Original source · Published January 2026 · Updated January 2026

Course overview

Rationale

The need to communicate is the foundation for all language development. People use language to achieve their personal communicative needs — to express, exchange, interpret and negotiate meaning, and to understand the world around them. The central goal for additional language acquisition is communication. Students do not simply learn a language — they participate in a range of interactions in which they exchange meaning and become active participants in understanding and constructing written, spoken and visual texts.

Additional language acquisition provides students with opportunities to reflect on their understanding of a language and the communities that use it, while also assisting in the effective negotiation of experiences and meaning across cultures and languages. Communicating with people from German-speaking communities provides insight into the purpose and nature of language and promotes greater sensitivity to, and understanding of, linguistic structures, including the linguistic structures of English. As students develop the ability to explore cultural diversity and similarities between another language and their own, this engagement with other languages and cultures fosters intercultural understanding.

Language acquisition occurs in social and cultural settings. It involves communicating across a range of contexts for a variety of purposes, in a manner appropriate to context. As students experience and evaluate a range of different text types, they reorganise their thinking to accommodate other linguistic and intercultural knowledge and textual conventions. This informs their capacity to create texts for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.

Central to the capacity to evaluate and create texts are the skills of critical and creative thinking, intellectual flexibility and problem-solving. Acquiring an additional language provides the opportunity to develop these interrelated skills, and requires students to use language in a meaningful way through the exchange of information, ideas and perspectives relevant to their life experiences.

For exchanges to be relevant and useful, additional language acquisition must position students at the centre of their own learning. When students communicate their own aspirations, values, opinions, ideas and relationships, the personalisation of each student's learning creates a stronger connection with the language. Activities and tasks are developed to fit within the student's life experience.

The ability to communicate in an additional language such as German is an important 21st century skill. Students develop knowledge, understanding and skills that enable successful participation in a global society. Communication in an additional language expands students' horizons and opportunities as national and global citizens.

Additional language acquisition contributes to and enriches intellectual, educational, linguistic, metacognitive, personal, social and cultural development. It requires intellectual discipline and systematic approaches to learning, which are characterised by effective planning and organisation, incorporating processes of self-management and self-monitoring.

Syllabus objectives

The syllabus objectives outline what students have the opportunity to learn.

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences.

When students understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences in German, they determine meaning and respond to texts.

2. Identify tone, purpose, context and audience to infer meaning.

When students identify tone, purpose, context and audience, they demonstrate understanding of language and meaning within texts.

3. Analyse and evaluate information and ideas to draw conclusions.

When students interpret and make judgments about information and ideas, they draw conclusions to make meaning and/or develop points of view.

4. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning.

When students apply knowledge of a wide range of grammatical structures and a wide variety of vocabulary to create texts, they use their knowledge of German to construct points of view and communicate with accuracy.

5. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives.

When students structure, sequence and synthesise information in a range of contexts and for a range of purposes, they exchange and justify opinions, ideas and perspectives in German.

6. Communicate using contextually appropriate German.

When students use strategies to communicate in German in a range of modes, they use knowledge of language to establish meaning and awareness of sociolinguistic conventions to exchange ideas. They display coherence and show understanding of language and culture.

Designing a course of study in German

Syllabuses are designed for teachers to make professional decisions to tailor curriculum and assessment design and delivery to suit their school context and the goals, aspirations and abilities of their students within the parameters of Queensland's senior phase of learning.

The syllabus is used by teachers to develop curriculum for their school context. The term course of study describes the unique curriculum and assessment that students engage with in each school context. A course of study is the product of a series of decisions made by a school to select, organise and contextualise subject matter, integrate complementary and important learning, and create assessment tasks in accordance with syllabus specifications.

It is encouraged that, where possible, a course of study is designed such that teaching, learning and assessment activities are integrated and enlivened in an authentic setting.

Course structure

German is a General senior syllabus. It contains four QCAA-developed units from which schools develop their course of study.

