As part of its global, holistic approach to education, Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg offers the German Language Diploma (Deutsches Sprachdiplom) to increase scholars’ personal, professional and academic mobility in the world.
Situated in the heart of the beautiful KwaZulu- Natal Midlands, Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg is the oldest co-educational high school in the province. Founded in 1856 by Lutheran missionaries, the school encourages a global, holistic approach to education for day scholars and boarders from across South Africa and abroad.
At Hermannsburg, German is both an academic subject and a means of communication. Most of the teachers are multilingual and, for many, German is their native language. For 167 years, Hermannsburg has been strongly connected to German culture and language.
In our German Department, we are committed to preserving and honouring this tradition and heritage. Being a Language Certificate School, supported by the Central Agency for German Schools Abroad, we are part of an international network of schools guided by experts from Germany.
What is the German Language Certificate?
The German Language Diploma (Deutsches Sprachdiplom) I and II is underpinned by the Common European Framework (CEFR), which defines six specific language levels, starting from A1, basic skills and proficiency, to C2, native-speaker proficiency at an academic language level.
The CEFR defines both the specific levels of proficiency and also the steps needed to achieve them. The CEFR focuses on communicative competences, such as reading, writing, listening and speaking, and on skills such as intercultural competences, multilingualism and metacognitive reflection.
Teaching German as a foreign language thus helps to give our scholars insights, and opportunities for their future, and so promotes their personal development. From a cultural and economic point of view, German is an important language, and competence in its usage promotes personal,professional and academic mobility in the world.
What are the benefits?
The preparation for both the DSD I (level B1) and the DSD II (level B2 and C1) is a helpful programme for language acquisition. Often, our top achievers in the IEB National Senior Certificate have successfully passed the DSD, which opens eyes, hearts and doors to learning. Our DSD scholars have access to a number of benefits such as study opportunities at German universities, scholarships for study programmes, vocational training in companies in Germany (and the rest of the world), and job opportunities in other countries.
What does it mean to be a German Language Certificate school?
The German Language Certificate is not only an exam for scholars; the programme includes training for German teachers who are part of international networks. It includes support in terms of materials (books, magazines, online materials etc.) and the provision of staff seconded to schools by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (Zentralstelle für das
Auslandsschulwesen). Thus, the DSD programme is a tool for school development and contributes to quality standards.
How is the DSD programme organised in Hermannsburg?
German is taught in Hermannsburg from Kindergarten through Primary School and High School. From Grade 4 onwards, we offer German with a systematic language acquisition approach on a level for beginners and for advanced learners. In Grades 8 and 9, German is compulsory and many scholars who join us for high school have their first contact with the language. After two years of orientation,
Hermannsburg scholars can elect German as a second additional language for the further education phase. Given that we can offer the subject on two levels in each grade, we open the DSD exams to scholars according to their proficiency. Thus some scholars can write the DSD I in Grade 9, whereas others write the exams in Grade 10 or 11. The DSD II can be written in Grade 11 or 12.
What do the DSD examinations look like?
The DSD examinations consist of a written component (reading comprehension, listening comprehension and essay writing), which is held on the same day for all participants in the southern hemisphere. The German government sends all the required materials through its embassies and the DSD co-ordinators to the respective countries and schools.
The answer sheets of these standardised tests are sent back to Germany and assessed there. The oral part of the DSD examinations consists of an oral presentation and a conversation, which is assessed by at least two specially-trained German teachers. As a DSD school, our scholars do not pay any fees to participate in the programme.
How do we prepare our scholars for the DSD examinations?
We teach our scholars the required competences using up-to-date textbooks and materials. Grammar and language accuracy are important, but intercultural awareness also plays an important role. German literature, music and films, current news, discussions in the classroom, conversations with German teachers and visitors from Germany as well as the exchange programme with our partner school in Reutlingen, Germany, create an international flair on our wonderful campus in the rural midlands.
Knowing the test format is an absolute must. At Hermannsburg, we host a compulsory DSD Camp in the first term to prepare the scholars for registration. We pay special attention to strategies and exercises. Closer to the examination date in August, we offer a mock test on a Saturday morning. Focusing on the mock exam for about five hours has proven to be a very helpful experience. Individual extra lessons in the afternoons are another important part of helping our scholars to get the best possible preparation.
The German Language Diploma is a worldwide success story in which Hermannsburg is a proud participant. Alongside the other German schools in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town, we are one of only a few accredited schools in South Africa that can offer this special programme. Learning German and being exposed to German culture has changed the lives of many of our scholars who have become global citizens.