Berlin Abitur English LK key terms

Understanding the main idea of a spoken text without catching every detail. Candidates identify topic, speaker attitude and purpose from context, intonation and repeated key words rather than from single unfamiliar expressions.

Extracting specific facts such as numbers, names, dates or reasons from a recording. The task usually requires matching information to items or completing gaps, so precise comprehension matters more than overall meaning.

Writing short keywords, abbreviations or symbols during playback to support later answers. Effective notes capture structure and content words, not full sentences, because writing everything makes you miss the next point.

Spoken phrases that signal structure, such as 'first of all', 'on the other hand' or 'to sum up'. Recognising them helps listeners predict what comes next and follow the argument of a talk or interview.

An option or statement in a task that sounds plausible but is contradicted or corrected in the recording. Speakers often mention a wrong idea before revising it, so answers must match the final version.

Drawing a conclusion that is not stated explicitly, using clues in the text. In listening and reading tasks, inference questions ask what a speaker implies, feels or intends rather than what they literally say.

Reading quickly for overall meaning, often by looking at headings, first sentences and key paragraphs. It is used to decide what a text is about before answering questions in detail.

Searching a text rapidly for particular information such as a date, name or figure without reading everything. The eyes move over the page until the target word or its synonym appears.

Identifying the central message or purpose of a written text. Candidates summarise the main claim in one sentence and distinguish it from supporting examples, which are secondary.

Close reading to verify precise information, including qualifiers, numbers and logical links. It is needed for multiple-choice and matching tasks where small differences between options decide the answer.

A task format in which statements are checked against a text. 'Not given' means the text neither confirms nor contradicts the statement, so candidates must not use outside knowledge to decide.

The sentence or short passage that states a text's central argument. Locating it, usually near the beginning or end, helps candidates judge whether later paragraphs support, qualify or oppose the main claim.

The mood and stance a writer or speaker conveys through word choice, irony or emphasis. Questions about tone ask whether the author is critical, sympathetic, neutral, amused or sceptical.

The associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Choosing between 'childish' and 'childlike', for example, signals a different attitude, which matters when analysing persuasive or literary texts.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked through connectors, pronouns and repeated vocabulary so a text reads as a whole. Recognising these links helps readers follow arguments and identify what a pronoun refers to.

Passing on information from one language or register to another for a specific reader. The task is to convey meaning accurately and appropriately, not to translate word for word.

The level of formality suited to a situation and audience. A mediation task may require shifting from a formal article to an informal message for a friend, or the reverse, while keeping the content faithful.

Adjusting content, tone and amount of explanation to the person who will read or hear the mediated text. What a specialist needs differs from what a newcomer needs, and the task prompt usually defines this reader.

Expressing the same meaning in different words, often more simply. In mediation it is the core skill, because the target reader may lack the vocabulary or background of the original text.

A shortened version of a text that keeps its main points in the writer's own words. It omits examples and repetition and usually follows the order of the original.

Deliberately leaving out details that the target reader does not need. Good mediation keeps the essential message and drops minor examples, statistics or asides that would overload the reader.

An allusion to a custom, institution, event or text that outsiders may not recognise. A mediator must decide whether to explain it briefly, replace it with a comparable idea or leave it out.

Writing a coherent text of a required genre, such as a comment, letter to the editor or speech, in response to a prompt. Assessment covers task achievement, structure, range and accuracy.

Examining how a text works: its structure, language, rhetorical devices and intended effect on the reader. A strong analysis supports each claim with a short quotation and explains the effect.

A written text in which the candidate states and defends a personal opinion on a given issue. It needs a clear position, reasoned arguments with examples, and a conclusion that follows logically.

The organisation of a text into claim, supporting reasons, evidence and conclusion. Clear structure helps the reader follow the line of thought and is explicitly rewarded in writing and speaking tasks.

An opposing view that a writer acknowledges and then answers. Including one makes an argument more convincing, provided the writer shows why the objection does not overturn the main position.

A deliberate language technique such as metaphor, rhetorical question, repetition or irony used for effect. Analysis names the device, quotes an example and explains what it makes the reader think or feel.

Embedding short quotations smoothly into your own sentences instead of dropping them in as separate lines. Correct integration keeps the grammar intact and makes the analytical point clear.

Connectors and reference words such as 'however', 'therefore' or 'this trend' that tie sentences together. Used well, they show logical relationships; overused, they make writing mechanical.

A structured talk delivered in the oral exam, usually with a visual aid and a clear introduction, main points and conclusion. Candidates are assessed on content, organisation, language and delivery.

The part of the oral exam in which examiners ask follow-up questions about the candidate's presentation or topic. Candidates must respond spontaneously, justify opinions and handle unfamiliar angles.

Techniques for keeping a conversation going, such as asking for clarification, paraphrasing when a word is missing, and taking or yielding turns politely. They are assessed in pair and group tasks.

A monologue is one speaker holding the floor, as in a presentation; a dialogue involves turn-taking between speakers. Each demands different preparation and different language for structuring and responding.

Clear articulation of sounds plus the melody of speech: stress, rhythm and rising or falling pitch. Appropriate intonation signals meaning and attitude and supports comprehensibility in the oral exam.

The sentence that announces the main idea of a paragraph. Placing it early helps readers follow the argument and is a common feature of well-structured analytical and argumentative writing.

Cautious language such as 'tends to', 'may' or 'it seems' that avoids overstating a claim. In analysis and commentary, hedging makes statements more precise and academically appropriate.

A brief indication of where information comes from, for example the author and title of an article. In mediation and writing tasks it shows the reader which text a claim is based on.