Each unit has been developed with a notional time of 55 hours of teaching and learning, including assessment.

Students should complete Unit 1 and Unit 2 before beginning Units 3 and 4. Units 3 and 4 are studied as a pair.

More information about the requirements for administering senior syllabuses is available in the 'Queensland curriculum' section of the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook.

Curriculum

Senior syllabuses set out only what is essential while being flexible so teachers can make curriculum decisions to suit their students, school context, resources and expertise.

Within the requirements set out in this syllabus and the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook, schools have autonomy to decide:

• how and when subject matter is delivered
• how, when and why learning experiences are developed, and the context in which learning occurs
• how opportunities are provided in the course of study for explicit and integrated teaching and learning of complementary skills.

These decisions allow teachers to develop a course of study that is rich, engaging and relevant for their students.

Assessment

Senior syllabuses set out only what is essential while being flexible so teachers can make assessment decisions to suit their students, school context, resources and expertise.

General senior syllabuses contain assessment specifications and conditions for the assessment instruments that must be implemented with Units 3 and 4. These specifications and conditions ensure comparability, equity and validity in assessment.

Within the requirements set out in this syllabus and the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook, schools have autonomy to decide:

• specific assessment task details
• assessment contexts to suit available resources
• how the assessment task will be integrated with teaching and learning activities
• how authentic the task will be.

In Unit 1 and Unit 2, schools:

• develop at least two but no more than four assessments
• complete at least one assessment for each unit
• ensure that each unit objective is assessed at least once.

In Units 3 and 4, schools develop three assessments using the assessment specifications and conditions provided in the syllabus.

More information about assessment in senior syllabuses is available in 'The assessment system' section of the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook.

Subject matter

Each unit contains a unit description, unit objectives and subject matter. Subject matter is the body of information, mental procedures and psychomotor procedures (see Marzano & Kendall 2007, 2008) that are necessary for students' learning and engagement with the subject.

Subject matter itself is not the specification of learning experiences but provides the basis for the design of student learning experiences.

Subject matter has a direct relationship with the unit objectives and provides statements of learning that have been constructed in a similar way to objectives.

Aboriginal perspectives and Torres Strait Islander perspectives

The QCAA is committed to reconciliation. As part of its commitment, the QCAA affirms that:

• Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the first Australians, and have the oldest living cultures in human history
• Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples have strong cultural traditions and speak diverse languages and dialects, other than Standard Australian English
• teaching and learning in Queensland schools should provide opportunities for students to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the perspectives of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• positive outcomes for Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students are supported by successfully embedding Aboriginal perspectives and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across planning, teaching and assessing student achievement.

Guidelines about Aboriginal perspectives and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and resources for teaching are available at www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/k-12-policies/aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-perspectives.

Where appropriate, Aboriginal perspectives and Torres Strait Islander perspectives have been embedded in the subject matter.

Complementary skills

Opportunities for the development of complementary skills have been embedded throughout subject matter. These skills, which overlap and interact with syllabus subject matter, are derived from current education, industry and community expectations and encompass the knowledge, skills, capabilities, behaviours and dispositions that will help students live and work successfully in the 21st century.

These complementary skills are:

• literacy — the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions about language and texts essential for understanding and conveying English language content
• numeracy — the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students need to use mathematics in a wide range of situations, to recognise and understand the role of mathematics in the world, and to develop the dispositions and capacities to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully
• 21st century skills — the attributes and skills students need to prepare them for higher education, work, and engagement in a complex and rapidly changing world. These skills include critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration and teamwork, personal and social skills, and digital literacy. The explanations of associated skills are available at www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/senior-subjects/general-subjects/21st-century-skills.

It is expected that aspects of literacy, numeracy and 21st century skills will be developed by engaging in the learning outlined in this syllabus. Teachers may choose to create additional explicit and intentional opportunities for the development of these skills as they design the course of study.

