 |
Introduction
| Overview
| Becoming an LC
| CILT support
|
CILT-SLC case study |
|
Watford Grammar School for Boys |
Enrichment |
Deutsch durch Drama und Musik
Watford Grammar School for Boys became a language college at Easter in 2008 and the prospect of new language initiatives has been the cause of much excitement both within the MFL department and across the school. The first initiative to take place within the new specialism was that of a Year 10 Gifted and Talented German course.
Languages are compulsory at GCSE and remain popular at ‘A’ Level within the school, where notably German continues to buck the national trend by attracting large numbers (20 students in 2008). In order to continue to foster pupils’ interest in the subject and promote the study of German to ‘A’ Level, the Head of German organised a 20 hour long German Gifted and Talented course entitled 'Deutsch durch Drama und Musik', which would offer pupils the chance to do something new exciting alongside their GCSE course. Invitations were sent out to local secondary schools and twenty pupils attended a series of six workshops between March and June.
 |
 |
The classes allowed pupils to use their language in creative ways and incorporated higher order thinking skills. Each of the sessions involved an array of drama related activities including the analysis of German film clips including camera angles, role play and script writing. The sketches ranged from complaints in a hotel or restaurant, to advertisements, puppet theatre and adaptations of Grimm’s fairy tales. In addition to this, pupils were introduced to German music and were encouraged to give opinions on what they had heard. The final session culminated in a performance of sketches in German by pupils for parents. Pupils were clearly pleased that they had performed in a foreign language to their parents. One pupil, Adam, said: “It was a really good experience – our German lessons are good usually but this was just completely different and new. I think my mum was proud of me too – even though she couldn’t understand a word!”
All sessions were conducted entirely in the target language by the Head of German, a drama instructor fluent in German and the German assistant and provided useful practice of speaking and listening skills required for the GCSE examinations. Following the success of this event, further initiatives are now being planned for next year.
Download a German resource the school has created (rtf, 43KB).
 |
 |
Michael Taylor, Head of German, Watford Grammar School for Boys, June 2008
