German K–12

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Competencies and Skills and Blueprint

The test design below describes general testing information. The blueprints that follow provide a detailed outline that explains the competencies and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

table describing the format of the test, including test time, number of questions, and required passing score
Format Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions
  • Subtest 1 (Listening, Reading, and Writing): Approximately 75 multiple-choice questions, 1 essay
  • Subtest 2 (Oral Interview): Oral interview
Time
  • Subtest 1 (Listening, Reading, and Writing): 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Subtest 2 (Oral Interview): 20–30 minutes
Passing Score
  • Subtest 1 (Listening, Reading, and Writing): A scaled score of at least 200
  • Subtest 2 (Oral Interview): A holistic score of intermediate/high

 

Competencies, Skills, and Approximate Percentages of Questions

Oral Interview (Subtest 2)

table describing the competencies, skills, and approximate percentage of each competency's weight toward overall test score
Competency Approximate Percentage of Oral Interview Subtest Score
1 Ability to converse in German at an intermediate-high level (Speaking) 100%

Competency and Skill

Competency 1—Ability to converse in German at an intermediate-high level (Speaking)

  1. Converse on topics of general interest and daily routine, so that errors in pronunciation and structure do not impede communication.

Listening, Reading, and Writing (Subtest 1)

Pie chart of approximate test weighting outlined in the table below.



table describing the competencies, skills, and approximate percentage of each competency's weight toward overall test score
Competency Approximate Percentage of Total Subtest Questions
2 Comprehension at an advanced level of spoken German passages on topics of general interest 15%
3 Ability to write German at an intermediate-high level on topics of general interest and/or dealing with daily routine *
4 Ability to read at an advanced level German passages on a variety of personal, social, and general topics 20%
5 Knowledge of German vocabulary in areas of general interest and application of vocabulary skills 20%
6 Knowledge of German grammar and syntax in context 25%
7 Knowledge of the culture, social customs, and daily life of German-speaking countries 5%
8 Knowledge of history and geography of German-speaking countries 5%
9 Knowledge of arts and sciences in German-speaking countries 5%
10 Pedagogy and professional knowledge 5%

* The writing section comprises 20% of the score for Subtest 1.

Competencies and Skills

Competency 2— Comprehension at an advanced level of spoken German passages on topics of general interest

  1. Identify the main idea of a spoken passage or an appropriate summary of a spoken passage.

  2. Identify details pertinent to the main idea of a spoken passage.

  3. Identify the best response to a question or statement based on a spoken passage.

  4. Identify and interpret basic sentence and intonation patterns.

Competency 3—Ability to write German at an intermediate-high level on topics of general interest and/or dealing with daily routine

  1. Write short passages that express personal preferences, needs, and observations, so that errors in orthography and structure do not impede communication.

Competency 4—Ability to read at an advanced level German passages on a variety of personal, social, and general topics

  1. Identify the main idea or an appropriate summary of a written passage.

  2. Identify details pertinent to the main idea of a written passage.

  3. Identify the best response to a question or statement based on a written passage.

Competency 5—Knowledge of German vocabulary in areas of general interest and application of vocabulary skills

  1. Apply context clues to define words.

  2. Apply dictionary skills.

  3. Choose the most appropriate translation.

Competency 6—Knowledge of German grammar and syntax in context

  1. Decline German nouns in singular and plural forms in the nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive cases in context.

  2. Identify and analyze determiners in nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive cases in context.

  3. Identify and analyze often-used adjectives and adverbs, adjective endings, and comparative and superlative forms in context.

  4. Identify and analyze often-used prepositions, da- and wo- compounds, and idiomatic prepositional phrases, including prepositional verb combinations.

  5. Identify and analyze often-used verbs in the present, future, simple past, and present/past perfect tenses in context.

  6. Identify and analyze often-used modal auxiliary verb structures in context.

  7. Identify and analyze often-used dative verbs in context.

  8. Identify and analyze often-used subjunctive structures in context.

  9. Identify and analyze often-used reflexive verbs and reflexive pronouns in context.

  10. Identify and analyze often-used passive voice constructions and common alternative forms in context.

  11. Identify and analyze often-used verbs with prefixes in context.

  12. Identify and analyze personal and relative pronouns in context.

  13. Identify and analyze the use of the infinitive in context.

  14. Identify and analyze imperative forms in context.

  15. Identify and analyze interrogative constructions in context.

  16. Identify and analyze negative constructions in context.

  17. Identify and analyze word order in context.

  18. Identify and analyze often-used coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in context.

Competency 7—Knowledge of the culture, social customs, and daily life of German-speaking countries

  1. Identify well-known features of daily life and contemporary culture, including internationally known personalities, in German-speaking countries.

  2. Identify social customs in German-speaking countries.

  3. Identify governmental, educational, religious, and economic institutions of German-speaking countries.

  4. Identify cultural differences and similarities between the United States and German-speaking countries.

  5. Recognize elements in American culture and language that originated in German-speaking countries or that were introduced by immigrants from German-speaking countries.

  6. Identify famous native speakers of German and their contributions to the culture of the United States.

  7. Identify and recognize diversity in the target culture.

Competency 8—Knowledge of history and geography of German-speaking countries

  1. Identify major historic events and well-known historic figures.

  2. Identify major geographic features of German-speaking countries and well-known products, industries, and exports of German-speaking countries.

Competency 9—Knowledge of arts and sciences in German-speaking countries

  1. Identify major writers, composers, and artists (e.g., Schiller, Goethe, Bertolt Brecht, Mozart, Wagner, DĪrer, Otto Dix).

  2. Identify major legendary and fictional characters (e.g., Faust, Siegfried, Max and Moritz, Wilhelm Tell).

  3. Identify major philosophers, scientists, and inventors (e.g., Kant, Hegel, Roentgen, Einstein, Benz, Gutenberg).

Competency 10—Pedagogy and professional knowledge

  1. Identify various foreign language teaching methodologies and strategies appropriate to the four skill areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

  2. Identify evolving aspects of foreign language instruction, proficiency-based curriculum, and communicative competence.

  3. Identify state and national professional organizations and the services that are available to teachers of German from professional organizations and agencies of German-speaking countries (e.g., AATG, FATG, FASG, Goethe Institute).

  4. Demonstrate knowledge of print media, broadcasts, and German Web sites.

  5. Identify the role of foreign languages in an integrated curriculum.