How to Know if Your German Lessons Have Paid Off

How to Know if Your German Lessons Have Paid Off How To Test Your Level in German After your German Course ChaptersOptions For Studying GermanInformation On German GCSE Level CoursesAn Overview Of German A Level CoursesWhat A German Degree Has To OfferAlternative Qualifications For German EnthusiastsSo you’ve been hard at work studying German, perhaps even visiting German-speaking countries to enhance your studies, and now know deep within that you’ve reached a certain level in the language.But how do you prove to others, as well as to yourself, that you are in actual fact working at that level?Even though the reception you get when conversing with native speakers is good, not even this type of confirmation is enough to prove to prospective employers that you can get by in the language.Recruiters will usually want concrete evidence of your language ability in the form of a recognised qualification or alternative certificate.The Goethe-Institut examinations are well-known across the world and the certificate that is awarded at the end of the course is accepted as a valid qualification by most employers and further education establishments in a number of countries.The language courses have been designed in conjunction with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and offer options ranging from A1 (beginner) to C2 (advanced).Centres Offering Goethe-Institut ExaminationsCentres across the UK and beyond offer the Goethe-Institut certificate, including the languages centres of Durham University and Manchester University.You can choose to study German at university, either on its own or with another subject. Photo via VisualHuntThe International ECLThe European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment of Languages, mercifully abbreviated to the three-letter acronym above, provides a standardised examination of the languages of European Union member states.Unlike its more exacting sister-test, the CEFRL, the ECL challenges second-language speakers only at four levels. They are:A2-Waystage: beyond the ability to conduct simple conversations in a language, A2 proves those candidates to be nearly at the threshold of intermediate language skills.B1-Threshold: at this level, the candidate proves s/he can negotiate daily transactions and formulate full sentences, albeit with some grammar errors and with incomplete vocabularyB2-Vantage: these candidates are able to expound on a wide variety of topics from business to the arts.C1-Effective Operational Proficiency: the candidate has the ability to formulate ideas and express them with little to no grammatical errors or deficiency in vocabulary.As with other language proficiency exams, the ECL tests in all four areas of language competence: reading and writing as well as speaking and listening comprehension.However, there are no grammar exercises; more specifically, grammar knowledge is tested by the candidate’s ability to use the language correctly. Translation does not feature at all in this exam.This ordeal is conducted in two parts: the oral exam designed to challenge liste ning and speaking skills and the written portion is meant to assess the test taker’s ability to understand and communicate non-verbally.Each of the four skills is tested by two tasks, meaning you will have two listening exercises, two writing exercises and will sit two interviews â€" possibly with two different interviewers.Candidates may choose to sit the ECL exam for German at any of the five scheduled testing dates throughout the year, and at the testing site closest to them. You only need to refer to the ECL homepage to find the location nearest you!TestDaFTest Deutsch als Fremde Sprache, literally Test of German as a Foreign Language is a language proficiency exam for non-native speakers.This standardised language exam is geared towards people who aspire to study in Germany and at academics and scientists who wish to work or conduct research in partnership with German universities.As expected by the exam’s anticipated audience, it goes further and gets more specific than th e standard CEFRL tests.Accordingly, levels A1, A2 and B1 â€" basic to low-intermediate language skills do not figure in this assessment; one must have more than a fundamental grasp on the mechanics and vocabulary of the German language to even consider signing up for it.As with all other language certification exams, this one tests all four components of language.To demonstrate your reading comprehension, you will be presented with three texts, each followed by 10 questions. These texts are progressive in their levels of difficulty and you will be expected to understand not only the information overtly presented but also grasp implicit information and nuance.The challenge to your speaking abilities is relatively short â€" only 30 minutes but requires you to address seven situations you might encounter at university: a conversation with fellow students, with your research team, with a department head.You may also be tasked with describing a graph or interpreting data, formulating a h ypothesis based on given parameters... or expressing your opinion on a certain topic.Unusually for a language certification exam, rather than simply passing or