Additional subject-specific information

Additional subject-specific information has been included to support and inform the development of a course of study.

This syllabus is designed for students who wish to study German as an additional language and who have studied P–10 Australian Curriculum: German or similar. Other students with less formal language learning experience may also be able to meet the requirements of the syllabus successfully.

Language elements

The language elements for German are provided in a supporting resource on the QCAA website. A working knowledge of these elements supports students in their development of learning the subject matter.

Learning experiences across the four units will provide the opportunity for students to acquire communicative language capacity using these language elements. Students will then be required to demonstrate their capacity to use these language elements.

Literacy in German

Literacy is the set of knowledge and skills about language and texts that is essential for understanding and conveying information in German. Ongoing systematic teaching and learning focused on the literacy knowledge and skills specific to German is essential for student achievement. This includes knowledge of the nature and structure of letters, spelling conventions, written accents and punctuation and their application to communicate effectively.

Students need to learn and use the knowledge and skills of reading, viewing and listening to understand and acquire the German language. Students need to learn and use the knowledge and skills of writing, composing and speaking to convey information in German.

To understand and use literacy skills in German, teaching and learning strategies include:

• comprehending language and texts to make literal and inferred meanings from German texts
• using German in the classroom, real-world and/or lifelike contexts to progress their own learning.

To analyse and evaluate German texts, teaching and learning strategies include:

• using German to convey ideas and information in particular ways to suit audience and purpose
• analysing the ways language is used to convey ideas and information in German texts
• drawing conclusions about the purpose and audience of German texts.

These aspects of literacy knowledge and skills are embedded in the syllabus objectives, unit objectives and subject matter, and ISMGs for German.

Students will need an understanding of the language elements and text types for this syllabus.

Reporting

General information about determining and reporting results for senior syllabuses is provided in the 'Determining and reporting results' section of the QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook.

Reporting standards

Reporting standards are summary statements that describe typical performance at each of the five levels (A–E).

A

The student, in responding to texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates thorough comprehension of information, ideas, opinions and experiences in German. Tone, purpose, context and audience are identified to infer valid and justifiable meaning. Discerning analysis and evaluation of information and ideas are developed to draw valid conclusions with well-substantiated justification of opinions, ideas and perspectives.

The student, in creating texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates a comprehensive and discerning application of knowledge of language elements to create texts that construct appropriate meaning. Information and language elements are structured, sequenced and synthesised to convey well-justified opinions, perspectives and ideas in German.

The student, in exchanging meaning, demonstrates the use of comprehensive and discerning communication skills through the use of contextually appropriate German language.

B

The student, in responding to texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates accurate comprehension of information, ideas, opinions and experiences in German. Tone, purpose, context and audience are identified to infer meaning. Effective analysis and evaluation of information and ideas are developed to draw conclusions with justification of opinions, ideas and perspectives.

The student, in creating texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates an effective application of knowledge of language elements to create texts that construct appropriate meaning. Information and language elements are structured, sequenced and synthesised to convey opinions, perspectives and ideas in German.

The student, in exchanging meaning, demonstrates the use of effective and accurate communication skills through the use of contextually appropriate German language.

C

The student, in responding to texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates comprehension of information, ideas, opinions and experiences in German. Tone, purpose, context and audience are identified to infer some meaning. Analysis and evaluation of relevant information and ideas are developed to draw conclusions with some justification of opinions, ideas and perspectives.

The student, in creating texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates application of knowledge of language elements to create texts that construct some meaning. Information and language elements are structured, sequenced and synthesised to convey opinions, perspectives and ideas in German.

The student, in exchanging meaning, demonstrates the use of some communication skills through the use of contextually appropriate German language.

D

The student, in responding to and creating texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates partial comprehension of German to understand obvious information and ideas. Some conclusions are drawn. Knowledge of German language elements is applied to create texts that construct fragmented meaning.

