Fröhliche Weihnachten

...und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

Podcast 6 Friederike und Tim (Teil 3)

This is the third and final part of our conversation. Next we'll shift down to an easier level and do some work which will be useful for those of you preparing for GCSE orals. Keep listening!

Podcast 6 Friederike und Tim (Teil 3)

Podcast 5 Friederike und Tim (Teil 2)

Podcast 5 Friederike und Tim (Teil 2)

Podcast 4 Friederike und Tim (Teil 1)

A conversation with two young Germans living in County Down. Good practice for A-level!

Podcast 4 Friederike und Tim (Teil 1)

Podcast 3 Presentation Evening

Hey, we're going podcast crazy here!

Friederike did a speech for us on Presentation Evening. Hope you like it!

Podcast 3 Presentation Evening

Uganda

Our A-level students look at issues concerning international relationships, including the connection between Europe and the Third World (Dritte Welt). Each of our students researched a developing country of their own choosing, and did a presentation about it. Charlotte did hers on PowerPoint - here's a copy of it:

(It's all in German, of course!)

Uganda PowerPoint

Podcast 2 Basic Greetings

Ok, we're still testing this podcast thing so this one is very short:



Hallo - Hello
Guten Tag - Good day
Guten Abend - Good evening
Wie geht's - How's it going?
Gut, danke - Good, thanks
Auf Wiedersehen - Goodbye.

Podcast 2 Basic Greetings

Subscribe!!

Hey! Now we're syndicated with Feedburner ! Sounds cool, doesn't it? That means that you can visit the link below to subscribe to our Podcast using just about any of the available programs:

Get our Podcast!

The same link will also provide a text feed of new posts to any RSS reader.

Viel Spaß!

Weihnachten in Nordirland

Some of our Yr11 students sent off ePostcards to a German website, and we're very pleased to find that they've been featured as part of a page about how Christmas is celebrated in the UK! Have a look (we're the second ones down!):

Weinachten in Nordirland

Podcast number 1!!

How exciting! Another new launch forward into the interweb from the Shimna German Department! We haven't syndicated these yet with RSS, but as soon as we do you'll be able to download them automatically by pasting the address into a podcatcher program like Juice or even iTunes. In the meantime, you can download them one at a time as them appear here. Just click on the link to hear it, or if you want to save it to your computer or mp3 player, right click and choose save target as.

Podcast 1: Numbers 1-10

Languages for Life!

So, remember last year a group of students headed off to Murlough Nature Reserve to research some work with the National Trust? Well we're now in the final stages of that work, and on course to have a print version of our leaflets ready in time for the new tourist season at Easter.

Today, local design expert Celia Spouncer ran a whole day workshop for us, brainstorming ideas and guiding our students through the parameters of the National Trust's design policies. We held a meeting with the client (a representative of the National Trust) to discuss the target groups and the message they want to communicate. We put the final touches to the texts (in English and German) we had written for the two leaflets and set about getting appropriate images. It was a very worthwhile experience for all.

Danke, Celia!

German from scratch!!

Tanya is one of our sixth-year A-level students and member of the languages committee. She has opted to also study GCSE German from scratch. Here she is to tell us a little about it:

I really love studying languages and last year I did GSCE's in both Irish and French. At the start of this year I had picked three A levels but was a bit uncertain about a forth. While at Queen's open day I went to a German presentation with my friend. I decided a while back I would like to study languages at university and perhaps become an interpreter but to do this I felt I would really need another European language. At the presentation they said it would be possible to do a degree in German without doing an A-level in German, though it would be hard! And naturally doing the GCSE would be a bit of a head start - I was really glad that school was able to find a way to allow me into the GCSE class! It's not too hard so far, and I'm quite enjoying it really! Auf Wiedersehen!

Revision!!

Oh, no - the GCSE mocks are nearly here! If you´ve only just realised, don´t panic! Do get down to revision straight away, though. Here are some links to help you:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/german/

http://germanvocabrevision.pbwiki.com/

http://www.quia.com/shared/search (search for German in Categories)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/talk/

Viel Spaß!

