German - standard

Course overview

This German course builds on the four fundamentals of language: listening, writing, reading and speaking. ‘Free’ class discussions, role-playing and conversation help develop verbal expression, vocabulary and good sentence structure. 

Grammar is not studied in isolation; rather it is packed in informative and stimulating texts that provide valuable cultural, political and historical background. Some topics covered include: relationships, social life, jobs and labour, history of Berlin, cultural identity.

Teaching method

Our partner school in Berlin teaches in tandem, with two teachers responsible for every class, and alternating at every break. That way students get to hear more than one voice and speaking style. The focus is on the following:

• Communicative approach with teachers encouraging students to speak as much as possible
• Teachers continuously correct students and encourage them to repeat and do better
• German is the only language spoken in class, from the first day onwards

Teachers

All teachers are native speakers between 26 and 45 and have an academic background with degrees – for example – in German language and/or literature They all have recognised teacher training qualifications and most of them have been with GLS for many years.

The teachers have a reputation for being enthusiastic and give excellent communicative tuition which combines the function of a coach and a teacher.

Many of the school’s teachers have expertise in other fields (photography, journalism, business consultancy etc) which inspire their teaching and make them interesting people to talk to.

 

 

Teaching materials

Text books: studio d, Themen aktuell (levels A0 – A2), Aspekte, Mittelpunkt, em (levels B1, B2, C1),Oberstufenbuch (level C2) – GLS constantly monitor new publications and may employ additional text books that seem appropriate

Hand-outs like newspaper articles, literature etc.

Multimedia-teaching with CDs, OHP, video and video camera

For self study students can borrow books and audio tapes from the library

Activities

The school offers a daily activity programme to complement and enhance your language studies. Each week there is a list of activities available, posted in the student common room. So activities are free. Others there is a small charge.

Activities include such things as a boat trip around Museum Island or a bike tour along the Berlin wall. 

At night GLS guides take you to Friedrichshain: a young and rather alternative district famous for its nightlife

Excursions

There are also trips on offer to see "Kunstwerke", one of the best addresses for independent art in all of Europe - the cafe there has good cakes! Your author of this masterpiece has eaten far too many cakes at this wonderful cafe and is now on a diet!!

At the week end the school gives you the opportunity to go on full day excursions (extra cost), with a GLS guide to places such as Potsdam, or to Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp. Every second week the school arranges excursions to places further away like Dresden, Hamburg or Leipzig.