E

The student, in responding to and creating texts in a range of contexts, demonstrates fragmented understanding of information in German, and fragmented application of knowledge of German language elements.

Determining and reporting results

Unit 1 and Unit 2

Schools make judgments on individual assessment instruments using a method determined by the school. They may use the reporting standards or develop an instrument-specific marking guide (ISMG). Marks are not required for determining a unit result for reporting to the QCAA.

The unit assessment program comprises the assessment instrument/s designed by the school to allow the students to demonstrate the unit objectives. The unit judgment of A–E is made using reporting standards.

Schools report student results for Unit 1 and Unit 2 to the QCAA as satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U). Where appropriate, schools may also report a not rated (NR).

Units 3 and 4

Schools mark each of the three internal assessment instruments implemented in Units 3 and 4 using ISMGs.

Schools report a provisional mark by criterion to the QCAA for each internal assessment.

Once confirmed by the QCAA, these results will be combined with the result of the external assessment developed and marked by the QCAA.

The QCAA uses these results to determine each student's subject result as a mark out of 100 and as an A–E.

Units

Unit 1: Meine Welt — My world

In Unit 1, students compare and contrast lifestyles and education in Australian and German-speaking communities, schools, homes and peer-group contexts. They communicate their understanding and experiences of relationships through the use of information and ideas in texts and language. Students discuss their world and the cultural values related to community, lifestyles, family, peers and education.

Unit objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to family/carers, peers and education.
2. Identify tone, purpose, context and audience to infer meaning related to family/carers, peers and education.
3. Analyse and evaluate information and ideas to draw conclusions related to family/carers, peers and education.
4. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning related to family/carers, peers and education.
5. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to family/carers, peers and education.
6. Communicate using contextually appropriate German related to family/carers, peers and education.

Subject matter

Topic 1: Family/carers

• Discuss the similarities and differences in family/carers' daily life in students' own and German-speaking communities.
• Examine the structure of the family/carer unit and stereotypical roles in society in students' own and German-speaking communities in the 21st century.
• Comment on how young people engage with their extended families.

Topic 2: Peers

• Describe how students and their German-speaking peers socialise and connect with each other.
• Compare the opportunities and challenges for young people in making and maintaining friendships.
• Discuss relationships in a range of texts and explore personal opinions about the ideas and experiences within the texts.

Topic 3: Education

• Compare school lives in German-speaking communities and Australia.
• Evaluate the benefits and challenges of school life and study.

Unit 2: Unsere Welt erkunden — Exploring our world

In Unit 2, students move beyond their personal world to how they engage with the wider world. They do this by exploring options for personal travel and exploration in German-speaking communities and Australia, and by considering the associated cultural conventions. Students consider the ways that German culture has contributed to the world, and reflect upon their experiences, compare options and express preferences, while appreciating diverse cultural values.

Unit objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to travel and exploration, social customs and German influences around the world.
2. Identify tone, purpose, context and audience to infer meaning related to travel and exploration, social customs and German influences around the world.
3. Analyse and evaluate information and ideas to draw conclusions related to travel and exploration, social customs and German influences around the world.
4. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning related to travel and exploration, social customs and German influences around the world.
5. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to travel and exploration, social customs and German influences around the world.
6. Communicate using contextually appropriate German related to travel and exploration, social customs and German influences around the world.

Subject matter

Topic 1: Travel and exploration

• Discuss ideas and information related to travel options and experiences in German-speaking communities, e.g. booking accommodation, seeking advice about tourist activities.
• Evaluate tourist destinations by reflecting on travel experiences and the benefits of travel.
• Investigate the significant features of a famous destination in a German-speaking community.

Topic 2: Social customs

• Examine social customs and cultural conventions in German-speaking communities and/or in German texts about travel.
• Consider food and festivals and how they develop a sense of belonging.
• Analyse and discuss rites of passage in a variety of German-speaking communities around the world and how they reveal cultural values.

