Curriculum Handbook 2012-2013 Grades 11-12 - International ...

GERMAN
Assessment
Assessment is an integral part of our teaching and learning and a continuing
process.
Various methods, both formative and summative, are used to determine to what
extent learning expectations have been met. Assessment criteria for the skills are
established in rubrics and students are assessed in listening, speaking, reading and
writing.
Students are encouraged to evaluate their oral and written performance self -
critically.
Consistent, determined and constructive participation in class and regular homework
are necessary throughout the course.
Placement
As students have different aptitudes and experiences with foreign language learning,
it is not easy to say how long it will take a particular individual to reach IB diploma
entry standards. However, a student who starts at the beginning of 7 th grade and
who works consistently should be able to reach IB diploma entry level by the end of
10 th grade.
However, if students demonstrate in a placement test that they have developed a
more advanced competence of speaking and writing German - for example through
a summer course - they will be placed accordingly. This could be the case, if a
student aims for a full IB diploma with German as the B-language, but has not
reached the German Intermediate 9 level yet, when (s)he enters 9 th grade or the
Advanced 10 level in 10 th grade.
Placement tests are also used to determine the level of German for incoming
students with previous knowledge of the language.
Students with very little or no previous experience of learning a foreign language
have the option of taking one of the Ab Initio courses offered at ISD.
Subject field trips and special projects, which are organized to make use of the
unique opportunity of studying German and the German culture in Germany,
supplement our courses.
The Courses
We provide a wide range of courses to serve the needs of our students who come
from different backgrounds with different language experiences and either start
German, continue their studies or enter native speaker classes.
This 2 year course at the standard level is designed for students who have had very
little or no previous experience of learning Japanese. It meets the needs of IB
diploma students who have had little or no opportunity for foreign language study
previously, and are therefore unable to fulfil the IB diploma requirements for group 2;
it is also open to students who are interested in learning a new foreign language as
part of their IB diploma, possibly in addition to language A or B.
The aims of the Language Ab Initio course reflect those of group 2 but are defined
within the parameters of the language Ab Initio syllabus:
1. develop students’ intercultural understanding
2. enable students to understand and use the language they have studied in a
range of contexts and for a variety of purposes
3. encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an
awareness and appreciation of the different perspectives of people from other
cultures
4. develop students’ awareness of the role of language in relation to other areas of
knowledge
5. develop students’ awareness of the relationship between the languages and
cultures with which they are familiar
6. provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use
of an additional language
7. provide the opportunity for enjoyment, creativity and intellectual stimulation
through knowledge of an additional language.
The language ab initio course is organized into three themes,
• Individual and society
• Leisure and work
• Urban and rural environment
Each theme has a list of topics that provide the students with opportunities to
practice and explore the language as well as to develop intercultural understanding.
The teaching of the language functions, the related grammar, and vocabulary will be
integrated with the study of the topics. Through the development of receptive,
productive and interactive skills, students should be able to respond and interact
appropriately in a defined range of everyday situations. The topics are well suited to
fostering an international perspective.
Albeit at a basic level, the Ab Initio course seeks to develop intercultural
understanding and foster a concern for global issues, as well as to raise students’
awareness of their own responsibility at a local level.
Non - IB German
German Intermediate
This course is designed for
⇒ students who have completed German Basic or Advanced Basic level.
⇒ students who have acquired an equivalent command of the German language
elsewhere.
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