German

Departmental Philosophy

Pupils at MCS choose to study German for a variety of reasons. Some pupils are interested in gaining fluency in the language in order to increase their job opportunities when they are older, perhaps in order to gain employment in the banking, engineering, or medical sectors. Other pupils choose to study German because of its importance for science and research. German is the second most commonly used scientific language in the world and there are lots of scholarships and awards available to enable people to work in German laboratories and research centres. Other pupils are interested in learning German as a means of cultural understanding, in order to travel, and to enjoy meaningful communication with people from a different country. Other pupils are keen to pursue their passion for music, philosophy, literature, and art, and wish to encounter some of the truly great works of world culture in the original language.

Whatever your reason for wishing to study the language, we are confident that you will find learning German at MCS an intellectually thrilling and personally enriching experience. German is a language that can really take you places – why not begin your journey with us?

Sixth Form

To study German in the sixth form at MCS is to embark on a life-enhancing, in-depth exploration of a fascinating language and culture. Are you curious to know more about the German government’s innovative approach to renewable energy? Or perhaps you would like to understand the relationship between church and state in Germany since WWII? You will have the chance to study and discuss these and many more exhilarating topics of contemporary society and culture as part of the Pre-U course. What is more, you will also be able to gain a rich understanding of some of the landmark works of modern German literature and cinema. In which other subject do you get to watch a fast-paced spy thriller set against the backdrop of the Cold War (Deutschland 83) and discuss a young man’s overnight transformation into a horrible insect (Die Verwandlung)?

Extra-curricular

The MCS German Department has a reputation for buzzing with the intellectual and cultural energy of the Zeitgeist. If you choose to study the language here, you might join us on a trip to Berlin to see the sights and soak up the language. Or you might prefer to turn your hand to creative writing or translation in one of many local and national competitions we enter. Or perhaps you might like to attend a talk by university staff about the Reformation or modern German drama. Or maybe go to a film screening or a German language play in a local theatre.

Where German could take you

German is highly prized by top universities and employers around the world. As a sixth form subject, it fits beautifully with almost every conceivable combination of subjects, including another foreign language (double linguists are rare to the point of being exotic nowadays), music (how can you properly enjoy a Bach cantata without understanding the words?), philosophy and theology (wouldn’t life seem meaningless without being able to read Nietzsche in the original?), any of the sciences (how do you think Germanium got into the Periodic Table? And who developed the Bunsen burner?), and History (Otto the Great? The Hanseatic League? The Protestant Reformation? The Thirty Years’ War?).

Pupils from MCS go on to achieve great things with German. It is possible to read German on its own or in combination with a wide range of other subjects at university. One of the chief attractions of studying a foreign language at degree-level is the opportunity to live abroad for a year, perhaps teaching, studying, or doing an internship. Linguists at MCS achieve excellent results at the end of the sixth form and go on to further study at universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, Durham, and Bath. They might then choose a career in media, law, advertising, research, teaching, engineering, or intelligence work.