language, culture and society of the country or countries where the language is spoken

equip themselves with transferable skills such as autonomy, resourcefulness, creativity, critical thinking, and linguistic, cultural and cognitive flexibility that will enable them to proceed to further study or to employment

foster their ability to learn other languages

However, students must not base their research on the same literary text or film that they refer to in their written assessment.

mediate between cultures and between speakers of the language and speakers of English

Our A-level exams in German include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:

Students may choose a subject linked to one of the themes or sub-themes or to one of the works.

Students must identify a subject or a key question which is of interest to them and which relates to a country or countries where German is spoken. They must select relevant information in German from a range of sources including the internet. The aim of the research project is to develop research skills.

Students will demonstrate their ability to initiate and conduct individual research by analysing and summarising their findings, in order to present and discuss them in the speaking assessment.

Students within a school or college should each choose a different subject for their research. However, if more than one student selects the same general subject area, the title of their research and their approach must be different.

The A-level Content Advisory Board (ALCAB) has published illustrative examples of individual research topics at alcab.org.uk

Students must study either one text and one film or two texts from the list below. Abridged versions should not be used.

eg ja, doch, wohl

Der Kampf gegen Rassismus

Die Erfahrungen verschiedener Migrantengruppen

Die Gründe für Migration

Die Opfer des Rassismus

Die Ursprünge des Rassismus

Hindernisse für die Integration

Immigration (Einwanderung)

Integration (Integration)

Maßnahmen zur Integration

Migrationspolitik

Racism (Rassismus)

Students may study all the sub-themes in relation to any German-speaking country or countries.

Vor- und Nachteile der Einwanderung

Gender Singular and plural forms Case marking on nouns Weak masculine nouns

Students must study the themes and sub-themes below in relation to at least one German-speaking country.

Fixed case and dual case Prepositional adverbs (da(r)+preposition, eg darauf)

Personal pronouns Reflexive pronouns Relative pronouns Demonstrative pronouns Possessive pronouns Indefinite pronouns (eg jemand) Interrogative pronouns (eg wer)

Students must study the themes and sub-themes below in relation to at least one German-speaking country. Students must study the themes and sub-themes using a range of sources, including material from online media.

analyse and summarise research findings, elaborating on key points of interest, as appropriate, through oral presentation and discussion.

applying knowledge of pronunciation, morphology and syntax, vocabulary and idiom to communicate accurately and coherently, using a range of expression – including the list of grammar in this specification

assimilating and using information from spoken and written sources, including material from online media

develop research skills in German, demonstrating the ability to initiate and conduct individual research on a subject of personal interest, relating to the country or countries where German is spoken

identify a key question or subject of interest and select relevant information in German from a range of authentic sources, including the internet

In addition, students following this specification will:

inferring meaning from complex spoken and written material, including factual and abstract content

listening and responding to spoken passages including some extended passages from a range of different contexts and sources, adapted as necessary, covering different registers and types, including authentic communication involving one or more speakers

reading and responding to a variety of texts including some extended texts written for different purposes and audiences drawn from a range of authentic sources, including contemporary, historical and literary, fiction and non-fiction texts, adapted as necessary

Students following this specification will develop their language knowledge, understanding and skills through:

Students must also study either one book and one film or two books from the lists in this specification.

Students will develop their knowledge and understanding of themes relating to the culture and society of countries where German is spoken, and their language skills. They will do this by using authentic spoken and written sources in German.

summarising information from spoken and written sources, reporting key points and subject matter in speech and writing

The A-level specification builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills gained at GCSE. It constitutes an integrated study with a focus on language, culture and society. It fosters a range of transferable skills including communication, critical thinking, research skills and creativity, which are valuable to the individual and to society. The content is suitable for students who wish to progress to employment or to further study, including a modern languages degree.

The approach is a focus on how German-speaking society has been shaped socially and culturally and how it continues to change. In the first year, aspects of the social context are studied, together with aspects of the artistic life of German-speaking countries. In the second year, further aspects of the social background are covered, alongside the German political landscape, both in relation to Germany itself and its place in Europe. The past and its role in shaping the present is viewed through the reunification and its consequences while the focus on young people and politics looks forward to shaping the future of German-speaking countries.

The choice of works (literary texts and films) offers opportunities to link with the themes so that for example aspects of Die Wiedervereinigung are relevant to the film Das Leben der Anderen and aspects of Multiculturalism in German-speaking society are reflected in the novel Das Fundbüro by Siegfried Lenz.

The specification has been designed to be studied over two years. The suggestions below relating to content for year one and content for year two are based on the knowledge that the course will generally be taken over two years. Schools and colleges are free to choose how and when to cover the content.

They must appreciate, analyse and be able to respond critically in writing in German to the work they have studied. Their understanding of the work must include a critical appreciation of the concepts and issues covered and a critical and analytical response to features such as the form and the technique of presentation as appropriate to the work studied (eg the effect of narrative voice in a prose text or camera-work in a film).

translating an unseen passage from English into German.

translating an unseen passage from German into English

understanding the main points, gist and detail from spoken and written material

use information to illustrate knowledge and understanding of the research subject

using language spontaneously to initiate communication; ask and answer questions; express thoughts and feelings; present viewpoints; develop arguments; persuade; analyse and evaluate in speech and writing, including interaction with speakers of German

using language-learning skills and strategies, including communication strategies such as adjusting the message, circumlocution, self-correction and repair strategies

all forms of indirect speech.

conditional

conditional perfect

conditional perfect (R)

conditional sentence with omitted wenn, eg Hätte ich mehr Zeit gehabt, wäre das nicht passiert (R)

future

future perfect

future perfect (R)

imperative

passive with sein

passive with werden

past (ie simple past/imperfect)

perfect

perfect (modal verbs)

perfect (modal verbs) (R)

pluperfect

present

subjunctive in conditional clauses (past)

subjunctive in conditional clauses (pluperfect)

subjunctive in conditional clauses (pluperfect) (R)

subjunctive in indirect speech (R).

Bernhard Schlink Der Vorleser

Bertolt Brecht Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder

Franz Kafka Die Verwandlung

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Der Besuch der alten Dame

Heinrich Böll Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum

Heinrich Heine Gedichte – Buch der Lieder

Jana Hensel Zonenkinder

Max Frisch Andorra

Siegfried Lenz Fundbüro

Wladimir Kaminer Russendisko

The subject and the finite verb Accusative objects Dative objects Prepositional objects The use of the nominative case with copular verbs (eg sein, werden, bleiben)

Principal parts of weak, strong and irregular verbs Reflexive verbs Separable/inseparable Auxiliary verbs (haben, sein, werden) Use of haben, or sein in the perfect Modal verbs (dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen, wollen): present and imperfect Tenses; imperfect subjunctive of mögen and können Infinitive constructions (um…zu, ohne…zu, verbs with zu) Infinitive constructions (lassen and sich lassen with infinitive)

Compound nouns Forming nouns from verbs Forming nouns from adjectives Forming verbs from nouns Forming verbs from adjectives Separable and inseparable verb prefixes