Topic 3: German influences around the world

• Identify how German culture is maintained in the modern world.
• Analyse how aspects of German-speaking cultures have influenced the world.

Unit 3: Unsere Gesellschaft; Kultur und Identität — Our society; culture and identity

In Unit 3, students investigate their place in society. They consider groups in the community and how identity is linked or challenged by membership of these groups. Students also explore the role of the arts as a contributor to the formation of culture and identity, and how sporting and leisure activities both reflect and shape our lifestyle.

Unit objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to lifestyles and leisure, the arts, entertainment and sports, and groups in society.
2. Identify tone, purpose, context and audience to infer meaning related to lifestyles and leisure, the arts, entertainment and sports, and groups in society.
3. Analyse and evaluate information and ideas to draw conclusions related to lifestyles and leisure, the arts, entertainment and sports, and groups in society.
4. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning related to lifestyles and leisure, the arts, entertainment and sports, and groups in society.
5. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to lifestyles and leisure, the arts, entertainment and sports, and groups in society.
6. Communicate using contextually appropriate German related to lifestyles and leisure, the arts, entertainment and sports, and groups in society.

Subject matter

Topic 1: Lifestyles and leisure

• Discuss ways language and culture shape lifestyles and leisure in German-speaking communities.
• Explore how science and technology affect lifestyles and leisure in Australian and German-speaking communities.

Topic 2: The arts, entertainment and sports

• Investigate a significant/prominent German speaker and their contribution to the arts and/or entertainment, or to sports.
• Discuss youth culture (e.g. comedies, TV series, music in German-speaking communities) and how it entertains and influences people, and what this reveals about culture.

Topic 3: Groups in society

• Evaluate how young people establish their group identity through socialising and connecting with their peers.
• Identify how young people in their own and German-speaking communities relate to, and express opinions about, other groups.
• Explore German culture/society/places and their/its influence on groups.

Unit 4: Meine Gegenwart; meine Zukunft — My present; my future

In Unit 4, students focus on what it means to be a citizen of a community, and how that is shaped by the experiences of the present. This includes an exploration of contemporary influences, and how these may affect students in their post-school futures. Students consider possible plans for their futures and how their plans and aspirations compare with those of young German speakers. Students are offered opportunities to use complex German and to explore their perspectives on issues relevant to their futures and to the futures of their peers, and to consider the role of German in their future lives.

Unit objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to the present and future choices.
2. Identify tone, purpose, context and audience to infer meaning related to the present and future choices.
3. Analyse and evaluate information and ideas to draw conclusions related to the present and future choices.
4. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning related to the present and future choices.
5. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to the present and future choices.
6. Communicate using contextually appropriate German related to the present and future choices.

Subject matter

Topic 1: The present

• Explore and reflect on the end of school lives, including the significance of graduation ceremonies and end-of-school celebrations in Australian and German-speaking communities.
• Analyse and evaluate the role of young people in shaping the future, e.g. through technology, sustainability and/or innovation.
• Research and discuss social and global events that interest young people.
• Discuss the challenges and benefits of volunteering for young adults and communities.

Topic 2: Future choices

• Compare and contrast employment prospects and the benefits and opportunities of speaking a second language.
• Investigate post-school options in students' own and German-speaking communities and discuss their personal considerations of independence.
• Consider the role of German in students' futures, including the opportunity for future study, travel and careers.
• Explore what it means to be a global citizen in a changing world, including students discussing the kind of person they aspire to be, and how they will stay connected to their friends.

Assessment

Internal assessment 1: Examination — short response (20%)

Assessment objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to lifestyles and leisure.
2. Identify tone, purpose, context and audience to infer meaning in both English and German related to lifestyles and leisure.
3. Analyse and evaluate information and ideas to draw conclusions related to lifestyles and leisure.
4. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning related to lifestyles and leisure.
5. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to lifestyles and leisure.
6. Communicate using contextually appropriate German related to lifestyles and leisure.

