Language Acquisition: German
Our German language programme enables students to connect with authentic cultural contexts while mastering linguistic skills for practical communication.
Through immersive learning and critical analysis of texts, learners develop confidence in expressing ideas fluently and understanding the rich diversity of German-speaking cultures.
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Language Acquisition: German PYP Overview
The International School of Stuttgart (ISS) German Language Acquisition programme is closely connected with the transdisciplinary themes of Primary Years Programme (PYP). Language is involved in all learning that goes on in a school, in both the affective and effective domains. Learners listen, talk, read and write their way to negotiating new meanings and understanding new concepts. In the “knowledge” area of the PYP, language is the most significant connecting element across the school’s curriculum, both within and outside its transdisciplinary program of inquiry (PoI).
At ISS we provide authentic contexts for language learning and teaching in all areas of the curriculum that are a reflection of, and relevant to, the community of learners, and to the educational theories underpinning the program. German Language Acquisition is taught from
Grade 1 to Grade 5.
Grade 3
Content:
- Design Cycle/Design Process
- Problem / issue identification
- Design proposal
- Idea/solution generation
- Testing methods
- Success evaluation
- Improvement explanation
Skills
- Creating/editing of 2D graphics
- Presenting / communicating
- Producing and editing film
- Developing brand / identity
- Using structure as function
Grade 1
Content
- Vorstellung (Name, Alter, Geburtstag) (Presentation: name, age, birthday)
- Zahlen (1-40) (Numbers 1-40)
- Monatsnamen (Months of the year)
- Wochentage (Days of the week)
- Kulturelles Bewusstsein: Feste im Jahr (Cultural awareness: festivals throughout the year)
- Farben (Colours)
- Artikel: der, die, das (Articles)
- Einzahl Mehrzahl Nomen (Singular/plural nouns)
- Rollenspiele “Ich habe mich verlaufen” (Role plays: “I am lost and need to find my way”)
- Buchstabenlaute (Awareness of German letter sounds)
- Leseverständnis (Listening comprehension)
Skills
- Wortschatzerweiterung: Gesundes/ungesundes Essen, Spielplatz, Stadt, Gebäude und Transportmittel, Familienmitglieder, Bauernhof (Expanding vocabulary: healthy/unhealthy food, city/buildings/transport, family members, farm)
- Deutsche Wörter wiederholen (Repeating German words clearly)
- Kurze, einfache Wörter lesen (Beginning to read short words)
- Fragen stellen und beantworten (Asking and answering simple questions)
- Anweisungen folgen (Following two-step directions)
- Kurze Wörter und einfache Sätze schreiben (Writing simple words and short sentences)
- Kurze Wörter, einfache Sätze laut vorlesen (Reading out loud short words and simple sentences)
- Verben bin, habe konjugieren (Conjugating verbs “to be” and “to have”)
- Wortschatz anhand verschiedener Vokabelspiele und Lieder festigen (Consolidating vocabulary through various games and songs)
Grade 2
Content
- Kulturelles Bewusstsein: Sankt Nikolaus, Sankt Martin, Advent, Fasching, Ostern (Cultural awareness: Sankt Nikolaus, Sankt Martin, Advent, Fasching, Easter)
- Jahreszeiten (Seasons)
- Monatsnamen/Wochentage/Farbe (Months, weekdays, colours)
- Rollenspiele: Arztbesuch (Role play: At the doctor)
- Präpositionen: über, unter, auf, neben, vor, nach (Prepositions: above, under, on top, next to, in front, after)
- Grammatik: Satzbildung: Subjekt, Prädikat, Objekt (Grammar: Sentence structure)
- Fragewörter: Wer? Wie? Was? Wo? (Question words: Who? How? What? Where?)
