Summary of course content
• develop the ability to understand German in a variety of registers
• enable students to communicate confidently and clearly in German
• form a sound base of skills, language and attitudes required for further study, work and leisure
• develop insights into the culture and civilisation of the countries where German is spoken, including the
study of literary texts where appropriate (this does not apply to AS Language qualifications)
• encourage positive attitudes to language learning and a sympathetic approach to other cultures and
civilisations
• support intellectual and personal development by promoting learning and social skills.
Areas of Study
Human relationships – family – generation gap – young people
• family activities; new patterns of family relationships; the status of the elderly and responsibility for their
care
• generation gap; conflicts in the family circle; young people and the older generation; attitudes of young
people to the family environment
• young people; young people and their peer group; young people as a target group for advertisers and
politicians
Patterns of daily life – urban and rural life – the media – food and drink – law and order – philosophy
and belief – health and fitness
• daily routine; school; the individual’s way of life; living conditions
• advantages and disadvantages of urban and rural life; transport and communications; shopping; housing
• the role and influence of the media; the power of advertising
• healthy eating; fast-food; national traditions of eating and drinking
• violence and crime; drug-related crime; the role of the police; law-enforcement
• the role of philosophy and belief in a local, national and an international context; attitudes towards
different beliefs and philosophical issues; philosophical and religious practices/groups; values and
morality
• healthy living; exercise; dieting; drugs; health care provision; stress; AIDS
Work and leisure – equality of opportunity – employment and unemployment – sport – free time
activities – travel and tourism – education – cultural life/heritage
• women in society and in the workforce; equality of opportunity for minority groups
• preparation for work and job opportunities; career plans; qualifications and job routines; plight of
the unemployed, areas of high unemployment; demise of traditional industries; possible solutions,
immigrant workers
• individual and team sports; amateur and professional sport
• value of leisure; balance between leisure and work; planning leisure time
• tourism as a modern phenomenon; friction between tourists and local inhabitants; holidays and foreign
travel
• education systems and types of school; patterns of curriculum; relationship between education and
training; further and higher education provision; examinations
• the world of the arts; significant figures and trends in the arts; the place of culture and the arts in the life
of the nation
War and peace – social and economic development
• conflicts in the world: ethnic, religious, ideological
• positive and negative aspects of social and economic development; recent and predicted trends
Cambridge International AS & A Level German syllabus. Topic areas: further guidance
Syllabus for examination in 2023 and 2024.
Back to contents page www.cambridgeinternational.org/alevel 19
Medical advances – scientific and technological innovation
• advances in the treatment of disease; ethical issues of medical and other technologies
• cloning; genetic modifications; modern communications systems
Environment – pollution – conservation
• the individual in his/her surroundings; effect of environment on individuals; protest action to protect
one’s locality; ways of contributing to environmental awareness
• global warming; acid rain; air pollution; water pollution; noise pollution; destruction of rain forests;
damage to animal world; solutions and cost implications
• saving endangered species and landscapes
Contemporary aspects of the country/ies where German is spoken
• e.g. political, regional, social issues
Guided Learning Hours
360 guided learning hours.
