HSC German Continuers study guide
HSC German Continuers · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
HSC German Continuers is a New South Wales Higher School Certificate course and external examination for students who have already studied German for roughly 200 to 300 hours, typically in Years 9 and 10, and who want to continue the language in Years 11 and 12. It is not a beginner course and not a background-speaker course; candidates are usually secondary students in NSW schools, though the syllabus structure also matters to private candidates and tutors preparing learners for it. The HSC German Continuers study guide has 7 sections and about 2,742 words.
01The Individual: Talking About Yourself, Your World and Your Views
Questions here ask you to describe your own life and opinions: family, friendships, school, free time, plans, values and feelings. The language you need is first-person present and perfect tense, plus modal verbs for wishes and obligations.
438 words, about 2 min02The German-Speaking Communities: Culture, Geography and Everyday Life
You need factual and cultural knowledge about Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and the German to discuss it: regions and cities, traditions and festivals, food, education systems, transport, media and the role of dialects. Reading texts in this domain are often informative rather than personal, so recognise the passive voice, nominalisation and comparative statistics.
365 words, about 2 min03The Changing World: Technology, Environment and Social Change
This domain covers contemporary issues: climate and environment, technology and social media, globalisation, migration, demographic change and work. The language is abstract, so you need nouns, the passive, subjunctive for hypotheticals, and connectors of cause and consequence.
395 words, about 2 min04Listening and Responding: Strategies for the HSC Listening Paper
The listening paper assesses comprehension of spoken German in announcements, conversations, interviews and short talks. You hear each item once or twice depending on the section, and answer in English or German as instructed.
370 words, about 2 min05Reading and Responding: Close Reading of German Texts
You read authentic-style German texts - articles, letters, blogs, advertisements, literary extracts - and answer questions in English or German. The paper tests literal comprehension, inference and the ability to identify purpose, audience and tone.
375 words, about 2 min06Writing in German: Text Types, Register and Accuracy
The writing section asks you to produce a text of a specified type - email, letter, diary entry, article, report, speech or review - for a specified audience and purpose. You are assessed on communication of ideas, range of vocabulary and structures, and grammatical accuracy.
397 words, about 2 min07Speaking: Conversation, Discussion and the School-Assessed Interview
The speaking assessment examines your ability to sustain a conversation in German on familiar topics, express and justify opinions, and respond spontaneously. It typically includes a conversation about your personal world and a discussion based on a stimulus or a topic you have studied.
402 words, about 2 min