- Großschreibung von Nomen (Capitalization nouns)
- Kurze Präsentationen verschiedener Themen (U.o.I related, short presentations)
- Zahlen 1-100 (Numbers 1-100)
Skills
- Über Gefühle sprechen (traurig, glücklich, fröhlich, wütend, ärgerlich) (Talking about feelings: sad, happy, cheerful, angry, annoyed)
- Bild-Text verknüpfen (Linking word with text)
- Benennen /Zuordnen der bestimmten Artikel (der, die, das) (Naming, assigning the definite articles)
- Benennen der gängigen Kleidungsstücke (Labeling clothes)
- Benennen der Körperteile (Labeling body parts)
- Aussprache einzelner Wörter trainieren (Practicing pronunciation of individual words)
- Hör- und Leseverständnis festigen anhand von Liedern, Reimen, Bilderbüchern (Consolidating listening and reading skills through songs, rhymes, and picture books)
- Verben: bin, habe, kann, möchte konjugieren (Conjugating verbs: to be, to have, can, want)
Grade 3
Content
- Adjective bezogen auf U.o.I (U.o.I related adjectives)
- Zahlen von 1 bis 1000 (Numbers from 1 to 1000)
- Dezimalzahlen und Preise (Decimals and prices)
- Einzahl/Mehrzahl /Großschreibung Nomen (Singular, plural, capitalization nouns)
- Adverbien: über, unter, links, rechts, neben, auf, unter, hinter (Adverbs: over, under, next to, right, left, behind)
- Steckbrief (Personal narrative)
- Poesie (Poetry)
- Grammatik: Großschreibung, Zeichensetzung und Satzbau (Grammar: capitalization, punctuation, and sentence structure)
- Themenbezogene mündliche Präsentation (Topic-related oral presentations with clarity and organization)
Skills
- Kontextbewusstsein: Datum im Text erkennen und lesen (Identifying and reading the date within complete sentences)
- Mit dem Wörterbuch arbeiten (Using a translational dictionary)
- Rollenspiele “einkaufen” (Engaging in a shopping dialogue)
- Uhrzeit lesen (Telling the time)
- Auf einfache Fragen mit mehr als einem Wort antworten (Responding to simple questions with more than one-word answers)
- Ein Bewusstsein für Artikel/Pronomen entwickeln: der, die, das, er, sie, es (Gaining an awareness for articles/pronouns: der, die, das, er, sie, es)
- Sensibilisierung für die deutsche Rechtschreibung und Buchstabenlaute (Gaining awareness of German spelling and letter sounds)
- Wortschatzerweiterung: Häuser und Gebäude, Einkaufen, die fünf Sinne, Kunst und Poesie (Expanding vocabulary: Houses and buildings, shopping, geography, the five senses, poetry, and art)
- Wortschatz anhand verschiedener Vokabelspiele festigen (Consolidating vocabulary through various games)
- Regelmäßige Verben konjugieren (Conjugating regular verbs)
Grade 4
Content
- Wortschatzerweiterung Fahrrad, auf der Straße, Verkehrszeichen, Sicherheit (Vocabulary: traffic-safe bicycle, traffic signs, license plates)
- Reiseziele in Deutschland und Europa (Travel destinations: Germany and Europe)
- Kulturelles Bewusstsein: Feste/Feiertage/Traditionen/Bräuche in Deutschland (Cultural awareness: holidays, traditions in Germany)
- Freizeitaktivitäten und Hobby (Leisure activities and hobbies)
- Wetter/Jahreszeiten (Weather and seasons)
- Familie, Vorfahren und Stammbaum (Family and ancestors)
- Medien und digitale Kommunikation (Media and communication: newspapers, magazines)
- Fragewörter: Wo?, Wer?, Was?, Warum? (Question words: Where? Who? What? Why?)
