German

Studying another language offers students important opportunities to develop their Christian faith. In particular, the commandment to “love our neighbours as ourselves” can only be fulfilled by gaining an understanding of others and developing respect for other cultures and ways of understanding the world. The Biblical story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) offers theological insight into God’s purpose in developing a multilingual world. Learning another language allows students to break away from the monolingual traps of self-righteousness and pride and encourages them to develop a better ability to critique their own perspective. Students understand that their own perspectives on life are shaped by their language and culture, rather than being the only way to live. Developing respect for the differing perspectives and understandings of others by learning another language helps to shape habits of tolerance, empathy and compassion, and equips students better to “love their neighbours”.

In an increasingly globalised world, skills developed through learning a second language can be applied later in life to the study of further languages and the understanding of other cultures, providing the foundation for students to reach out in faith to the peoples of the world. An understanding of the fact that ideas may need to be presented differently in different languages and cultures to meet the needs of the target audience contributes to making those who speak more than one language better communicators.

In Year 8, German students expand their ability to communicate in the German language. Topics include making invitations and arranging to meet, discussing fitness and health, homes and places around town. Cultural awareness develops through looking at German houses and towns and learning about the geography and festivals of the German-speaking countries. By bringing in modal verbs and phrases to express emotions, students are able to add depth and variety to their language. Students begin to develop an understanding of grammatical cases and the use of prepositions. They develop strategies to interpret texts where there are unfamiliar words and gain confidence as language learners.