Viel Glück, Corinne!

Well done! Corinne White, who is studying A-level German in upper sixth, has so far received a T-Shirt for her entry in the Europe-wide Juvenes Translatores competition. She translated a long piece about Tourism from German into English. We wish her the best of luck as her entry now heads off to compete with young translators from all over Europe. The best entries in this competition - which is being organised by the European Comission's Directorate General for Translation - will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Brussels!

Viel Glück!

Martina Schwarz Konzerte!

Young learners from our network of primary schools can be seen below participating in a German concert by Martina Schwarz from Cologne. Students from St. Patrick's, Burrenreagh, Castlewellan Primary, Annsborough IPS and All Children's IPS attended the first concert which took place in All Children's Integrated Primary here in Newcastle. Martina then went on to Kilkeel, where she performed again for our partner students from Kilkeel Primary and St. Colman's.

A great time was had by all, and we learnt a lot through song and dance.

Danke, Monika!

Alex Stritt, unser Fremdsprachenassistent!

Hallo zusammen!

Ich heiße Alex! Ich bin in diesem Jahr German Language Assistant an eurer Schule. Ich freue mich sehr, dass ich bei euch sein darf. Ich hoffe, dass ich euch viel aus meiner Heimat Deutschland erzählen kann und dass ihr von mir viel Deutsch lernt. Ich komme aus Waldshut, das ist eine kleine Stadt im Südschwarzwald an der Schweizer Grenze.

In Deutschland studiere ich im Moment Englisch und Geschichte. In meiner Freizeit spiele ich gerne Gitarre, gehe joggen, höre Musik und lese sehr gerne.

Thank you very much for your hospitality! Nordirland ist ein tolles Land, und die Leute sind sehr freundlich hier. Wenn ihr etwas über Deutschland wissen wollt, dann fragt mich einfach – if you want to know anything about Germany or get to know me – feel free to ask!!

Bis bald! See you!

Happy European Day of Languages!

We had table quizzes, badge and poster competitions, international food and even salsa dancing!

Here is some of the work that Year 10 and Year 11 have produced recently - interviews about part-time jobs and a collaborative presentation about the Simpsons:

Nebenjobs!

Simpsons

Das Neue Jahr

Welcome back, everyone.

And in the German Department we especially welcome Sara Camplisson, who will be teaching Year 8 to A-level, and also Alex Stritt, all the way from the Black Forest, who will be our German Assistant this year.

Der Bär

Here you can see one of the projects we've been working on with some of our local pimary schools: Heiko the German Bear arrived to spend two weeks with us, complete with a suitcase full of interesting things to do for learning all about Germany. He has gone on to further adventures now, but we had a wee party before he went!

Was fehlt dir?

Some of our younger students acting out a short dialogue:

(click on the cartoon pictures to hear!)

- Wir gehen schwimmen, kommst du mit?

- Nein, ich kann nicht.

- Wieso denn?

- Ich bin krank.

- Was fehlt dir?

- Ich habe Fieber.

- Ach, wie schade!

Märchen

Listen to German folk tales, as written down by the Brothers Grimm, for free:

http://librivox.org/maerchen-by-grimm-1/

this includes plenty of stories you will already know, like:

Hänsel und Gretel
Rotkäppchen (Little Red Riding Hood)
Rapunzel

and... Rumpelstilzchen! (with the real, gory ending!)

Enjoy!

Müntliche Prüfungen... aaagh!

Finally, the last oral exams are over. Well done to all our A-level, AS and GCSE students for all your hard work!

Primary Links for German

For the last eight weeks the year 5, 6 and 7 pupils at Castlewellan Primary school have been learning German with one of our German teachers, Grace Susay.

The class were really enthusiastic. Some of the things they learnt were how to introduce themselves, numbers, colours and words for food and drink.

