German N4N5

Who is this course for?

Pupils who have studied German throughout S1 and S2 and demonstrated that they have an aptitude for languages and are willing to work hard.  Pupils need to be prepared to undertake independent learning and homework which will be supported by the class teacher.   

What Entry Requirements are there?,

In S2 October tracking, having secured:

Level 02.A - A few benchmarks achieved at L3 or better in French

Tell me some basic information about the course

Pupils will be working on the theme of 'Society'. Typical topics include Family, Health, Media and
Free time. The main purpose of the course is to enable students to develop the skills of reading,
listening, talking and writing in order to understand and use the German language.

In addition to the theme of Society pupils will also cover the areas of Learning, Employability and
Culture. The National 4/5 Modern Languages course provides students with opportunities to continue to
acquire and develop the attributes and capabilities of the four capacities as well as skills for learning,
skills for life and skills for work.

What Skills will I develop?

Reading and listening 

Talking and Writing 

Employability 

Self-awareness 

Confidence and resilience 

Independent learning and problem solving 

Cultural knowledge 

Collaboration

How will I be assessed?

Assessments in S3 will consist of regular vocabulary tests as well as end of unit assessments which cover all 4 skills of reading, writing, talking and listening.  All pupils will work towards the ‘Modern Languages for Life and Work Purposes Award’ which is designed to ‘develop learners’ language and employability skills, through studying modern languages in practical and relevant contexts for life and work’. This is an SQA Award and will lead on to either Nat 4 or Nat 5 German in S4

At National 5 level the course assessment has four components.

• Component 1: Reading paper

• Component 2: Writing paper

• Component 3: Listening paper

• Component 4: Performance talking 

• Reading, Listening and Writing are assessed in the final exams in May of S4. Talking is internally assessed in February/ March of S4.

At Nat 4 level pupils will also be assessed internally in reading, listening, writing and speaking skills.  At Nat 4 there is no final exam.

If I was successful in this course, what qualifications could I go on and study?

National 5 --> Higher German --> Adv. Higher German --> Further or Higher Education

What kind of career pathways could this qualification help me with?

A good knowledge of German helps if you are thinking of further study in Music, Art, English, History, Politics, International Relations, Engineering or Physics.

It is also considered desirable to have a qualification in German if you are thinking of a career in Primary Teaching, Hospitality, Business, Retail, any service industry, Marketing, Tourism, Law or as a pilot, flight attendant, actor or journalist.