failing it, you will be awarded a level of proficiency based on your performance. Those levels are as follows:TDN3: the lowest level one must reach. Failure to do so will result in an ‘unter TDN3’ printed on your exam certificate. (That means under level TDN3). The other marks, logically, are TDN4 and TDN5.As for how they match up to CERFL’s A1-C2 scale:TDN3 and the lower range of TDN4 correspond to B2 on the CERFL scalethe upper TDN4 range through TDN5 equate to CERFL’s C1 rank.Unlike other exams in which the candidate selects the level s/he wishes to test at, the same TestDaf exam is administered to every candidate regardless of his/her proclaimed (or demonstrated) ability.None of this means that unless you’re an academic, this certification exam is closed to you if, in fact, you are highly proficient in the langu age. To the contrary, the acquisition of such a certificate has many uses.Let us suppose you have earned your BA Honors and are working toward your teaching certification, with the intent of becoming a German language teacher.It would be a good idea to prove your language competencies beyond what your Bachelors’ degree confers onto you. Sitting the TestDaF is the perfect way to do so!What if you were fortunate to take part in an Erasmus exchange programme?While the mention of that illustrious learning opportunity would indeed look very good on your CV, rounding out your proven skills set with a TestDaf certification is sure to put you ahead of the competition, job-wise!The International BaccalaureateThe concept of educational techniques for peace was formalised by a French educator named Marie-Therese Maurette.Starting out as an educator at the International School of Geneva, she went on to lead that school for a quarter-century. Her pedagogy â€" indeed her leadership of that reno wn institution were based on respect and openness and revolved around an international perspective.So impressive was her teaching philosophy that UNESCO requested that she publish an outline of it.With a pedigree such as this, it should come as no surprise that the International Baccalaureate, with its roots in Ms Maurette’s ideology, is the Rolls Royce of educational certification.Today, the International Baccalaureate programme consists of four levels; development may start in students’ primary school years and continue through middle school. It then splits into two branches, the career-related programme and the Diploma programme.It is with the latter track, aimed at 16- to 19-year-olds, that we find an opportunity for certifying one’s ability to speak and understand German.The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) provides internationally recognised and accepted qualification for gaining entry to universities all over the world.By far more challenging than ou r A-Levels, the IBDP delivers an assessment of students’ abilities in six subjects and three core requirements. They are:Theory of Knowledge: a 100-hour mandatory study course that examines the nature and limitations of knowledge as well as determining the validity and meaning of knowledge. At the end of the course, students deliver a 1,600-word essay and present their conclusions.Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS): this is the portion of the programme where students are encouraged to expand their civic obligations, release their creativity and pursue activities conducive to personal growth. The general expectation is for students to spend between three and four hours engaged in suitable tasks each week.An extended essay: the candidate selects a topic from a list and delivers a 4,000-word independent research work.None of this sounds much like certifying one’s language skills... that is, until you get to the second of the aforementioned six subjects that comprise the exam: L anguage Acquisition.In case you were interested, the first one is Studies in Language and Literature, taken in your native language.You may choose to test at Standard Level or Higher level â€" a more rigorous challenge that includes literature from your chosen second language. Please note that you will not be called on to interpret or analyse those texts; they are used merely to assess your level of linguistic comprehension.Should you elect to test at Standard Level, (there is no shame in that!) you may elect to review such a literary text rather than tackle one of the optional topics offered.So, what can an International Baccalaureate do for you?Aside from expanding your critical thinking ability and prepare you to be a better global citizen, it can certify your German language skill with authority and veneration.An IB is accepted at most if not all UK universities; you may even enrol for study in a German institute of higher learning with your IB, provided you meet their more stri ngent criteria.And, we can’t stress this enough: the prestige of having earned an international certificate of learning puts you far ahead of the competition, both in academics and in the job market!Need more tips and tricks to learn German? Check them out here.You can also find german lessons london, as well as other cities across the country,With multiple options open to you and every German language learner, there is no reason for you to delay asserting your skills!