THEMES
1. The Individual
The theme ‘The Individual’ enables the learner to explore aspects of his or her own life, for example, sense of self, personal values, opinions, ideas and relationships with others. At the same time, this theme also enables the learner to study topics from the perspective of others.
TOPICS |
Personal World |
Education |
Daily Life |
Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- personal identity (name, age, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, age, sex, marital status, nationality, origin, family character)
- relationships (family, friends, occupations of parents)
- house and home (type of accommodation, rooms, furniture, own room, services, amenities, region, common plants and animals)
- personal health and welfare
- personal opinions.
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Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- school
- personal aspirations/future career
- courses/subjects
- examinations.
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Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- life at home
- daily routine
- hobbies and interests/sport
- shopping and money facilities, foodstuffs, clothes and fashion, household articles, medicine, prices, weights and measures
- food and drink
- travel to and from places
- holidays
- invitations and appointments
- services (postal, telephone, bank, police, hospital, garage, repairs, petrol station)
- weather
- emails, SMS.
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2. German-Speaking Communities
The theme ‘German-speaking Communities’ explores topics from the perspective of German-speaking communities and encourages the learner to reflect on his or her own and other cultures.
TOPICS |
Past and Present |
People and Places |
Arts and Entertainment |
Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- social customs/traditions and their historical origin
- important historical events and their commemoration (e.g. by national holidays or festivals, monuments, naming of features such as buildings or roads)
- historical links with Australia
- some important personalities in German contemporary society and/or history
- changes in social structures and attitudes (e.g. the family, women’s issues, religion).
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Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- city and country life
- German influences on Australian culture and society (e.g. food and drink, fashions)
- shopping
- getting around (transport and directions)
- significant geographical and climatic features of Germany.
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Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- media
- cinema
- music and songs
- literature
- sport
- theatre and performing arts
- computer games
- art
- architecture.
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3. The Changing World
The theme ‘The Changing World’ enables the learner to explore change as it affects aspects of the world such as work, technology, trade and tourism and social issues.
TOPICS |
Social Issues |
Travel and Tourism |
The World of Work |
Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- immigration/migration
- relationships with neighbouring/regional nations
- health
- the young and the elderly
- the environment.
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Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- tourist attractions in Germany
- visiting Germany
- entering and leaving Germany, travel document (passport, visa, tickets)
- hotels, hostels, camping grounds
- hosting German visitors
- home stay.
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Sub-topics studied may include, but are not limited to:
- the effect of technological developments
- types of jobs, professions, trades
- men and women in the workforce
- Australia and Germany as trading partners
- attitudes to work.
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USE OF ENGLISH
While it is expected that learners will study a range of oral and written texts in German, it may be appropriate in some circumstances to select texts using English. Equally, it may be appropriate for a learner to respond to a text in English on some occasions.
Note: at its meeting on 3 April 2013, TASC decided that from 2014 the examination specifications for all Level 3 language courses would include use of the target language in responses in the reading section of the written examination.
TEXT TYPES
The learner will be expected to be familiar with a variety of text types. Text types indicated with an asterisk (*) are those that the learner may be expected to produce in the external examination of this Level 3 course. Teachers may introduce the learner to a wider range of text types in the course of their teaching and learning program:
advertisement |
invitation |
presentation |
announcement |
letter* |
profile* |
article |
list |
poem |
brochure |
map |
recipe |
chart |
menu |
report |
conversation/interview* |
narrative* |
review |
diary/journal entry* |
news item |
song |
discussion |
note/message |
speech/talk |
editorial |
novel/short story |
survey |
email* |
on-line texts |
table |
film |
play |
timetable |
form (fill in) |
postcard |
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VOCABULARY
While there is no nationally prescribed vocabulary list, it is expected that learners will be familiar with a range of vocabulary and idioms relevant to the themes described in the course.
DICTIONARIES
Teachers will assist learners to develop the necessary skills and confidence to use dictionaries effectively. For details regarding the use of dictionaries in the external assessment of this course, see 'What can I take to my exam?'.