Specifications

The teacher provides an examination that:

• relates to Unit 3 Topic 1 subject matter
• enables students to respond to the range of cognitions required
• consists of five short response questions posed in English
• does not specify or lead the student through a series of steps, dictating a solution or the information to be used.

Question specifications

The examination must be aligned to the specifications provided in the table below.

Stimulus specifications

The teacher provides three unseen stimulus texts that:

• have not been copied from information or texts that students have directly used in class
• are authentic and related to Unit 3 Topic 1 subject matter
• have a combined length of up to 1000 words in German
• include at least one written and at least one audio or audiovisual.

Conditions

• This is an individual supervised task.
• Time allowed
  • Perusal time: 5 minutes
  • Working time: 90 minutes
• Audio or audiovisual stimulus texts must
  • contain no subtitles or captions in German and/or English translation
  • be recorded slower than background speaker pace with appropriate pausing
  • be played up to three times under examination conditions.
• Student responses must be handwritten.
• Students must not use dictionaries in this examination.

Mark allocation

Instrument-specific marking guide (IA1)

Analysing German texts in English — Question 1

Analysing German texts in English — Question 2

Analysing German texts in English — Question 3

Analysing German texts in German — Question 4

Analysing German texts in German — Question 5

Internal assessment 2: Examination — extended response (25%)

Assessment objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to the arts, entertainment and sports, and/or groups in society.
2. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning related to the arts, entertainment and sports, and/or groups in society.
3. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to the arts, entertainment and sports, and/or groups in society.
4. Communicate using contextually appropriate German in a written text and a conversation related to the arts, entertainment and sports, and/or groups in society.

Specifications

The teacher provides an examination that:

• relates to Unit 3 Topic 2 and/or Topic 3 subject matter
• enables students to respond to the range of cognitions required
• is open-ended and enables students to respond in a meaningful way
• does not specify or lead the student through a series of steps, dictating a solution or the information to be used.

Question specifications

The examination must be aligned to the specifications provided in the table below.

Stimulus specifications

The teacher provides:

• for the written extended response, a question/task that reflects a text type (e.g. blog, email, letter, text message, speech transcript) and requires students to discuss three different focuses related to the subject matter (organised in bullet points) posed in German
• for the spoken extended response, one unseen stimulus text, which provides different or varied subject matter from the bullet points of the written extended response. This stimulus is used as a springboard for the conversation — chosen from one of the following
  • visual text up to 60 words in German
  • short written text up to 80 words in German
• unseen questions during the German conversation to provide students with opportunities to sustain communication, exchange meaning and provide a spontaneous personal response to the stimulus.

Conditions

• This is an individual supervised task.
• Students must not use dictionaries in this examination.
• The written extended response must be handwritten.
• The spoken conversation component of this task may be assessed at a separate time.

Extended response:

• Time allowed
  • Planning time: 10 minutes
  • Working time: 80 minutes

Conversation:

• Time allowed
  • Planning time: 10 minutes
  • Working time: 7 minutes
• Students may
  • only use the unseen stimulus text
  • make notes as prompts during planning time
  • use notes from planning time during the conversation.

Mark allocation

Instrument-specific marking guide (IA2)

Creating an extended response in German — Responding and creating

Creating an extended response in German — Responding (language elements) in German

Creating an extended response in German — Responding (communication)

Exchanging information and ideas in German — Language elements

Exchanging information and ideas in German — Communication

Internal assessment 3: Multimodal presentation and interview (30%)

Assessment objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to the present and/or future choices.
2. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct meaning related to the present and/or future choices.
3. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to the present and/or future choices.
4. Communicate using contextually appropriate German in a multimodal response and an interview related to the present and/or future choices.