The class had a European food sampling session and enjoyed croissants, German and Spanish cold meats, French cheeses and olives. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. The class received certificates for their efforts. We plan to return next year to continue with the German class.

Goodbye Ireland!

"Hier kannst du was ueber deinen Austausch schreiben, es wird veroeffentlicht, so kann es jeder sehen." ..ok dacht ich mir, hey mach ich gerne. Nur wo soll ich anfangen?
Als ich vor 3 Monaten hier angekommen bin hab ich nicht die geringste Ahnung gehabt was es heisst einen Austausch zu machen. Fremdes Land, neue Leute und auch wenn ich Englisch schon laenger hatte, eine komplette neue Sprache. Eine Fremdsprache zu lernen heisst nicht nur die Bedeutung einzelner Woerter zu wissen.
Es hat zwei, drei Wochen gedauert, bis ich angefangen habe zu realisieren das ich in einem andren Land bin. Man muss es vielleicht selbst erlebt haben um jetzt nicht zu denken die spinnt, was brauch die denn so lange um zu merken das sie in einem andren Land ist?! Klar, gemerkt habe ich schon am Anfang. Es ist mehr das "ein-traum-ist-in-erfuehllung-gegangen-und-ich-kanns-nicht-glauben".
Ich wuerd sagen, genug mit Foermlich schreiben, in sowas bin ich nicht besonders gut.
Kurz zusammen zufassen, wie ich Irland erlebt habe!? Ich versuchs.
Als erstes faellt mir ein, die Schule. Nicht nur wegen der Schuluniform sondern auch von dem System, wie gelernt und unterrichtet wird, eine total andere Sache. Ich muss sagen, hoechstens 1-2 mal wird hier gesagt man soll leise sein, wenn ueberhaupt mal gesprochen wird. Es wird nicht nur gelernt, Lehrer geben viel Freiraum, dafuer wird aber auch gearbeitet wenn nicht grad Pausen sind. Ich haette nie gedacht das ich es mal komisch finden werde in meiner normalen Kleidung in die Schule zu gehen, wie meine Freundin gesagt hat, man trennt Schule und Privatleben ungemein und man fuehl sich in "Strassenkleidern" mehr in seinem Privatleben, und man ist in der Schule wenn man die Uniform traegt.
..Ich koennte unendlich so weiter schreiben, nur muss ich mich ja kurz halten, worin ich auch
nicht gut drin bin. Das Beste was meine Zeit beschreiben wuerde ist : Eine unbezahlbare Erfahrung, die ich jedem empfehlen kann!
Und ein Dickes Dankeschoen an alle!!!

Modeschau!

Year 9 were very upset that they couldn't wear uniform for a whole day... (ho ho!)

Our Fashion Show was a great way to practise describing people and clothes, even with all those tricky adjectival endings!

Wer trägt eine schwarze Jacke?
Wer trägt weiße Turnschuhe?
Wer trägt einen rot-weiß gestreiften Hut?
Wer hat lange Haare?
Wer hat ein weißes T-Shirt?

Montanalingua

Remember our German-immersion residential back in October? With climbing and canoeing - all in German? Well, part of the project was to trial-run some modules for Montanalingua, who are developing the use of Outdoor Activities in Language Learning.

The good news is that they have now published their book of Outdoor-Language-Learning modules, and we are very proud to have played our small part in this exciting initiative.

Moritz ist weg!

Moritz was only with us for 2 weeks, but we miss him! By now he will be back in Köln - can you spot him?

the countdown begins...

German GCSE oral exams will begin on Tuesday 1st May. That's a fortnight from today, folks!

The A-level exams will be the week after that.

Remember that these exams will be no problem as long as you have prepared well for them!

Viel Glück!

Willkommen!

Welcome to our German blog.

Here we will be posting information and pictures of things which have been going on in the German Department at Shimna Integrated College, as well as building up a resource of useful links and things which will help you with your German.

Bis Bald!