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Shout out for German!

We have been promoting German throughout the Festival. This week was Shout out for German! week and we hope schools have taken advantage of the fantastic opportunities available.

German and our links with Germany are important in the North East and there are a lot of opportunities for schools to celebrate and support German language speaking, teaching, learning and links:

  • There are great opportunities to celebrate and enjoy German during the Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages to the end of March.
  • Shout out for German week (17-25 March) offered a wide range of special opportunities for schools and pupils to access resources, events and support
  • There is an ongoing offer via Goethe Institut and the GIMAGINE programme for schools to enhance and enrich German learning opportunities.

You can celebrate German throughout March with Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages.

There are a wide range of creative projects and activities that feature German: art, music, writing, poetry, taster sessions, challenges and more, as well as online and in person events in March.

Click here for the full range of activities you can explore with German.

You can still sign up for the Primary German Online recording, presentation and extra resources from Goethe Institut. Email: info@expressyourselfne.com with your school name, contact and the number of pupils participating.

The Goethe-Institut UK, the German Embassy in London and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) invite schools to get involved in a series of fun, innovative and didactic activities designed to promote German learning.

Click here to find out more about the resources and activities for primary and secondary schools, which include:

Schools can join a virtual Business Lunch, for a virtual music workshop, a special German Day for A-level or host one of the Travel Exhibitions.

Free creative resources, fully prepared lessons with lesson plans to help schools organise workshops and activities, digital resources and starter kits to set up a German Club with, Culture Days and Language Taster Sessions

Teachers will have the opportunity to invite a Young Goethe Ambassador or German Expert Mentor (GEM) directly to their school.

Resources and support available from the Goethe Institut

The Goethe Institut provides a wide range of education resources and support for the teaching and learning of German. Click here for a summary of resources and support available in 2025 or read on.

German Cultural Days resources

These Cultural Days materials are aimed at teachers and their primary and secondary students and are designed for Key Stage 2 to 5. They are offered in Spanish, French and German and tailored to different Key Stages. They include, for each language:

  • Language taster sessions for primary and secondary levels in French, Spanish and German offering a first glimpse of each language. These can be run by language teachers or teachers/students with intermediate/advanced knowledge of the language. Each taster session contains a Powerpoint presentation, Teacher’s Lesson plan and worksheets.
  • Cultural exploration/performance sessions offering an insight into German culture and prompts for a final student performance (e.g. a song or poem in a foreign language) or presentation (e.g. artwork, history). Sessions cover topics such as sports, arts, music, history, food and many more. Each cultural exploration/performance session contains a Powerpoint presentation, Teacher’s Lesson plan and worksheets.
  • Language and culture quiz with ideas and tips for a language exchange: Designed for secondary schools, the quiz takes students through French, Spanish and German speaking regions and cultures and offers a fun and engaging opportunity to compete against peers, learn about other cultures and win some prizes. Additionally, our ideas for a language exchange go beyond French, Spanish and German and encourage students to engage with the diverse range of languages they are surrounded by.

Each resource is accompanied by a detailed teaching guide for the teacher, as well as more ideas and tips to create a memorable, fun and creative celebration that addresses language and cultural aspects for the entire educational community. You do not need to be a language teacher to lead the sessions. The material is also aimed at the A1 level of each language. KS5 students can even be encouraged to lead the “Cultural Days” sessions.

The resources have been designed in partnership by the Spanish Embassy Education Office, National Consortium for Language Education, Goethe Institut and the Institute français.

GIMAGINE

GIMAGINE promotes and supports the learning of German as a foreign language in the UK. The project centres around students, teachers and schools. Apart from offering initiatives for professional advancement to German teachers, the project can fund learning German through scholarships and provides schools with classroom materials and teaching resources. It is part of the DfE funded National Consortium for Languages Education initiative to re-energise language learning in state primary and secondary schools in England.