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GCSE German Tutor

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GCSE German was the third most popular modern language subject in 2021, behind French and Spanish. A GCSE German Tutor can help advance your learning of the German Language.

German is spoken by approximately 130 million people worldwide. It is also the mother tongue of Europe’s leading economy. It provides students with practical skills for trips abroad, and develops students’ written and verbal communication skills. 

Exam Boards

It is important to identify which exam board your child’s school is following for their choice of GCSE German as syllabi do vary.  It is useful to know which exam board your child is sitting, as this information will help your GCSE German tutor to tailor their lessons.

The main exam boards for GCSE German are:

What a GCSE German tutor will cover.

Although course content varies according to the exam board, GCSE German examinations assess a student’s competency in four key components of the language: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.  The assistance of a GCSE German tutor can help develop your child’s skills in all four areas.

Reading

The Reading component aims to help students develop their abilities in reading comprehension and the critical analysis of texts in their chosen language. Students are assessed on their ability to:

  • To understand key takeaways in a plain everyday German,
  • understand authentic non-fiction texts on a range of familiar topics,
  • understand descriptions and expressions of points of view in simple texts,
  • identify and sift information in predictable texts.

Writing

The Writing component aims to help students develop their abilities in communicating in writing for varying purposes and registers. Students are judged on their ability to:

  • communicate simple factual information in plain everyday German,
  • write simple phrases and sentences on a familiar topic,
  • write simple fluid prose describing events and points of view,
  • employ a range of simple vocabulary and language structures to a reasonable degree of accuracy.

Listening

The Listening component aims to help students develop their abilities in understanding and responding to spoken language for varying purposes and registers. Students are therefore assessed on their ability to:

  • To understand key takeaways in everyday conversational German,
  • understand clear speech on a range of familiar topics, 
  • understand descriptions and points of view in simple passages,
  • identify and extract information from predictable passages.

Speaking

The Speaking component aims to help students develop their abilities in communicating and interacting in speech for varying purposes and registers. Students are judged on their ability to:

  • communicate clearly and effectively in predictable everyday situations,
  • hold conversation on familiar topics and express opinion,
  • employ a variety of structures and vocabulary to a reasonable degree of accuracy,
  • pronounce words clearly and accurately.

How a GCSE German tutor will help you do well.

For all four components of the German GCSE exam, the key to success is for your child to have a strong understanding of grammar and a bank of interesting and varied vocabulary. The best way to develop this understanding is to have a GCSE German Tutor. They will build your child’s confidence and familiarity with the language and culture through exposing them to as much spoken German as possible.

While speaking German may be uncomfortable for some at first, practising everyday conversation topics with a qualified GCSE German tutor can help candidates stand out from the rest of the field. As ever, more general question practice, exam technique, and timing are also vital.

Understand the mark scheme with a GCSE German tutor

Understanding how German exams are marked can be very useful.  This is so your GCSE German tutor will know how to help your child to obtain the best mark that they can achieve. All the exam boards publish detailed guidance on what they are looking for, including specimen marked answers. Some exam boards even go as far as publishing an indicative list of vocabulary that a student should know. A GCSE German tutor will know the individual mark schemes like the back of their hand.

However, even if a question is open-ended, the examiner will have a number of marks allocated for both content and accuracy. Your child needs to know exactly what the examiner wants from them in every type of question- be it a variety of tenses or the correct adjectival agreement. Your child then needs to learn how to ‘tick the boxes’ on the mark scheme to ensure they pick up as many marks as they can. 

Make a revision plan

It is important that your child allows enough time for the revision process. They need to do their work properly. Your GCSE German tutor will have a structured revision plan by the January of their exam year.

Quality Revision

Students should actively revise key grammar (conjugations and tenses), as well as vocabulary, connectives, and opinions. A GCSE German tutor can help form effective strategies.  Such as, playing a German game, creating mind maps and flashcards. For students aiming for an 8 or 9, reading a familiar English text in German translation (e.g. Harry Potter) can improve comprehension speed, introduce new and impressive vocabulary, and prepare them for further study. However, towards exam season, your GCSE German tutor will start doing past papers can help your child familiarise themself with common topics, styles of question, and the particular time pressures of an exam.

Sitting Public exams for the first time

Sitting important public exams comes with pressures that your child may never have experienced before. Although a small amount of pressure can help your child’s performance on the day, it is important they have some time to unwind. It is important for students to take some time to relax, taking time to do something social and something they love.

GCSE German Tutor

The best way to support your child through their German GCSE is to ensure they have the tools and skills necessary to succeed. Therefore, some targeted intervention with an experienced GCSE German tutor can make all the difference. All of our GCSE German tutors are experienced, qualified teachers, Heads of departments. They all know the GCSE syllabi inside out. Our tutors can therefore tailor their approach to meet the particular needs of your child, using the methods that best suit your child’s preferred style of learning.

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