Skills
- Sich selbst und Andere vorstellen mit Schwerpunkt: Hobbie, Familie, Herkunft (Introducing people and their interests, hobbies, family members, and country of origin)
- Leseverständnis: Informationen entnehmen, Hauptgedanken erkennen (Reading comprehension: Extracting information, identifying main ideas)
- Verben in Präsens und Präteritum konjugieren (Conjugating verbs in present tense and past tense)
- Einfache, kurze Bücher lesen (Reading easy chapter books)
- Fragen mit angemessenem Fragewort stellen (Asking questions with adequate question words)
- U.o.I bezogene Themen präsentieren (Presenting U.o.I related topics)
- Kurze, einfache (Sach)texte schreiben (Writing a variety of short (non)-fiction pieces)
Grade 5
Content
- Personalpronomen (Personal pronouns)
- Artikel (Articles)
- Nomen im Singular und Plural (Nouns singular and plural)
- Verben und trennbare Verben im Präsens (Verbs and separable verbs in present tense)
- Präteritum von Verben (Regular verbs in past tense)
- Kulturelle Unterschiede und interkulturelles Verständnis (Cultural differences and intercultural understanding)
- Brief schreiben (Letter writing)
- Politik und Gesellschaft in Deutschland (Politics in Germany)
- Zeitadverbien: zuerst, dann, danach (Time adverbs: first, then, after)
- Komperativ: besser, als, mehr, größer (Comparative: better than, more, big-bigger-biggest)
- Verneinung: Kein, keine und nicht (Negation: none-not)
- Leseverständnis (Reading comprehension)
- Hörverstehen (Listening comprehension)
Skills
- Verben konjugieren: sein, haben, können, müssen, wollen (Conjugating verbs: to be, to have, can, must, want)
- Anweisungen auf Deutsch geben (Giving instructions in German)
- Wortschatzerweiterung: Energie (Expanding vocabulary: energy)
- Wortschatzerweiterung: “Entdecker” (Expanding vocabulary: “explorers”)
- Wortschatzerweiterung: Gesundes Essen und Hygiene (Expanding vocabulary: “healthy food and hygiene”)
- Wortschatzerweiterung: Umweltschutz und Nachhaltigkeit (Expanding vocabulary: environment protection and sustainability)
- Sich selbst und jemand anderen vorstellen (Introducing yourself and others)
- Wortschatz anhand verschiedener Spiele festigen (Consolidating vocabulary through various games)
- Fragen mit korrektem Satzbau stellen (Asking questions using correct sentence structure)
- U.o.I bezogene Themen präsentieren (Presenting topics related to U.o.I)
- Grafiken auswerten (Analyzing data)
- Eigene Meinung ausdrücken (Expressing opinion)
Middle Years Programme (MYP)
Language Acquisition: German MYP Overview
German communicators progress through distinct phases, enhancing their ability to comprehend, interpret, and produce language in authentic multimodal contexts. Emergent communicators engage with simple texts, identifying explicit and some implicit information to draw basic conclusions. They express understanding through short oral and written exchanges on familiar and some unfamiliar topics, demonstrating clarity and purpose.
Capable communicators in Phases 3 and 4 expand these skills, tackling a variety of simple and complex texts. They participate in authentic, spontaneous conversations on personal, social, and global topics, producing coherent and audience-appropriate communication. Proficient communicators in Phase 5 master analyzing complex texts, articulating nuanced perspectives, and engaging in meaningful discussions on diverse, significant topics.
Grade 6
Content:
- Design Cycle/Design Process
- Problem / issue identification
- Design proposal
- Idea/solution generation
- Testing methods
- Success evaluation
- Improvement explanation
Skills
- Creating/editing of 2D graphics
- Presenting / communicating
- Producing and editing film
- Developing brand / identity
- Using structure as function
Emergent: German
Content
Communication Contexts
- My self, my family, pets, friends
- Hobbies, school subjects, and supplies
- Calendar, seasons, numbers
- Home, house, and rooms
- Body, clothing, and food
Language Mechanics
Phase 1
- Present tense (including regular and some irregular verbs, haben and sein, separable-prefix verbs)
- Imperatives (optional)
- Use of present tense to express future
- Pronouns
- Possessive pronouns
- Accusative objects
- Questions
Phase 2
- Modal verbs (conjugation and placement)
- Perfect tense of regular verbs
- Simple past of haben, sein, and modal verbs
- Comparatives and superlatives
Skills
Listening
- Movie
- Podcasts
- Weather reports
- Demonstrations
- Short YouTube clips
Reading
- Signs
- Schedules
- Menus
- Emails
- Postcards
- Maps
Speaking
- Ask and answer basic questions, using question words
- Describing images of current topics
- Role plays
- Memory games
Writing
- Short messages
- Letters
- Scripts
- SMS messages
- Timetables
Capable: German
Content
Communication Contexts
Grade 6
- Animals
- School
- Food
- Environment
Grade 7
- What we need
- Sustainability/Factory Farming
- Friendship and Courage
- Sports
Grade 8
- Shopping and Globalisation
- Youth Cultures and Fashion
- Health and Illness
- Leisure and Travel
Grade 9
- Media
- Love and Friendship
- Social Issues
- Stuttgart and Germany
Grade 10
- East Germany
- Work World
- Text Types
- Migration
Language Mechanics
Phase 3
- Perfect tense of irregular verbs
- Reflexive pronouns
- Dative with verbs and prepositions
- Weil and dass sentences
Phase 4
- Simple past of regular and irregular verbs
- Future tense
- Dative and accusative (verbs, objects, prepositions)
- Relative clauses
Skills
Listening
- Watch/listen to a variety of authentic multimodal texts, e.g., movies, TV programmes, weather forecasts, vlogs, news, video clips, etc.
