German

Discipline-based study

Courses aligned to the Years 9 to 12 Curriculum Framework belong to one of the five focus areas of Discipline-based Study, Transdisciplinary Projects, Professional Studies, Work-based Learning and Personal Futures.

German Level 2 is a Discipline-based Study course.

Discipline-based Study includes content, core concepts and big ideas; enabling deep knowledge and understanding of the content and the application of what is learned. Learners consider accepted key disciplinary knowledge, apply distinctive ways of thinking and become increasingly independent learners. They use methodologies specific to the discipline to explore and strengthen their understanding of key concepts and develop deep knowledge, skills and understanding.

Discipline-based Study courses have three key features that guide teaching and learning:

• specialist knowledge
• theories and concepts and
• methodology and terminology.

Figure 1: Discipline-based study diagram (developed by the Department for Education, Children and Young People)

In this course, learners will do this by:

• using the three module concepts of identity, responsibility and legacy¹ to learn vocabulary and structures for reading, writing, speaking, viewing and listening to German language: specialist knowledge
• applying grammar structures to convey meaning in spoken and written language: theories
• exploring aspects of culture through the concepts for each module and reflecting on similarities and differences between their own and that of German-speaking countries and regions: concepts
• building strategies for learning a language so that they become independent learners: methodology
• using appropriate terms to discuss their own language and the German language: terminology.

¹ Drawn from the Common Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages (CCAFL) 2021.

German Level 2 enables personal empowerment and intercultural understanding. It allows learners to develop the ability to communicate in an additional language and provides them with opportunities to reflect on their own first language, culture and heritage. Learning German extends Tasmanian learners’ intercultural competence and to develop knowledge, skills and understandings that will allow them to function successfully in the ever-changing world of the twenty-first century. The study of German promotes and contributes to a socially cohesive society that values, respects and appreciates different points of view. It encourages a better understanding and acceptance of cultural, social, linguistic and religious diversity in Tasmania, in the wider Australian community and globally. 

The course provides access to German Level 3 and also gives learners the opportunity to develop metacognitive and metalinguistic skills. German and English share many language roots, which can help Tasmanian learners improve their literacy skills. Skills learned in German can also be transferred to all other languages offered as part of Years 9 to 12 Education.

Learners who can communicate in German and engage with German culture will also be able to contribute to Tasmanian society and the economy through such areas as the Arts, business, foreign affairs, sector-specific European Union trade, education and technology in coming decades. German speakers form the second largest group of non-English background tourists to Tasmania, so a knowledge of German is particularly relevant to tourism and hospitality. These language skills will provide learners with a range of opportunities for personal, vocational and professional growth². 

The purpose of Years 9 to 12 Education is to enable all learners to achieve their potential through Years 9 to 12 and beyond in further study, training or employment.

Years 9 to 12 Education enables personal empowerment, cultural transmission, preparation for citizenship and preparation for work.

This course is built on the principles of access, agency, excellence, balance, support and achievement as part of a range of programs that enables learners to access a diverse and flexible range of learning opportunities suited to their level of readiness, interests and aspirations.

² Drawn in part from the rationale for the Common Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages 2021.

On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

1. listen and respond to spoken texts presented in basic German
2. communicate in basic spoken German to exchange information, opinions, ideas and experiences
3. read and respond to written texts presented in basic German
4. communicate in basic written German to express information, opinions, ideas and experiences
5. demonstrate intercultural competence
6. use learning and management strategies

Pathways in: The German Level 2 course provides an entry point to learning German and also enables learning continuity for learners who have limited or inconsistent prior learning experiences from Australian Curriculum: German.

Pathways out: The German Level 2 course provides a pathway to the German Level 3 course.

The general capabilities addressed specifically in this course are: 

• Intercultural understanding
• Literacy

This course has a complexity level of 2. 

For a full description of courses at a complexity level of 2, please refer to the Levels of Complexity - Tasmanian Senior Secondary Education document on the TASC website.

Level 2 courses enable contextual opportunities for learners to: 

• Apply required knowledge and skills to demonstrate personal responsibility and accountability for the quality of defined outcomes, as individuals and team members.
• Demonstrate skills to access, develop, summarise, analyse and communicate knowledge and ideas; develop and access expertise when solving problems, think creatively and flexibly and work with others.

This course has a size value of 15. Upon successful completion of this course (i.e., a Preliminary Achievement (PA) award or higher), a learner will gain 15 credit points at Level 2 towards the Participation Standard of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE).

