Hamburg Abitur French key terms

Listening skill tested by playing authentic recordings such as interviews, news clips or dialogues, usually twice; candidates answer questions, complete grids or note key details without hearing a transcript.

Grasping the overall topic, speaker intention and tone of a text before worrying about individual words; often tested with a single question about the main message or purpose.

Targeted listening or reading for specific facts such as numbers, names, dates or reasons; requires scanning for cues like emphasis, repetition or discourse markers rather than reading every word.

Writing abbreviated keywords, symbols and arrows while listening so answers can be reconstructed afterwards; abbreviations must stay legible and should be expanded into full French sentences in the final answer.

Deliberate approach to a written text: skimming for gist, scanning for keywords, then close reading of relevant passages; choosing the right strategy saves time in timed exams.

Recognising genre conventions of French texts such as fait divers, éditorial, lettre de lecteur, extrait de roman or discours; genre signals the register, structure and likely question types.

Short press item reporting a striking local event in a factual, often dramatic tone; typical reading text in exams because it combines narrative tenses with journalistic vocabulary.

Signed opinion piece stating the newspaper's or author's stance on a current issue; recognising thesis, argument and rhetorical devices is central to analysis tasks.

The central claim an author defends in an argumentative text; identifying it explicitly is usually the first step of any text analysis and the basis for commenting on the argument.

Structured reasoning in which claims are supported by examples, statistics, authorities or logic; in French essays it follows a plan with connecting words such as d'abord, ensuite, enfin, cependant.

Methodical examination of a literary or non-fiction text covering structure, narrative perspective, language and effect; in French exams it follows introduction, développement and conclusion with textual evidence.

The instance telling a story, distinct from the author; its type (interne, externe, omniscient) and perspective shape how readers judge characters and events.

The perspective from which a narrative is told, for example focalisation interne (through a character's eyes) or externe (observer only); changes in perspective are frequent analysis targets.

Mediation task: relaying information from a German or French source to a different audience, summarising faithfully in the target language rather than translating word for word.

Condensed rendering of a text's essential content in one's own words, usually shorter than the original and written in the third person with neutral register.

Expressing the same meaning with different words or structures; a core mediation skill that proves comprehension and avoids copying source sentences verbatim.

Word pairs that look similar across French and German but differ in meaning, such as actuellement (currently, not actually) or éventuellement (possibly, not eventually); frequent source of errors in mediation.

Describing something indirectly with several words instead of one term, used to bridge vocabulary gaps during mediation or oral exams when the exact word is unknown.

Technique for coping with unknown words: paraphrasing, giving examples, using gestures or asking for clarification, so communication continues despite gaps.

Linking words that signal cause, consequence, contrast or addition, for example parce que, donc, pourtant, en revanche; they make written and spoken French coherent and are explicitly assessed.

Level of formality in language, from familier through courant to soutenu; choosing the right register for a letter, speech or email is part of the communicative task.

Conventional closing formula in French letters and emails, such as Cordialement or Je vous prie d'agréer mes salutations distinguées; must match the addressee and register.

Formal letter with sender and recipient blocks, place and date, object line, salutation, structured body and closing formula; a standard guided-writing task in the Abitur.

Guided writing task in which a candidate states and defends a personal opinion on a statement or text, using examples and a clear line of argument.

Free writing component assessed on task fulfilment, coherence, range of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy; planning before writing prevents structure and register errors.

Speaking in an oral exam, whether monologue (présentation, exposé) or interaction (dialogue, débat); fluency, pronunciation and interaction strategies are graded.

Short structured oral presentation with introduction, main points and conclusion; in French exams it often includes a personal statement and answers to follow-up questions.

Structured oral discussion in which participants argue opposing positions; useful phrases include à mon avis, certes... mais, je ne suis pas d'accord parce que.

The community of French-speaking countries and regions worldwide, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, several African states and overseas territories; a recurring cultural topic.

Awareness of cultural differences and similarities and the ability to interpret behaviour, values and communication styles from more than one perspective without stereotyping.

Oversimplified generalisation about a group, such as clichés about the French; exam tasks often ask candidates to identify and critically question such generalisations.

Preconceived judgement formed without sufficient evidence; distinguishing it from stereotype and discussing its social effects is a common intercultural task.

French principle of state neutrality towards religions, separating public institutions from religious influence; central to debates on schools, symbols and integration in France.

Social or political commitment expressed by writers, artists or citizens; a frequent theme in French literature and media texts about migration, environment or inequality.

The vocabulary range a candidate controls; graded in writing and speaking, it should include topic-specific terms, synonyms and idiomatic expressions rather than repeated basic words.

French verb mood used after expressions of will, emotion, doubt or necessity, as in il faut que tu viennes; accurate formation and triggers are regularly tested in grammar tasks.

Agreement rules for past participles: with avoir only when a preceding direct object exists, with être generally with the subject, and in pronominal verbs under specific conditions.