Reading
- Variety of authentic multimodal texts, e.g., magazines, newspapers, emails, websites, blogs, interviews, letters, etc.
Speaking
- Class discussions
- Presentations
- Describe and analyze pictures
- Interviews, etc.
Writing
- Spelling, grammar, plot, punctuation, format, and audience
- Articles, blogs, interviews, and personal writing
Proficient: German
Content
Communication Contexts
Grade 6
- Animals
- School
- Food
- Environment
Grade 7
- What we need
- Sustainability/Factory Farming
- Friendship and Courage
- Sports
Grade 8
- Shopping and Globalisation
- Youth Cultures and Fashion
- Health and Illness
- Leisure and Travel
Grade 9
- Media
- Love and Friendship
- Social Issues
- Stuttgart and Germany
Grade 10
- East Germany
- Work World
- Text Types for e-assessment
- Migration
Language Mechanics
Phase 5
- Adjective endings
- Prepositional verbs
- Passive mode
- Subjunctive mode (including haben, sein, modal verbs, and other verbs with würde)
Skills
Listening
- Watch/listen to a wide variety of authentic multimodal texts, e.g., movies, podcasts, radio broadcasts, TV programmes, debates, lectures, weather forecasts, vlogs, etc.
Reading
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Emails
- Websites
- Poetry
- Blogs
- Fiction books, etc.
Speaking
- Participate in class discussions and debates
- Make presentations
- Describe and analyze pictures
- Interviews
- Discuss literature, etc.
Writing
- Spelling, grammar, plot, punctuation, format, and audience
- Articles, blogs, interviews, essays, and personal writing
Diploma Programme (DP)
Diploma Programme: German ab initio
Language ab initio is a language acquisition course designed for students with no prior experience of the target language, or for those students with very limited previous exposure. It should be noted that language ab initio is offered at SL only. At the language ab initio level, a student develops receptive, productive and interactive communicative skills. Students learn to communicate in the target language in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
Grade 6
Content:
- Design Cycle/Design Process
- Problem / issue identification
- Design proposal
- Idea/solution generation
- Testing methods
- Success evaluation
- Improvement explanation
Skills
- Creating/editing of 2D graphics
- Presenting / communicating
- Producing and editing film
- Developing brand / identity
- Using structure as function
Grades 11 & 12
Content
Communication Contexts
-
The five prescribed themes are:
-
Identities
- Personal attributes
- Personal relationships
- Eating and drinking
- Physical wellbeing
-
Experiences
- Daily routine
- Leisure
- Holidays
- Festivals and celebrations
-
Human Ingenuity
- Transport
- Entertainment
- Media
- Technology
-
Social Organization
- Neighbourhood
- Education
- The workplace
- Social issues
-
Sharing the Planet
- Climate
- Physical geography
- The environment
- Global issues
-
Language Mechanics
- Past tense (Perfekt)
- Future tense
- Subjunctive mode
- Passive mode
- All cases (including adjectives and pronouns)
- Sub-clauses
- Verb constructions
Conceptual Understanding
- Audience
- Context
- Purpose
- Meaning
- Variation
Skills
Communication
- Communicate clearly and effectively in a range of situations, demonstrating linguistic competence and intercultural understanding
- Use language appropriate to a range of interpersonal and/or cultural contexts
- Understand and use language to express and respond to a range of ideas with accuracy and fluency
- Organize ideas on a range of topics in a clear, coherent, and convincing manner
