The German Extension Course at SML
What do past participants have to say about the course?
Jo, 29
Keith, 26 (below, centre)
Although I did study German at school, I had not spoken a word for eight years until this summer. I was keen to be able to offer two languages in the classroom and the German Extension Course was an ideal way to improve my German. The course was intensive but great fun as well. The lessons were interesting and varied and everything was very well organised. I was wary about returning to the classroom after an absence of a few years but it really was a great experience. The undoubted highlight of the summer was the two week study visit to Hamburg. The opportunity to use what I had learnt in the classroom in ‘real-life’ situations was invaluable and really improved my confidence. To be able to produce a 2000 word project in German after studying it for a summer really shows how much can be learnt on the extension course. I would thoroughly recommend the course to anyone that is considering it. I had a great time, improved my language skills, picked up tips I can use in the classroom and made fantastic new friends along the way!
Hallo! Ich heiße Emilie (right, far right), ich bin 25 Jahre alt und ich komme aus Frankreich.
Even though I had studied German for a few years, I decided to follow the advice of my PGCE tutor and to take the German Course Extension in Newcastle University. I think it has been one of the best decisions I ever made! I had a very bad experience with my (very traditional and conservative) learning of German, but the course totally reconciled me with the language. It also helped me to develop my speaking skill - something that I always found very, very difficult to do in the framework of the French school system. Moreover, going back to the position of learner is great and enriching. It gave me more empathy towards my future pupils, lots of ideas for my future lesson planning and I think it definitely changed my way of reflecting about my own teaching. Today I am much more confident about my German, but also more ready and capable for the PGCE year that is coming and I owe it to the German Extension Course and its AMAZING tutor and teachers!!! ;-)
Nicola, 24 (far right)
I graduated in 2006 with a degree in French Studies, and really wanted to go on to teach MFL. Instead of jumping straight into further study, I decided to work for a year in a High School to get some recent experience. I wanted to study at Newcastle University, coming from the area and holding a season ticket for my beloved Toon, and when it came to 
applying for the PGCE I came across information about the German Extension Course on the university website. I was immediately interested in the course and not solely for the financial incentives! It would be a great way to fill my summer - improving my German with other language enthusiasts, in a great city - and I would be making myself look far more attractive to potential employers in the long run. More to the point, I would be getting a bursary for doing something I love!
Here I am a few weeks into my PGCE (French with German) able to teach German to Key Stage 3, but more importantly to me, I am able to use the language with confidence. I had a great experience on the course, I made some great friends and as an extra bonus, in the middle of the course we got to go on a (fully funded!) study trip to Hamburg, which was an amazing experience - a beautiful and diverse city for us to explore and in which to put our new confidence in German in action! The tutors were very supportive and friendly and their creative ideas made our learning great fun. We also inadvertently learned a lot about teaching MFL and the various techniques and resources we’ll be able to use, which has set us up well for launching into schools!
Ich bin Yasmine, 24 Jahre alt. (pictured by the Berlin Wall)
Originally from Toulouse (France) I have already spent 2 years in the great northern part of England, getting to know better about the funny “Geordie” way of life. After my degree in Economics I worked in schools in the area of Newcastle in 2006/2007 as a teaching assistant. I knew from there that I wanted to make teaching pupils to learn languages a career. The University of Newcastle offered me to learn German as an additional language and I first hesitated, thinking it was too hard to learn. But I gave it a thought and I realised what a chance it would be for me to be able to offer another language to teach to my mother tongue.
The course is fully funded. All the participants were paid during their weeks on the course and the University even financed two weeks in Germany so we could make the most of what we had learnt. For me, this was the turning point of the course, as I could finally make it feel “real” and practice to the best of my capabilities. I should be grateful to our 2 German teachers, and all the staff behind the “German Extension Course” who were so generous and patient with us while helping us step by step to achieve our best. For me, the secret of success in coming onto the German Extension course is a bit of the O.A.C. (the University languages resource centre), a lot of will, a great sense of involvement and a little investment: I had to get a high capacity memory stick to myself to store all the pictures and videos from the trip to Hamburg!
Auf Wiedersehen!
Damien, 27 (far left)
My degree was in French from King’s College London and I pursued further studies in Rome for 18 months before deciding to train as a language teacher.
Keen to be a dual-linguist for my PGCE, I was a bit worried about the rustiness of my German, which I had hardly used since my A-levels, back in 1998. I was delighted, then, when the University of York told me about the Newcastle German Extension Course.
Being in a small group with other prospective PGCE trainees made for a friendly and dynamic atmosphere. The balance of having one native German teacher and one native English teacher worked brilliantly. Each complemented the other. I compliment them both! In fact, the course was of a high standard all round: the excellent teaching was aided by efficient administration and by the University of Newcastle’s impressive facilities. The highlight for me was definitely our two-week study visit to Hamburg, a charming city which I’d love to re-visit.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the Newcastle German Extension Course. Not only did my German easily regain and then surpass its earlier level, but I had so much fun along the way!
Mel, 30 (on the left)
When I applied for my PGCE in French, I was concerned that I didn't have another language to offer, and thought that this might go against me when it came to eventually applying for teaching jobs. When I went for my PGCE interview, I found out that it was possible to do a German extension course at Newcastle University over the summer before starting my PGCE. I thought that this would be a great opportunity and applied for the course. The university helped me find some accommodation in Newcastle for the summer and I moved up to Newcastle from Leeds to start the course in May. I was a bit worried about starting the course, as I didn't know any German. Because of this, I attended the Ab-Initio course for beginners, which gave me a full introduction to the German language. By the time I started the main course, I felt confident in speaking German with other students who had previously studied German. The course itself was an amazing experience and it is hard to believe that after just 3 months I have learnt an entirely new language. The tutors were absolutely fantastic, lots of fun and hugely supportive. The two week trip to Hamburg was an amazing experience and definitely the high point of the course. Having the opportunity to live with German people, learn about the country and practice the language was great. Overall, I would definitely recommend the course to anyone considering it. It's hard work and demands a lot of energy and commitment, but it's definitely worth it overall and I'm now looking forward to teaching German in school as part of my PGCE placement.
[Photos taken by participants during the study visit to Germany]