Specifications

This task requires students to:

• synthesise the ideas in three teacher-provided German stimulus texts related to the Unit 4 Topic 1 and/or Topic 2 subject matter
• identify different perspectives, including their own perspectives, on the ideas and information offered in the three stimulus texts
• structure, sequence and synthesise their individual multimodal response in German
• respond, in spoken German, to unseen, open-ended, reflective questions and exchange meaning in an interview related to their response and Unit 4 subject matter.

Stimulus specifications

The teacher provides three stimulus texts that:

• cover a range of text types
• are authentic and related to Unit 4 subject matter.

One stimulus text must:

• be studied in class from the beginning of the 5 weeks
• enable students to select elements of the text that support their perspective/s
• be chosen from: a German film, documentary, television series episode, extended interview, newspaper/magazine article, journal, short story, novella, website, podcast or music video. This stimulus is not included in the combined word length specification.

The other two stimulus texts must:

• be unseen materials that students have not been exposed to directly in class
• be different in text type from the in-class seen stimulus
• have a combined length of up to 1000 words in German
• include one that is written
• include one that is audio or audiovisual or a series of visual texts. A series of visual texts is three or more visual images with up to 60 words in German in each image
• be given to students with the assessment task sheet.

Conditions

• Students receive 5 weeks notification of task, including distribution of the stimulus.
• Students can develop their responses in class time and their own time.
• This is an individual task.
• The spoken interview component may be assessed at a separate time to the multimodal presentation.
• Students may not use dictionaries in the interview component of this task.

Response requirements

Presentation:

• Multimodal (at least two modes, one written and one spoken, delivered at the same time): up to 7 minutes
• All written text must be in German.
• The response may be supported with additional resources.
• The presentation may be delivered live or be pre-recorded.

Interview:

• Spoken: up to 7 minutes (unprepared, in German)

Mark allocation

Instrument-specific marking guide (IA3)

Creating a multimodal presentation in German — Multimodal presentation

Creating a multimodal presentation in German — Responding (language elements)

Creating a multimodal presentation in German — Responding (communication)

Exchanging information and ideas in German — Creating and responding

Exchanging information and ideas in German — Language elements

Exchanging information and ideas in German — Communication

External assessment: Examination — combination response (25%)

External assessment is developed and marked by the QCAA. The external assessment in German is common to all schools and administered under the same conditions, at the same time, on the same day.

Assessment objectives

1. Comprehend German to understand information, ideas, opinions and experiences related to the present and future choices.
2. Identify tone, purpose, context and audience to infer meaning related to the present and future choices.
3. Analyse and evaluate information and ideas to draw conclusions related to the present and future choices.
4. Apply knowledge of language elements of German to construct appropriate meaning related to the present and future choices.
5. Structure, sequence and synthesise information to justify opinions and perspectives related to the present and future choices.
6. Communicate using contextually appropriate German in both short and extended responses related to the present and future choices.

Specifications

This examination:

• consists of a number of different types of questions relating to Unit 4
• may ask students to respond using
  • sentences or paragraphs in English (up to 100 words per question)
  • sentences or paragraphs in German (up to 100 words per question)
  • extended responses in German (up to 400 words per question)
• may ask students to
  • interpret graphs, tables or diagrams
  • respond to unseen stimulus materials
  • interpret ideas and information in German texts
  • analyse, synthesise and evaluate questions, scenarios and/or problems in response to German text/s.

Stimulus specifications

The QCAA provides three to six German stimulus texts that:

• are authentic and related to Unit 4 subject matter
• have a combined length of up to 1000 words in German
• include at least one written text and one audio or audiovisual text.

Conditions

• Mode: written
• Time allowed
  • Perusal time: 5 minutes
  • Working time: 120 minutes
• Students must not bring notes, dictionaries or reference materials into this examination.

Glossary

The syllabus glossary is available at www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/senior-qce/common/snr_glossary_cognitive_verbs.pdf.

References

Marzano, RJ & Kendall, JS 2008, Designing and Assessing Educational Objectives: Applying the new taxonomy, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, California. ——2007, The New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, 2nd edn, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, California.

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