This is as good a time as any to know German as well as Germany (not to mention Austria, Switzerland & loads of other places). The language is the most spoken first language of the EU, the language of its largest economy and one of our main trading partners (Germany). If that’s not enough, over a thousand years of history and culture show one thing: you don’t understand Europe unless you understand Germany first.
German is an optional subject at BCS. In First Year, students will be given the opportunity to sample both German and French for a period of 5 weeks (5 classes with each language.) At the end of the Junior Cycle students will be equipped with a competence in German, which will enable them to provide themselves with basic necessities if they were ever to travel to Germany and they will have the competency to engage in fruitful transactions and interactions with others, whether it be spoken or written.
All students in Transition Year, who completed the Junior Cycle in German, will be obliged to study German. This year allows students to focus more on the cultural aspects giving them an insight into German film, German music, German history and festivals for example.
The aim of studying German at Senior Level is to develop the student’s language and cultural awareness to a reasonable level of language proficiency. With this in mind, students are given the opportunity in TY or 5th year to take part in a German exchange with our partner school in Heidelberg. Students travel to Germany for 10 days where they will stay with a host family, attend class and see the sights. This programme is very successful and often students remain in contact with the friends they have made in Germany.
Every four years approximately, a German Assistant who is a native speaker spends a year in our school assisting the German Department with oral skills and cultural awareness.
