On 1 October 2014 the Cambridge Department of German and Dutch launched the Cambridge German Network, an online platform for all who are involved in promoting the study of German language and culture in the UK. The platform has been developed with generous financial assistance from the German government, and as the Cambridge contribution to the "Think German" initiative promoted by the German Embassy and supported by University German Departments throughout the UK.
The core element of the Cambridge German Network is Cambridge Online German for Schools (COGS), an interactive website that provides easy access to high-quality downloadable teaching and learning materials and to resources provided by a range of cultural institutions. To view the website go to: www.cogs.mml.cam.ac.uk.
The teaching and learning materials posted on the site have been provided by experienced language teachers working in conjunction with members of the Cambridge Department. The Department, which has over 25 years' experience of teaching German from scratch as part of the degree course in Modern Languages at Cambridge, provides the guarantee for the excellent quality of the materials posted on the site. Resources include advice and suggestions for interesting extension projects on German themes at sixth-form level, which are intended to benefit all students who are aiming to study German at university.
A launch event for the website was held on 1 October 2014 at Cripps Court, Magdalene College, Cambridge, with contributions from the German Embassy, the Goethe Institute, the German Academic Exchange Service, the British Museum (introducing their major new exhibition, "Germany: Memories of a Nation"), UK-German Connection, and Routes into Languages (East of England). The event was attended by over 40 teachers of German at all levels. The Department wishes to congratulate its Senior Language Teaching Officer, Silke Mentchen, on designing and installing this website, which we hope will contribute significantly to the support of German studies in the UK.
