SACE Stage 2 German (beginners) key terms

The type of secondary school a student attends in German-speaking countries, such as Gymnasium, Realschule or Hauptschule. Beginners need it to talk about their own and others' schooling when comparing education systems.

The academic secondary school track in German-speaking countries that leads to the Abitur and university entrance. A frequent topic in school-related texts and listening tasks about educational pathways.

The final secondary-school qualification gained at a Gymnasium, needed to enter university in Germany. Students should recognise it in reading passages about school systems and future plans.

A school-leaving certificate or qualification. The word appears in texts about careers and education, and students may need it when describing which qualification they hope to gain.

The legal requirement for children to attend school, usually starting at age six and lasting a set number of years. Useful when discussing rules, obligations and differences between countries.

A weekly timetable listing subjects, teachers and rooms. Learners should be able to read one and to describe their own schedule using days of the week and time expressions.

A subject taught at school, such as Mathematik, Biologie or Geschichte. Essential vocabulary for describing likes, dislikes and reasons in speaking and writing tasks about school life.

A grade or mark awarded for schoolwork, in Germany usually from one (very good) to six (insufficient). Students need it to talk about results and to understand reports about assessment.

A school report or certificate listing grades at the end of a term or year. Common in reading texts about school and useful when discussing achievements and parents' reactions.

Work that pupils must complete at home after lessons. A frequent topic in dialogues about daily routines, excuses and time management, and often used in the plural, Hausaufgaben.

A break between lessons or a short rest period. Learners use it to describe the school day, and it appears in listening texts about where students meet and what they do.

A class trip or excursion organised by a school, often lasting several days. Useful vocabulary for recounting past events, since narrating a trip practises the past tense.

Short for Arbeitsgemeinschaft, an optional after-school club such as drama, sport or chess. Students may meet the abbreviation in school notices and should know it means an extracurricular activity.

A vocational training programme, typically combining workplace practice with part-time vocational school. Important in texts about options after school and in discussions of future plans.

A profession or occupation. Learners need it to ask and answer questions about jobs, to describe parents' work and to state their own career ambitions.

A job or training application, usually including a letter and CV. Appears in reading and writing tasks about work experience and future plans, so the word and its context should be familiar.

A work placement or internship, often undertaken by students to explore a career. Useful for talking about experiences, describing tasks and reflecting on what was learned.

An exchange programme, especially a student exchange between countries. Relevant to school life and to personal experience, and often linked to talking about host families and language learning.

A host family that accommodates an exchange student. Appears in narratives and letters about stays abroad, where learners describe routines, meals and relationships with family members.

A short trip or outing, for example to a museum or the countryside. A common topic in recounts of school and exchange activities, practised with past-tense narration.

An examination or test. Learners need it to understand instructions, talk about assessment and describe how they prepare for exams and how they feel about them.

A task, exercise or question in an exam. Understanding this word is essential for following instructions in reading, listening and writing sections of the examination.

An instruction telling a candidate what to do in a task. Recognising instruction verbs and structures helps students respond correctly and manage their time during the examination.

Listening comprehension, one assessed skill in the external examination. Candidates listen to spoken German texts and answer questions, so they should know this term from exam descriptions.

Reading comprehension, another assessed skill. Students read authentic German texts and demonstrate understanding by answering questions, matching information or completing statements.

The productive skill of writing in German, assessed through tasks such as letters, emails, notes or short texts. Candidates should know what text type and length each task expects.

The oral skill, assessed in a conversation or presentation format. Candidates should be familiar with the word when reading exam instructions and describing their language abilities.

The type of text a task requires, such as a letter, email, notice or article. Identifying the text type helps candidates choose the right register, layout and conventions.

The greeting or form of address at the start of a letter or email, for example Liebe Anna or Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren. Choosing the correct informal or formal form matters in writing tasks.

The closing formula at the end of a letter or email, such as Viele Grüße or Mit freundlichen Grüßen. It must match the register chosen in the greeting and the relationship to the reader.

To address someone with the informal pronoun du. Candidates must decide when informal address is appropriate, for example with friends and family, and keep it consistent throughout a text.

To address someone with the formal pronoun Sie. Required in writing to unknown adults, officials or businesses, and a key register decision in formal letters and emails.

Vocabulary, the range of words a learner knows and can use. Exam tasks assess it directly, and candidates should be able to explain strategies for building and revising vocabulary.

Useful set phrases for particular functions, such as giving an opinion, agreeing or asking for clarification. Learning them helps candidates speak and write more fluently in assessed tasks.

An opinion or view. Expressing and justifying opinions is a common requirement in speaking and writing tasks, so learners need phrases such as meiner Meinung nach.

A reason or justification given to support a statement. Examiners reward developed answers, so candidates should link opinions to reasons using words like weil, denn and deshalb.

Pronunciation, the way words are spoken. It affects intelligibility in oral assessment, and candidates should know the term when discussing their strengths and weaknesses in German.

A mistake or error in language use. Candidates should understand feedback referring to errors and be able to correct common mistakes in grammar, spelling and word choice.