GRAMMAR AND STRUCTURES
Grammar can be referred to as the organisation of, and relationship between, all the elements that constitute a language as it functions.
There are many different theories of grammar, and a number of different approaches towards its teaching and learning. The categories used below are not intended to promote any particular theory of grammar, or to favour one methodology over another.
In this Level 3 course it is assumed that the learner will already have acquired a significant understanding of the function of grammar in German through prior knowledge or study of German.
Developing the learner’s ability to convey meaning effectively in a range of contexts will, however, necessarily involve extending awareness of the system of structures underlying the language, as well as the ability both to apply and adapt this knowledge.
The following grammatical structures are those that the learner is expected to recognise and use.
Grammatical item |
Sub-elements |
Example(s) |
Adjectives |
Common Adjectives |
klein, alt |
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Die Welt ist schön. |
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Common Adjectives |
Ein schönes Kleid. |
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Agreement and attributive position |
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Ordinal numbers |
Die erste Stunde. |
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Am zweiten Oktober. |
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In der dritten Stunde. |
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Comparative and superlative forms |
Dieser Sommer ist wärmer als der letzte. |
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Sie ist die erfolgreichste Schwimmerin in diesem Jahr. |
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Demonstrative Adjectives derived from place names |
dieser, jener, solcher, jeder |
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Was für ein.....?
Welcher.....? |
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Münchner Bier
Schweizer Schokolade
Das Brandenburger Tor |
Adverbs |
Positive, comparative and superlative forms |
gern, lieber*
am liebsten* |
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Ich trinke am liebsten Rotwein. |
Articles |
Definite |
der, die, das |
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Indefinite Articles |
ein, kein |
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Interrogative |
Was für ein.....?
Welcher.....? |
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Demonstrative |
jener*, solcher*, dieser |
Nouns |
Indefinite |
jeder, kein, alle |
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Possessive (all forms) |
unser, Ihr, euer*, etc... |
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Gender, Number |
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Adjectival Nouns* |
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag. |
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Cases |
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Nominative |
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Accusative |
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Numbers |
Dative |
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Genitive |
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Infinitives as nouns |
Das Rauchen ist ungesund. |
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Cardinal |
eins, zwei, drei, etc... |
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Ordinal |
erste, zweite, dritte, etc... |
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am ersten, am zehnten, etc... |
Grammatical item |
Sub-elements |
Example(s) |
Prepositions |
Prepositions of place (dative) |
an, auf, hinter, neben, in, über, unter, vor, zwischen |
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Dative |
aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, entgegen, gegenüber |
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Accusative |
durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, entlang, bis |
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Genitive |
während, wegen, trotz, anstatt |
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The cases with prepositions |
in, auf, an, mit, aus, von, zu, für, bei |
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wo und da(r) compounds† |
womit, wozu, damit, dazu, dabei, darauf |
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With dative case |
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. |
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Das Bild hängt an der Wand. |
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Contracted forms with articles* |
Ich gehe in die Stadt. Beim, zum, im,... |
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Cases with prepositions which either take accusative or dative |
Ich bin in der Stadt. |
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Ich gehe jetzt in die Schule.
Ich lerne Deutsch in der Schule. |
Pronouns |
Personal Pronouns |
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nominative |
ich, du, er, sie, es, wir, ihr, Sie, sie |
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accusative |
mich, dich, ihn, sie, uns, euch, sie, Sie |
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dative cases* |
Es geht mir gut.
