Frequently Asked Questions
… about the Bilingual Profile

1. Does a bilingual school mean that all subjects are taught in English?
   There is a progression during middle school years with three subjects being taught in English by the end of middle school, namely history, geography and a natural science. Students start out on their first academic subject in year 7, namely history. Over and above this progression, we prepare students for bilingual teaching from the start within the framework of their English lessons. Other subjects students might be taught in English part of the time during middle school are arts and drama. So in fact a student attending our bilingual school will be learning a number of subjects in English, but will, on the other hand, have all his/her other lessons in German.
2. Does my child need to have any knowledge of German?
   Any student attending our school does, indeed, need to be fluent in German, both orally and in writing.  During the course of middle school each student has to sit externally set examinations on several occasions – one of the subjects being German – and this means that your child will need to be able to cope with these language-wise, too.
3. If a subject is taught in English are all the lessons in English?
   This is the case in any subject taught in English. Your child will also learn the appropriate subject-related technical terms in German.
4. Is the HLG a state school?
   HLG is a state run school.  Our student body is drawn from Hamburg itself and most of our students live within comfortable travelling distance from the school.
5. Does my child need to be fluent in English?
   We teach English as a foreign language. Students who come to us straight from their junior school here in Hamburg will have had tuition in English.  No child coming to us at this point need be fluent.  Of course, the degree of fluency students acquire will increase as they progress up middle school.  A student wishing to come to us during the course of middle school will need to be quite fluent in order to be able to benefit from his/her lessons sufficiently, but also in order to be able to cope with the requirements in English and in the subjects taught in English.