Schull Community College

German is taught by Lena Tiernan and Nicola Mc Cormick. It is offered at both Junior and Senior Cycle. All first years take German as part of their core curriculum with second years choosing it as an option. At present 21 2nd years are taking german for their Junior Certificate examination.
First years use "Klasse I", a very student friendly book with lots of activities to encourage a rapid development in the spoken language.
'Deutsch ir Irland 2' is used to deepen this knowledge in 2nd and 3rd year.

Fourth years participate in an exchange with our partner-school in Freigericht, near Frankfurt. Our students visit Germany in October-November for a week, staying with host families and attending school with their partners. They also participate in a full programme of activities, including a trip to Heidelberg and ice skating. The German students come to Schull at Easter, where they sample the sights of West Cork and attend Schull Community College as well.
The exchange is an integral part of the fourth year programme; students experience the language in a real life context and learn about the German way of life, and the cultural similarities and differences between our two countries.
In fourth year, students also study contemporary German films, learn about the geography of Germany, the school system, leisure activities and much more!
They also complete a project on one of the 16 "Bunderslander'.

In fifth and sixth year, students concentrate on perfecting their skills in German, with a great emphasis on oral and aural work, writing letters, learning to tackle authentic reading texts and short pieces on topics relevant to the Leaving Cert programme. The text used is"Lernpunkt 3".

The German Film club
Name: Stille Sehnsucht (Warchild)
Director: Christian Wagner
Length: 103 minutes

On Thursday, 17 January the fourth, fifth and sixth years travelled to the Briery Gap, Macroom, to watch a German language film by Munich based director, Christian Wagner, whose list of war-themed films includes Ghettokids and Waller’s Last Trip. The film was Stille Sehnsucht (literally ‘silent longing’), but was aptly titled Warchild for English audiences.

The film charters a Bosnian woman’s search for her young child, who was displaced when the country was ravaged by war, after she learns that her daughter may be located in Germany. It is a distressing, and often poignant, depiction of a woman who yearns to be reunited with the one she loves the most. Her journey to Germany is not a straightforward one; she must illegally navigate her way through Europe to reach the small city where her daughter now lives. In Germany, this woman will learn that years of separation have had resounding effects on her daughter.

I very much enjoyed this film. It is clear that Wagner spent a long time creating his characters, because when one watches this film it is possible to empathise with the characters and their stories. The film is emotive and the plot is well established. The fact that it is a German language film, but the main character is unable to communicate her problems through spoken word, results in a more enthralling experience for the viewer. It also means that this film is as much for German audiences, as it is for English audiences.



Damien Collins