In PYP Year 3, CGS students have the opportunity to start learning German. Having already started English as the principal foreign language in the Kindergarten, German is introduced smoothly, as students are already aware of certain elements and mechanisms of a foreign language.
The teaching approaches selected for the children’s first contact with German are based primarily on oral communication without neglecting written discourse. Accent, intonation and contact with the culture and daily life of German-speaking countries are given particular weight during lessons and are developed systematically through participation in the respective units of enquiry of the PYP.
In PYP Years 4 and 5 students develop their communication skills in a second foreign language by enriching their vocabulary and better understanding the mechanisms of the language.
By the end of PYP Year 6, our students have acquired the knowledge that corresponds to MYP Phase 1, which correlates with the A1 language standard level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At the end of the academic year, students who desire so have the option to sit the Fit in Deutsch 1 (A1) examination organized by the Goethe Institut Athen.
Depending on the pupils’ progress and how well they respond to the requirements of the curriculum, different sets are created at the beginning of PYP Year 5 to cover the learning needs and personal learning styles of each student.
In the MYP, students continue learning German through the MYP programme with the aim of acquiring the B1 language level in MYP Phase 4. At the same time, their participation in the Foreign Language Club offers them the opportunity to prepare for and sit A2 and B1 examinationss.
In MYP Year 5 students can maintain contact with German at B2 level by making use of a two-hour session offered in the daily programme. In addition, those choosing to attend the optional afternoon lesson have the opportunity to sit the Goethe Zetrifikat B2 exam.
The language level attained at the end of MYP Year 5 enables students attending the IB DP programme to choose German B either at Standard Level or at Higher Level. For students, whose language level is at a lower level, German B is offered alongside Deutsch Ab Initio.