Wie geht es dir?
ihm, ihr |
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Reflexive |
mich/mir, dich/dir, sich, uns, euch |
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Indefinite |
man, etwas, jemand, niemand, einer, nichts |
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Interrogative |
wer, wen, wem, wessen, was, wo, wie, etc... |
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Relative |
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nominative |
Die Frau, die in diesem Haus wohnt, ist meine Tante. |
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accusative |
Der Mantel, den ich gekauft habe, hat ein Loch. |
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dative |
Kennst du den Mann, mit dem Karl gerade spricht? |
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genitive |
Das ist die Frau, deren Mann in derselben Firma arbeitet. |
Grammatical item |
Sub-elements |
Example(s) |
Sentence Structures |
Statements, questions, commands |
Ich heiße...
Ich bin...
Wie alt bist du?
Morgen gehe ich ins Kino.
Wohnst du in Hobart?
Wo wohnst du? |
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Imperative† |
Setz dich!
Steh auf!
Öffnet eure Hefte! |
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Word order in main clause (Inversion of verb) |
Am Montag spiele ich Tennis. |
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Position of adverbs and adverbial phrases – time, manner, place |
Er fährt jeden Tag fröhlich zur Arbeit. |
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Position of Past Participles |
Er hat seine Hausaufgaben schon gemacht. |
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Expressing wishes and abilities |
Ich möchte gerne….
Ich kann Fußball spielen. |
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Conjunction |
weil |
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Word order in subordinate clauses |
Er bekommt immer gute Noten, weil er so fleißig ist. |
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Indirect questions |
Ich möchte gern wissen, wie er heißt. |
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Position of "nicht" in a clause |
Er hat seine Hausaufgaben nicht gemacht. |
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Infinitives with "zu" and "um...zu" |
Some common forms: |
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Es ist schön, dich zu sehen. |
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Ich gehe in die Bäckerei, um Brot zu kaufen. |
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The various parts of the sentence |
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Subject, direct object, indirect object, etc... |
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Conjunctions |
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Coordinating |
und, aber, oder, denn, sondern, ... |
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Subordinating |
weil, wenn, als, dass, ... |
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Correlative |
entweder….oder
weder….noch
nicht nur…
sondern auch
sowohl…
als auch |
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Relative clauses |
Wie heißt der Fluss, an dem Hamburg liegt? |
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Subordinate clauses |
obwohl |
Grammatical item |
Sub-elements |
Example(s) |
Verbs |
Present |
Ich lerne Deutsch. |
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Perfect |
Gestern sind wir ins Kino gegangen. |
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Future |
Wir werden die Wahl gewinnen. |
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Imperfect |
Hänsel und Gretel verliefen sich im Wald. Es war so finster und auch so bitter kalt. |
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Pluperfect |
Ich hatte ihn in einer Disco kennengelernt. |
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Using the Present plus an Adverb indicating Future |
Morgen fliegt er nach Österreich. |
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Inseparable |
Sie überholte den Lastwagen. |
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Separable |
Morgen fangen die Ferien an. |
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Reflexive |
Sie konnte sich an die Kälte gar nicht gewöhnen. |
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Modals |
dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen, wollen. |
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Imperative |
Lies mal vor! |
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Verbs taking prepositional objects |
Ich freue mich auf deinen Besuch. |
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Sie entschuldigt sich bei der Lehrerin. |
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Infinitives with verbs of perception, motion and with lassen |
Ich höre ihn kommen. |
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Wir gehen schwimmen. |
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Meine Mutter lässt mich nie fernsehen. |
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Subjunctive II (in requests and conditional clauses)** |
würde, hätte, wäre, könnte, müsste, sollte |
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Würden Sie mir bitte noch ein Stück Kuchen reichen? |
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Wenn ich Millionär wäre, könnte ich mir einen Porsche kaufen. |
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Verbs taking the dative |
Ich danke dir.
Er hilft seinem Freund.
Das gehört ihm.
Dein Kleid gefällt mir nicht. |
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Infinitive with "zu" and "um...zu” |
Ich hoffe, morgen zu kommen.
Er ging nach Hause, um schlafen zu gehen. |
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Passive voice** |
Das Parkhaus wird um 24 Uhr geschlossen. |
* incidental use in context, no detailed explanation
** receptive use only