German, unlike many typical Leaving Certificate subjects, is hard to predict and doesn’t encourage rote learning (similar to spoken languages in real life). I decided to study German at second level as I was lucky enough to study it for a year in 6th class and having previously travelled to Germany, I found the language to be more useful than French. After studying the language for 5 years, I hope that this guide can help you optimise your grade and achieve that H1.
Guide
How to get a H1 in Leaving Cert German
By Gráinne D. - 13 minute readGráinne got a H1 in her Leaving Cert German and in this guide, she shares her advice for succeeding in this subject.
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Introduction
The oral exam
The oral exam is worth 25% at higher level (100 marks). It consists of the picture sequences or the project, role plays and general conversation and lasts about 15–20 minutes. Here's a breakdown of the exam:
General conversation
This is the most important part of the oral as it accounts for 40 out of 100 marks. A great way to do well is to have all your main topics well-rehearsed (school, local area, hobbies, Germany, future plans, etc.). Try to have a few colloquial phrases or sayings prepared too. The main thing to remember is that the examiner is there to give you marks and if you simply don’t understand what they said, know how to ask them to repeat or rephrase the question. You are always asked if you want to discuss a German film or text so be prepared to answer that question.
Picture sequences
If you choose to study the picture sequences, the 30 marks allocated are broken down into 10 marks for telling the story, 10 marks for questions based on the story (as well as a future prediction) and 10 marks for the theme of the picture sequence. There are 5 picture sequences which consist of 5-6 smaller pictures and each picture needs to be 3–4 sentences long. To avoid stress, make sure you practice them every week and are very familiar with them as this is not something you can cram.
Project
This is the other option which you can choose. I personally would choose the picture sequences as you can rehearse them and quite often, the actual exam paper includes themes found in the picture sequences. Your project can be based on anything on the German course, e.g. sports in Germany or German food. Most marks are allocated for discussing your project in general, with 10 marks for questions based on the general theme of your project.
Role play
Similar to the picture sequences, it is vital to revise these. They are also worth 30 marks and there are 5 to revise. Make sure you know each point inside out but if you do forget one on the day, the examiner generally goes back to the previous point. Vocabulary and accuracy are worth 10 marks so try to focus on those when revising. Also, remember what role you’re playing because if you begin to read the wrong point, it suggests that you haven’t revised.
This is the most important part of the oral as it accounts for 40 out of 100 marks. A great way to do well is to have all your main topics well-rehearsed (school, local area, hobbies, Germany, future plans, etc.). Try to have a few colloquial phrases or sayings prepared too. The main thing to remember is that the examiner is there to give you marks and if you simply don’t understand what they said, know how to ask them to repeat or rephrase the question. You are always asked if you want to discuss a German film or text so be prepared to answer that question.
The German oral exam is easier than both French and Irish orals so the likelihood of getting a H1 in the oral is higher. Don’t panic on the day (everyone gets nervous) and make sure you have a decent bank of vocabulary and phrases to fall back on in case you go completely blank. If you make a few mistakes, it doesn’t mean that you have no chance of getting a H1 because the examiner understands that you are human and can make mistakes.
Remember
Make sure to expand on your points and don’t reply by saying just 'yes' or 'no'. For example, if the examiner asks you if you like German, they are leaving the question open to discuss what you do in class.
Written paper breakdown
Reading comprehensions
The two reading comprehensions on the paper are worth 120 marks combined which is more than the oral and makes up the majority of the written production marks (220 marks). The first reading comprehension is generally an extract from a fictional story whereas the second reading comprehension is based on real-life events, people or organisations.
Timing is often the biggest challenge here, especially in the first reading comprehension. You should spend 40 minutes on the first reading comprehension (including the time allocated for the detailed Question 4) and 30 minutes on the second reading comprehension. Here's some more advice on approaching this section:
Highlight keywords
I preferred to read the questions first to get an idea about the text and then with a highlighter, highlight the most important words in the question (this helps you to focus on what’s important). Afterwards, quickly read through the text while keeping an eye out for relevant details to the questions (which you can also highlight).
