Starting from September 2009, Huamei began cooperation with the German governmental organization, ZfA to provide German DSD Certificate Program. It offers an excellent opportunity for students from all around the world: Students who receive the two DSD-Certificates earn the right to study at any university in Germany for free. It is the first DSD program implemented in schools of Guangzhou city, and the Huamei primary section became the only primary school which provides Pre-DSD program within the circle of DSD schools in China. The school is now having German language students through Grades 4 to 8.

With joint efforts of the school, the ZfA consultants and the German teachers from Germany and China, the past eight years have witnessed continued success in terms of the students’ great interest in and good academic performance in the German course.

• Curricular Objectives

1. Enable students to learn a second foreign language, master different levels of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and eventually achieve DSD  certificates. To ensure the students’ continued progress in their German leaning, goal-setting scheme is specified as follows:

1. Expose students to German culture and further develop their cross-cultural understanding and communication skills.

    

• Candidates Requirement and Class Setup

  In principle, the students above Grade 4 who perform well in the English language course are qualified to apply for this program. Each grade has two classes in primary school and one/two in the middle school, with class size of 25 in primary section and 30 in the middle school.

   

  Starting from the Fall of 2013, one specialized German Class was set up in Grade 4 to better support the students to learn effectively and consistently, and achieve the final objectives of the program in the end.

   

  In 2016 Fall, one specialized German Class set up in Grade 7. This class students are expected to achieve the A2 German language level in grade 8 and pass the DSD I test in grade 9. So far, the students are on the right track and moving towards the objective.

   

• Time Allocation

  For primary school, the specialized class has been adjusted to 3+1+1 mode (i.e., 3 instructional classes, 1 Practice classes, 1 morning reading period), and the German elective class will arrange 3 periods in one week. For middle school, there are five teaching hours per week for specialized classes.

   

• Teaching and Quality Assurance

  (1) The German courses are delivered by qualified teachers from both Germany and China, with the aid from a German intern assigned by the German government or University of Cologne if available.

  (2) On-going teacher training and supervision are conducted by an on-site German DSD program consultant assigned by the German government.

  (3) The DSD Program China Office organizes workshops and seminars to orientate the new teachers and promote their professionalism on regular basis.