This course consists of three 50-hour modules.

Module 1: Identity

Module 2: Responsibility

Module 3: Legacy

Access

No prior knowledge of German is required for participation in this course. Access to the course is restricted to learners for whom German is an additional language.

Resource requirements

There are no resource requirements for this course.

Module 1 – Identity

Learners will develop foundational communication skills in the German language. In Module 1, they will focus on speaking, listening, reading and writing skills related to identity. Identity relates to concepts in the student's world that include:

• a sense of self, personal values, opinions, ideas, aspirations and relationships with others
• individuality and group affiliation in the community
• global perspectives of Australian and German society.

Learners will:

• use the topics of self, family relationships and friendship to explore the concept of identity
• share personal, community and global perspectives by exploring German language and culture.

See Appendix 6: Language for all relevant language structures and features for this module.

Module 1 Learning Outcomes

The following learning outcomes are a focus of this module:

1.  listen and respond to spoken texts presented in basic German
2.  communicate in basic spoken German to exchange information, opinions, ideas and experiences
3.  read and respond to written texts presented in basic German
4.  communicate in basic written German to express information, opinions, ideas and experiences
5.  demonstrate intercultural competence
6.  use learning and management strategies.

Module 1 content

Learners will work with vocabulary and structures that will allow them to explore:

• topics related to their personal world, their family and friends
• the personal world of their peers in German-speaking communities
• the similarities and differences in the way different languages are structured
• how culture plays an integral role when communicating in an additional language.

Learners will:

• reflect on their own and others' cultural and linguistic identity
• interact with others and communicate about themselves in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways
• be supported to understand the communications skills needed
• understand and use culturally appropriate titles and forms of address
• use specific language to show respect in personal communications.

Learners will develop knowledge, skills and understandings through:

• using spoken, written and visual texts
• role play
• opportunities to engage with other speakers of German

Key knowledge:

• appropriate terms for family members
• adjectives for personal descriptions
• first, second and third person singular possessive constructions
• present tense of relevant verb constructions: common irregular constructions as vocabulary items, as necessary
• negative construction of relevant present tense forms
• formulaic expressions as vocabulary items
• culturally relevant language and structures.

Key skills:

• describe themselves: name, age, where they live, describe personality, personal details etc
• use elements of the language to communicate with and about their friends
• inquire about such information
• analyse, understand and respond to such information
• explain information about their peers in German-speaking cultures, especially name, age, where they live, personality, appearance
• enquire about aspects of peers’ personal lives, family and friends
• use elements of the language to demonstrate their understanding of the role of culture in shaping German language. 

Module 1 work requirements 

The work requirements of this course are not tied to specific modules and can be applied across any of the modules. They can be undertaken at any time during the course and can be based on any of the concepts of the three modules (Module 1: Identity; Module 2: Responsibility; Module 3: Legacy), as provided by, or negotiated with, the teacher. Teachers must ensure they provide at least one opportunity for a work requirement to be based on the concept of Module 1: Identity. 

See Appendix 3 for the full specifications of the work requirements of this course.

Module 1 assessment

All criteria may be assessed within this module. 

Module 2 - Responsibility

Learners will continue to develop foundational communication skills in the German language. In Module 2, they will develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills related to responsibility. Responsibility relates to concepts that include:

•  how people manage social responsibilities and influence decisions that affect individuals or groups such as: 
  • family and community responsibilities
  • education commitments
  • obligations as a part-time employee
•  home life and daily routine
• community.

Learners will:

• share personal, community and global perspectives of responsibility
• compare perspectives for themselves and their peers in German-speaking cultures
• explore German language and culture.

See Appendix 6: Language for all relevant language structures and features for this module.

Module 2 Learning Outcomes

The following learning outcomes are a focus of this module:

1.  listen and respond to spoken texts presented in basic German
2.  communicate in basic spoken German to exchange information, opinions, ideas and experiences
3.  read and respond to written texts presented in basic German
4.  communicate in basic written German to express information, opinions, ideas and experiences
5.  demonstrate intercultural competence
6.  use learning and management strategies.

Module 2 content

Learners will develop German language related to daily life, community, education and work. They will:

• apply cultural, linguistic and social knowledge and skills in appropriate ways
• understand the role of culture when communicating in a different language
• explore and compare how:
  • family, community and school roles and expectations differ between cultures
  • cultural influences shape the value placed on education in cultures
  • expectations and obligations around employment may differ between cultures.