Answering in English/German
The first four parts of Question 1 are generally in German so answer them in German. If you don't, you will lose a lot of marks even if your answer is correct. The rest of the questions are in English so you should answer them in English.
Question terms
For the German questions, make sure you know what the different questions mean, e.g. Wann? (when?). Many people often get confused between them and can lose a lot of marks.
Question 4
This is the most weighted question in the first reading comprehension and is based on your understanding of the text. The marking scheme is generally broken down into 4x3 marks or 3x4 marks and the question requires you to read the text again to give sufficient detail. Always try to give an extra point in case one of your points isn’t detailed enough for a mark.
Don't copy straight from the text
Similar to the listening comprehensions, detail is required in every answer. Each reading comprehension is worth 60 marks. When answering Question 1 in German, make sure you don’t directly copy lots of details from the comprehension as you will lose marks so try to write the answers in your own words.
Grammar section
Worth 25 marks, I recommend that you spend approximately 15 minutes on this section. As it is worth the fewest marks, I would leave it until the end because if you are running out of time, you can quickly fill it out. The section is based on the first reading comprehension and tests your knowledge of the different cases and grammatical rules.
Marks are split up into 2 sections, with one of the sections based on your ability to recognise the different forms of grammar and the other section based on your ability to write grammatically correct sentences or questions. Here's some more tips for this section:
Tenses
This is one of the most common questions asked. They often give you a sentence from the text and ask you to change the tense or ask you what tense it’s written in. Therefore, you should know the irregular verbs and how they are written in the past tense, perfect tense, past perfect tense (plusquamperfekt), present tense, future tense and the conditional mode (e.g. I would…).
Gender
Unlike in English, German nouns each have a gender and they are often asked in the grammar section. When learning off words, pay attention to the gender of the nouns.
Cases
This is another type of question that appears often on the paper and it is based on your understanding of the nominative, accusative, dative and genitive cases. They can be quite difficult to grasp which is why many people have to just sit down and learn off the table. I personally found flashcards quite useful for this and I accompanied each case and gender with a common example.
Relative pronoun
Known for being one of the most difficult aspects of grammar for Leaving Cert German, it takes a lot of practice to get a good grasp of it which is necessary to get a H1. The best way to understand it is to translate the sentences into English and then alter them because if it sounds right in English, it’s right in German.
The written section
The written section of the paper consists of the Äuẞerung zum Thema and the Schriftliche Produktion and they are worth 75 marks combined. Many students choose to do these sections first as they are the most time consuming. In order to get a H1 overall, you generally need to get a H1 or a high H2 in this section because on average, the written aspects of the paper are where students get their lowest marks.
Äuẞerung zum Thema
Since this section is worth 25 marks, I would spend 25 minutes on it to ensure that you answer every question asked. You get a choice of 2 questions which are based on the themes of the 2 reading comprehensions. Instead of attempting both questions, choose 1 and plan your answers in bullet point form as often they require 2-3 reasons for your opinion. Here's some more useful information for this section:
Accuracy
12 out of 25 marks in this section are for your accuracy and proficiency in the German language. Try to critically analyse your points in case you made any grammatical errors or have poor expression as they reduce your chances of getting a H1.
Quality over quantity
If you are asked for a certain amount of information, make sure to fully answer the question in detail but stay on track. For example, if you are asked about 2 ways to reduce the effects of global warming, don’t go off on a tangent about sea levels rising, etc. as this suggests that you can only regurgitate paragraphs you have learnt off. Also, if you write excessively, you tend to make more mistakes because you rush to put all your points down on the page and as a result will lose more marks for accuracy in expression.
Schriftliche Produktion
I recommend spending 40 minutes on this section as it is worth 50 marks. Make sure to read over the letter a few times to ensure you've answered every point. You must know the layout of a letter if you decide to choose this option as 4 marks are awarded for suitable and elaborate opening and closing phrases.
