GCSE German help

chicoingles

Hiya there,

I am preparing for this exam next summer as a private candidate and I am having a lot of trouble finding a course book with a CD which I can use independently. I have just done a listening exam and amazingly got 28/30 but a lot of it was probably just deducing work because I don't really know the language at all yet (I know the very very basics).

I just wondered if anyone knew of anything from past experience etc.

I am also going to be entered for the optional speaking exam as part of the IGCSE and am also thinking of getting extra speaking practice as otherwise I'll be going to be the speaking exam not ever having really spoke German before. I have been in contact with the tutor at the local school where I am going to be sitting the exams and will ask him about possible tutors who could give me speaking practice.

Any ideas in the meantime anyway?

Cheers!

PS: I am currently doing French A2 as an evening class and finished my degree in Spanish and Italian two years ago, so learning a language isn't unknown to me, but German looks rather tricky!

pinkshoes

The hardest thing I found about German was the grammar and word order i.e. "I to the shops went".

Have you looked on your local Gumtree website, which often has a section for those offering language practice? I got an A at GCSE, and remember reading kids books to practice, mostly fairy tails that I knew like Billy Goats Gruff, and Hansel and Grettel!

There's also the Michel Thomas CD, which I think is quite pricey, but I found the french one very good!

scooby088

German is rather a hard language to master, i did it for 5 years at school and i only ever managed to say hello and goodbye..

bazzaboo

Whereabouts are you? I can give you lessons.
There are plenty of Germans in the UK, might be worth googling for german groups/churches where you can practise. I'm sure somebody will be willing to help you out.

emilyteach1

scooby088 wrote: »

German is rather a hard language to master, i did it for 5 years at school and i only ever managed to say hello and goodbye..

Definitely. I did both French and German for 5 years at school. All I can remember of German is 'guten tag'! I can, however, hold a basic conversation in French if the other person speaks slowly. I can also catch the drift of more complex French conversations, even when I don't fully understand, but German might as well be Swahili as far as I'm concerned.

skint_chick

I would have a look for German podcasts - I use Italian ones to get extra practice for my A level - and they're on itunes for all levels and free:). I sold my Spanish books on my local Gumtree so check it out - there's also lots of websites with audio and video content for you to try - BBC website is a good place to start.

Once you get the grammar rules mastered it's a lot easier to put sentences together. Good luck:T

chicoingles

Cheers for that!

kelloggs36

Schwartz, Rot, Gold - book very good.