Module 2 assumes a knowledge of the German vocabulary and language structures identified in Module 1. Learners will further develop knowledge, skills and understandings through:

• using spoken, written and visual texts
• role play
• opportunities, where possible, to engage with other speakers of German.

Key knowledge:

• vocabulary for family activities, including daily routine, roles and responsibilities
• vocabulary and phrases to talk about the local community
• vocabulary and phrases to talk about school and learning
• vocabulary and phrases to talk about part-time employment
• comparative structures
• present tense of relevant verb constructions: additional relevant irregular constructions as vocabulary items as necessary
• formulaic expressions as vocabulary items.

Key skills:

• describe duties within the family
• describe routine considerations of daily life, including food and weather
• describe their physical community and their engagement in the community
• explain responsibilities at school, attitudes to aspects of education and learning, etc
• describe and use language about part-time employment
• enquire about such information
• make comparisons about family activities, daily routine, school and part-time employment
• enquire about and share information about their peers in German-speaking communities, especially duties and roles within the family, education, the community and part-time employment
• analyse and respond to information about family, daily life, education and part-time employment. 

Module 2 work requirements 

The work requirements of this course are not tied to specific modules and can be applied across any of the modules. They can be undertaken at any time during the course and can be based on any of the concepts of the three modules (Module 1: Identity; Module 2: Responsibility; Module 3: Legacy), as provided by, or negotiated with, the teacher. Teachers must ensure they provide at least one opportunity for a work requirement to be based on the concept of Module 2: Responsibility. 

See Appendix 3 for the full specifications of the work requirements of this course.

Module 2 assessment

All criteria may be assessed within this module.

Module 3 - Legacy

Learners will continue to develop and consolidate foundational communication skills in the German language. In Module 3, they will develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills related to legacy. Legacy relates to concepts that include:

• how people and events influence change
• how individuals and communities respond to opportunities and challenges
• contributions, achievements and influence of German-speaking individuals or groups in society.

Learners will:

• explore legacy through topics including:
  • leisure time
  • the Arts
  • entertainment and media
  • sport
  • travel

• understand personal, community and global perspectives
• work with vocabulary and structures to explore topics related to past and future experiences and events
• develop knowledge and skills to share their thoughts on topics related to legacy.

See Appendix 6: Language for all relevant language structures and features for this module.

Module 3 learning outcomes

The following learning outcomes are a focus of this module:

1. listen and respond to spoken texts presented in basic German
2. communicate in basic spoken German to exchange information, opinions, ideas and experiences
3. read and respond to written texts presented in basic German
4. communicate in basic written German to express information, opinions, ideas and experiences
5. demonstrate intercultural competence
6. use learning and management strategies.

Module 3 content

Learners will develop German language related to personal, community and global perspectives. They will:

• apply cultural, linguistic, social and ethical knowledge and skills in appropriate ways
• understand the role of culture when communicating in another language
• explore and compare how:
  • different languages and cultures express the notion of time and ordering of events in different ways
  • different languages have formal mechanisms for seeking and giving opinions
  • the role and type of leisure varies across cultures
  • culture influences the arts, entertainment and media and the role that they play in their peer’s lives
  • attitudes around travel vary between cultures.

Module 3 assumes a knowledge of the German vocabulary and language structures identified in Modules 1 and 2. Learners will consolidate and further develop key knowledge, skills and understandings through:

• using spoken, written and visual texts
• role play
• opportunities, where possible, to engage with other speakers of German.

Key knowledge:

• structures to talk about themselves and other people, places and events in the past
• structures to talk about themselves and other people, places and events in the future
• structures to enquire about and express opinions
• structures to make comparisons
• structures to facilitate the formation of complex sentences; for example, conjunctions
• formulaic expressions as vocabulary items.

Key skills:

• discuss leisure time activities such as sports and hobbies, options, commitments, conditions, comparisons
• enquire about others’ leisure time activities 
• convey information about travel and transport and make plans for travelling
• discuss entertainment, media and the Arts, expressing likes and dislikes, preferences and opinions
• enquire about others’ views of entertainment, media and the Arts
• enquire about and share information about leisure time, entertainment, travel and transport for their peers in German-speaking communities
• analyse and respond to information about leisure time activities, entertainment, media and the arts, sports and hobbies, travel and transport. 