Themes
In the letter, a broad range of themes are generally asked so make sure you can discuss basic topics like the summer holidays or university. Every year they ask questions that you can't revise for to prevent rote learning but don’t panic. If you get a shock, chances are the vast majority of students are surprised as well.
Detail
Even if you have answered all the points and have written at least 160 words, don’t be afraid to give more detail on your points as you can get up to 5 more marks.
Accuracy
Accuracy is required in word order, grammar and expression as they account for up to 25 marks. Use a variety of verbs and phrases as they highlight your fluency and the more fluent you are, the more likely you are to get a H1.
The listening comprehension
This section is worth 20% and occurs after the written portion of the exam. Students tend to do better in this section than in the written part of the exam as sections 1, 3 and 4 are done through English. Here are some tips which can help you optimise your grade:
Practice
To do well in the listening section, practice is key. Try to do at least one listening comprehension a week and correct it with the entire text in front of you (which you can find in the marking scheme).
Vocabulary
If you are unsure about the meaning of a word, write it down and find its meaning. Certain professions, place names and problems are constantly repeated in various listening comprehensions.
Know when to answer in German
Don’t forget that Section 2 in the higher-level listening paper must be answered in German. Many people (including myself) have made this mistake and automatically lost around 12 marks.
Expand on your points
Always expand on your points and write down as much detail as possible. Questions often state 'give details' and you might think that two pieces of information are sufficient but sometimes, the marking scheme could be 3x2 marks or 4x1 marks.
Leave nothing blank
Never leave a question blank, even if you don’t understand a single word. If this happens, read over the questions and any previous answers and give an educated guess.
The news section
The most marks are going for Section 4 (the news) and you should revise for the weather question as it is basically guaranteed. The other sections are harder to predict but I recommend watching short news clips on Das Erste or other news channels to keep up to date with news in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Top tip
Don’t panic if you don’t hear everything the first time. You hear everything 3 times with multiple breaks included so you have plenty of time to write down everything you hear.
Final tips
Final Tips
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Flashcards
I found that flashcards were a successful way to revise German. When we had finished a topic in class, I would write words down on a flashcard that evening which ensured that the vocabulary stayed fresh in my head. If I ever needed to revise a topic, I would look back at the flashcard and try to recall the words.
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Films and books
You can’t become fluent in German by just learning off vocabulary. In class, we would watch films such as Shark Tale in German as the language in it is simple to understand. Then, as our German progressed, we watched more advanced films like Goodnight Lenin. You might not get the chance to do this in class but you can do this at home. Reading books or even comprehensions in your book or exam papers allows you to improve your German too as you are immersed in the language. The more vocabulary you are exposed to, the more fluent you will become.
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Use resources available
With today’s technology, it has never been easier to learn German outside the classroom. In my German class, we often went to the computer room and used languagesonline.org.uk which allowed us to learn new vocabulary and improve our German through a variety of games. Using apps, such as Duolingo, allows you to track your progress and set goals to accomplish. These resources make learning the language fun and can be tailored to your level.
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Use exam papers
Exam papers are vital to success in German. Students can often run out of time due to tight time constraints so it’s important to practice your timing. Try to practice various questions (reading comprehensions in particular) by trying to answer the questions without using notes or a dictionary. As tempting as it may be to use a dictionary, you are more likely to learn a new word or phrase by making the mistake and then revisiting that particular question the following evening.
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Conversation
The oral is one of the biggest aspects of the German course and in order to get a H1, you need to put a lot of work into it. I would recommend that you ask your German teacher to do a mock oral every couple of weeks or else decide to only speak German with some of your classmates on a certain evening as the oral approaches. If this isn’t possible, write out a common list of questions that you can be asked in your oral exam and sample answers to accompany them. Ask a parent/guardian/friend, etc. to quiz you so you can revise the key phrases that you want to say in the oral exam.
