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Students explore the language and culture of the German-speaking world. See below for course offerings.

German 1

Designed to introduce students to German language and culture, German 1 courses emphasize basic grammar and syntax, simple vocabulary, and the spoken accent so that students can read, write, speak, and understand the language at a basic level within predictable areas of need, using customary courtesies and conventions. German culture is introduced through the art, literature, customs, and history of the German-speaking people.

In middle schools, this course is typically divided into two parts and taken over two years as level 1A and level 1B. Students must successfully pass 1A in order to enroll in 1B. Credit will be awarded at the end of successful completion of both levels 1A and 1B. To receive 1.0 credit for a level 1 language, 1A and 1B must both be completed successfully prior to leaving 8th grade.

German 2

German 2 courses build upon skills developed in German 1, extending students’ ability to understand and express themselves in German and increasing their vocabulary. Typically, students learn how to engage in discourse for informative or social purposes, write expressions or passages that show understanding of sentence construction and the rules of grammar, and comprehend the language when spoken slowly. Students usually explore the customs, history, and art forms of German-speaking people to deepen their understanding of the culture(s).

Honors German 3

German 3 courses focus on having students express increasingly complex concepts both verbally and in writing while showing some spontaneity. Comprehension goals for students may include attaining more facility and faster understanding when listening to the language spoken at normal rates, being able to paraphrase or summarize written passages, and conversing easily within limited situations.

Honors German 4

German 4 courses focus on advancing students’ skills and abilities to read, write, speak, and understand the German language so that they can maintain simple conversations with sufficient vocabulary and an acceptable accent, have sufficient comprehension to understand speech spoken at a normal pace, read uncomplicated but authentic prose, and write narratives that indicate a good understanding of grammar and a strong vocabulary.

AP German Language and Culture

Designed to parallel third-year college-level courses in German Language, AP German Language courses build upon prior knowledge and develop students’ ability to understand spoken German in various conversational situations, to express themselves (in German) accurately and fluently, and to have a command of the structure of the German language. Students will develop a vocabulary large enough to understand literature, magazine/newspaper articles, films and television productions, and so on.