- Understand, analyse, and respond to a range of written and spoken texts
Text Production
Personal Texts
- Blog
- Diary
- Invitation
- Journal
- List
- Personal letter
- Postcard
- Social media posting/chat room
- Text message
- Timetable
Professional Texts
- Blog
- Brochure
- Catalogue
- Essay
- Formal letter
- Interview
- Invitation
- Literature (short-story, novel, poem, graphic novel)
- Maps/diagrams
- Menu
- Online forum
- Personal statement/CV
- Proposal
- Questionnaire
- Recipe
- Report
- Set of instructions/guidelines
- Supporting letter
- Survey
- Timetable
Mass Media Texts
- Advertisement
- Article (newspaper, magazine)
- Blog
- Brochure
- Film
- Flyer
- Interview
- Leaflet
- Literature
- News report
- Newsletter
- Opinion column/editorial
- Pamphlet
- Podcast
- Poster
- Public commentary (editorial/reader’s letters)
- Radio programme
- Review
- Social media posting
- Speech
- Travel guide
- TV/drama/music
- Web page
Diploma Programme: German Language B
In Language B students learn to communicate in the target language in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
They describe situations, narrate events, make comparisons, explain problems, and state and support their personal opinions on a variety of topics relating to course content. The study of two literary works originally written in the target language is required only at language B HL.
Grade 6
Content:
- Design Cycle/Design Process
- Problem / issue identification
- Design proposal
- Idea/solution generation
- Testing methods
- Success evaluation
- Improvement explanation
Skills
- Creating/editing of 2D graphics
- Presenting / communicating
- Producing and editing film
- Developing brand / identity
- Using structure as function
Grades 11 & 12
Content
Communication Contexts
-
The five prescribed themes are:
-
Identities
- Immigration in Germany
-
Experiences
- Literature (HL): Borchert, Schlink, Dürrenmatt, Kafka
-
Human Ingenuity
- Automobile industry and future
-
Social Organization
- The political landscape in Germany
-
Sharing the Planet
- Energy solutions for Germany
-
Language Mechanics
- Past and future tenses
- Subjunctive mode
- Passive mode
- All cases (including adjectives and pronouns)
- Sub-clauses
- Verb constructions (reflexive, prepositional)
Skills
Communication
- Communicate clearly and effectively in a range of situations, demonstrating linguistic competence and intercultural understanding
- Use language appropriate to a range of interpersonal and/or cultural contexts
- Understand and use language to express and respond to a range of ideas with accuracy and fluency
- Organize ideas on a range of topics in a clear, coherent, and convincing manner
- Understand, analyse, and respond to a range of written and spoken texts
- Understand and use works of literature written in the target language of study (HL only)
Text Production
Personal Texts
- Blog
- Diary
- Personal letter
- Social media posting/chat room
Professional Texts
- Blog
- Essay
- Formal letter
- Proposal
- Questionnaire
- Report
- Set of instructions
- Survey
Mass Media Texts
- Advertisement
- Article (newspaper/magazine)
- Blog
- Brochure
- Film
- Interview
- Leaflet
- News report
- Opinion column/editorial
- Pamphlet
- Podcast
- Poster
- Commentary (editorial/reader’s letter)
- Radio programme
- Review
- Speech
- Travel guide
- Web page
Downloadable Curriculum
Access detailed curriculum overviews and guidelines in PDF format.
Glossary of Terms
Familiarize yourself with key abbreviations and terminology used throughout our curriculum.
Learning & Assessment
Discover our curriculum’s learning objectives, assessment strategies, and resources.