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Don't cram
Try to constantly study German throughout the year because it is easier to gradually learn languages. Cramming just leads to more stress which isn’t helpful when you are sitting your exams in June.
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Show off
Remember, you’ve been studying German for 5-6 years so don’t be afraid to show off your fluency by using loads of sayings and impressive vocabulary. At the end of the day, the examiner is there to give you marks, not deduct them.
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Keep moving forward if you blank
If you go blank on the day, don’t worry. Just move on from that section and come back to it because the word might come back to you after looking at a reading comprehension.
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Know the exam paper
Know your exam technique and the marks for each section by heart before you go into the exam. Otherwise, you could lose a lot of marks due to running out of time or forgetting a section.
German is a popular language
Don’t treat German like Irish. The language is alive and used daily in Europe. It also looks impressive on a CV as it highlights that you are bilingual. You never know, you might need it for a job or end up living in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
Some final tips
for Leaving Cert German.
Flashcards
I found that flashcards were a successful way to revise German. When we had finished a topic in class, I would write words down on a flashcard that evening which ensured that the vocabulary stayed fresh in my head. If I ever needed to revise a topic, I would look back at the flashcard and try to recall the words.
Films and books
You can’t become fluent in German by just learning off vocabulary. In class, we would watch films such as Shark Tale in German as the language in it is simple to understand. Then, as our German progressed, we watched more advanced films like Goodnight Lenin. You might not get the chance to do this in class but you can do this at home. Reading books or even comprehensions in your book or exam papers allows you to improve your German too as you are immersed in the language. The more vocabulary you are exposed to, the more fluent you will become.
Use resources available
With today’s technology, it has never been easier to learn German outside the classroom. In my German class, we often went to the computer room and used languagesonline.org.uk which allowed us to learn new vocabulary and improve our German through a variety of games. Using apps, such as Duolingo, allows you to track your progress and set goals to accomplish. These resources make learning the language fun and can be tailored to your level.
Use exam papers
Exam papers are vital to success in German. Students can often run out of time due to tight time constraints so it’s important to practice your timing. Try to practice various questions (reading comprehensions in particular) by trying to answer the questions without using notes or a dictionary. As tempting as it may be to use a dictionary, you are more likely to learn a new word or phrase by making the mistake and then revisiting that particular question the following evening.
Conversation
The oral is one of the biggest aspects of the German course and in order to get a H1, you need to put a lot of work into it. I would recommend that you ask your German teacher to do a mock oral every couple of weeks or else decide to only speak German with some of your classmates on a certain evening as the oral approaches. If this isn’t possible, write out a common list of questions that you can be asked in your oral exam and sample answers to accompany them. Ask a parent/guardian/friend, etc. to quiz you so you can revise the key phrases that you want to say in the oral exam.
Don't cram
Try to constantly study German throughout the year because it is easier to gradually learn languages. Cramming just leads to more stress which isn’t helpful when you are sitting your exams in June.
Show off
Remember, you’ve been studying German for 5-6 years so don’t be afraid to show off your fluency by using loads of sayings and impressive vocabulary. At the end of the day, the examiner is there to give you marks, not deduct them.
Keep moving forward if you blank
If you go blank on the day, don’t worry. Just move on from that section and come back to it because the word might come back to you after looking at a reading comprehension.
Know the exam paper
Know your exam technique and the marks for each section by heart before you go into the exam. Otherwise, you could lose a lot of marks due to running out of time or forgetting a section.
German is a popular language
Don’t treat German like Irish. The language is alive and used daily in Europe. It also looks impressive on a CV as it highlights that you are bilingual. You never know, you might need it for a job or end up living in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
Hope these help - happy studying!
Best of luck! You'll be great.
By Gráinne D.
Gráinne got a H1 in her higher Leaving Cert German paper. She is currently studying General Engineering in UCC.