German

Course summary

German remains an important language in the twenty-first century. Home to the third largest economy in the world, Germany is the world’s most successful exporting nation. Roughly 10% of all books published worldwide are written in German and there are more than twice as many German websites (.de) as British (.co.uk). The popular culture of Germany, as well as other German-speaking nations such as Austria and Switzerland, their cultural history and geography are amongst some of the topics you will explore. From the different regions of Germany and their customs to the historical influence of immigration; from the impact of musicians and film directors in the German speaking world to the history and politics surrounding the Berlin Wall, the course offers content for every student’s interests. The Independent Research project also gives free rein to content covered in this piece of work. You can study, research and present information on a topic of interest as long as it has a link to the German speaking world. As well as the obvious problem-solving skills that learning a language develops, you will also develop listening and reading comprehension, fluency in speaking and the ability to summarise texts and sound files in German.