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Gutentag!

My name is Tanja and I’m the Course Leader for German A Level.

I’m really pleased you’ve chosen to study German at Reigate College and I’m looking forward to welcoming you in person to our friendly Modern Languages Department at the beginning of the academic year.

In preparation for you joining the department and to help maintain your language skills, I’d like you to complete a series of activities over the coming months.

The tasks are organised in three distinct steps and should all be completed by Choices Day on 27 August 2025. This is to give you the best insight into what the courses will be like and/or help prepare you for them.

Please note, some Course Leaders (for example for Music) may release their tasks earlier, as they may form part of the College’s audition process. If this applies to you, you’ll be notified separately.

New Starters Course Tasks and Activities

Release date Suggested Completion Dates
Explore your Subject1 June 1 July
Get Going1 June1 August
Aim High1 June1 September

Explore your Subject

The Benefits of Learning a Language

Languages are useful for holidays and travel, but did you know that learning a language can also:

  • Improve employment opportunities – your linguistic and cultural knowledge will be invaluable to employers.
  • Improve mental health – by alleviating stress and depression and delaying the onset of dementia.
  • Improve brain power – making you a better lateral thinker. Often good linguists are also good mathematicians and musicians (though you don’t have to be a mathematician or musician to be a linguist!)

Watch this video and make notes on the benefits of learning a foreign language:

Developing Your Skills

At this stage, you’re probably more concerned about how a language can help you with further studies and your future career. Did you know that by learning a language, you will not only gain language-specific skills such as translating and interpreting, summarising, essay writing and understanding of grammar, but also develop transferable skills useful for any career such as:

  • confidence and flexibility
  • teamwork
  • interpersonal and communication
  • presentation
  • debating and discussion.

Compare how these people have used languages in their careers:

David Richardson – Science https://www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk/sites/routesintolanguages.ac.uk/files/david_richardson_-scientist.pdf

Peter Clark – Football Translation
https://www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk/sites/routesintolanguages.ac.uk/files/peter_clark_-_football_translation.pdf

Beverly Costa – Psychotherapy https://www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk/sites/routesintolanguages.ac.uk/files/beverly_costa.pdf

German Culture

You will learn far more than just language on a language course – you will build your cultural knowledge about the countries where the language is spoken, developing an insight into their history, culture, values and beliefs.

Karneval Festival

  • Read the following information about the famous festival of carnival that takes place in Germany each year.
  • Write a short summary about the festival in English.
  • If you were giving a presentation about this tradition, how would you best organise the information boxes?

Expand your knowledge

Use the following websites to research general information about Germany.

Planet Schule – Wissenspool – Gesellschaft und Politik – Schulfernsehen multimedial des SWR und des WDR (planet-schule.de) 

Quer durch Deutschland | Radio TEDDY

Try the following Kahoot quiz to test your knowledge.
https://create.kahoot.it/share/4da94770-7cab-4263-896d-291b261b32ae

Get Going

One of the best ways to prepare for your A Level German course is to revise, so you are really confident with what you have already learnt.  Remember the best way to learn a language is to practise little and often, so you are constantly reinforcing your learning.  You can do this in lots of enjoyable ways. 

Work through the following activities:

1. Watch a telenovela

Nicos Weg: Interactive mini-series with clips to view and supporting activities. The beginner’s level is useful to help revise basic grammar points and vocabulary:

https://learngerman.dw.com/de/anf%C3%A4nger/c-36519687

The intermediate beginner section is useful to help revise higher level vocabulary and key grammar points:

https://learngerman.dw.com/de/anf%C3%A4nger-mit-vorkenntnissen/c-36519709

Jojo sucht das Glück: Slightly more challenging interactive mini-series to view with supporting worksheets and grammar points.  Tip: Copy the link into Google Chrome.

https://learngerman.dw.com/de/jojo-sucht-das-gl%C3%BCck/c-53437698

2. Follow an online course

Use the Deutsche Welle Interactive course online, change the language to English and register for free. Once you have taken a placement test, you can work your way through this interactive course at your level whilst checking your progress:

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/learn-german/s-9528

3. Revise vocabulary

Revise your vocabulary from GCSE in a fun way with the help of Quizlets and Duolingo. Try out all the activities: flashcards, speller, test, for practising the following essential words and phrases:

Quizlet

Duolingo

https://www.duolingo.com/

4. Study German grammar

Revise your knowledge of German grammar, making sure you are confident conjugating verbs in these five tenses:  present, imperfect, perfect, future and conditional.

Use these websites to help you:

5. Practise your reading and listening skills

Get used to reading and hearing German with the help of these links:

6. German Music

Enjoy some German songs while practising the language:

https://lyricstraining.com/de/

Choose your favourite German speaking artist and fill the gaps.

7. Watch German TV and films

If you have a television streaming service at home such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, explore German films and television series, or try watching your favourite film with the German subtitles.

Aim High

For the next series of tasks, I’d like you to test yourself on five key areas: grammar, reading, listening, translation and writing. 

Please print the worksheet (link below) and fill in the tasks. Use the audio file below to complete Section 3: Listening. Try to do these on your own, without using a dictionary or online help. 

Bring your answers to the first lesson and we’ll go through the questions together. If you are unable to print the worksheet, please write your answers on a piece of lined paper and bring these with you instead.

Aim High Activities Worksheet

3.  LISTENING

Audio file:

Tanja Bloss
Course Leader – German A Level
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