Module 3 work requirements

The work requirements of this course are not tied to specific modules and can be applied across any of the modules. They can be undertaken at any time during the course and can be based on any of the concepts of the three modules (Module 1: Identity; Module 2: Responsibility; Module 3: Legacy), as provided by, or negotiated with, the teacher. Teachers must ensure they provide at least one opportunity for a work requirement to be based on the concept of Module 3: Legacy. 

See Appendix 3 for the full specifications of the work requirements of this course.

Module 3 assessment

All criteria may be assessed within this module. 

Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment that identifies the extent of learner achievement at an appropriate endpoint of study. Although assessment as part of the learning program is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help learners identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting to TASC will focus on what both teacher and learner understand to reflect endpoint achievement.

The standard of achievement each learner attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’, according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course.

A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating.

A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a learner provides no evidence of achievement at all.

Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Providers will report the learner’s rating for each criterion to TASC.

The following processes will be facilitated by TASC to ensure there is:

• a match between the standards of achievement specified in the course and the skills and knowledge demonstrated by individual learners
• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

Process

TASC will verify that the provider’s course delivery and assessment meet the course requirements and community expectations for fairness, integrity and validity of qualifications TASC issues. This will involve checking:

• Provider standard 1: scope and sequence documentation:
  • course delivery plan
  • course assessment plan: assessment matrix
• Provider standard 2: student attendance records
• Provider standard 3: examples of assessments tools and instruments and associated rubrics and marking guides
• Provider standard 1 and 3: examples of student work including that related to any work requirements articulated in the course document
• Provider standard 4: class records of assessment.

This process will be scheduled by TASC using a risk-based approach.

The assessment for German Level 2 will be based on the degree to which the learner can:

1. listen and respond to basic spoken German
2. communicate in basic spoken German
3. read and respond to basic written German
4. communicate in basic written German
5. demonstrate intercultural competence
6. use learning and management strategies

German Level 2 (with the award of):

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT

COMMENDABLE ACHIEVEMENT

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT

The final award will be determined by TASC from six ratings.

The minimum requirements for an award in German Level 2 are as follows:

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT (EA)
5 ‘A’ ratings, 1 ‘B’ rating

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT (HA)
3 ‘A’ ratings, 2 ‘B’ ratings, 1 ‘C’ rating

COMMENDABLE ACHIEVEMENT (CA)
3 ‘B’ ratings, 3 ‘C’ ratings

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT (SA)
5 ‘C’ ratings

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT (PA)
3 ‘C’ ratings

Version 1: Accredited from 1 January 2026. This course replaced German- Level 2 (GRM215123). This course varies from the superseded version in the reduction in the number of course Criteria from 8 to 6. Additional alignments based on the criteria change have been reflected throughout the course. Administrative updates have also been applied throughout the course. 

Line of sight

Please note: All modules (Module 1: Identify; Module 2: Responsibility; and Module 3: Legacy) need to be covered by the four work requirements outlined in Appendix 3. Teachers have agency to choose which modules are covered within each of the work requirements. Providers must give multiple opportunities for learners to demonstrate achievement against the course criteria and elements throughout the course.

Alignment to curriculum frameworks

German Level 2 draws on the following aspects of the Combined Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages (CCAFL) 2021:

• Concepts: identity, responsibility, legacy (topics developed from these concepts to meet the needs of the Tasmanian beginning language student)
• Perspectives: personal, community, global
• Course objectives: interact in GermanΔ, analyse German, create meaning in German
• Knowledge and skills to be assessed: reading, writing, speaking, viewing and listening to German
• Content: learning German, using German and mediating between German-speaking communities and Australian cultural contexts
• The interrelationship between language and culture and the importance of the link between culture and effective communication
• The development of the capacity for ongoing reflection about languages and cultures, including the learner’s own and those of others
• The development of an understanding of language as a system and reflection on how language is used in different contexts and may vary between different individuals and groups.

Δ The use of German is taken directly from the CCAFL. It is a national framework which does not refer to individual languages. Where these aspects of the alignment appear elsewhere in the body of this course document, they have been identified in relation to the relevant language: German.

Work requirements

The work requirements of a course are processes, products or performances that provide a significant demonstration of achievement that is measurable against the course’s standards. Work requirements need not be the sole form of assessment for a module. Work requirements in this course are not tied to specific modules and may be undertaken across any module(s) in any order. Teachers must ensure all concepts from all modules (Module 1: Identity, Module 2: Responsibility; and Module 3: Legacy) are covered within the work requirements at least once. It is possible for a work requirement to be based on more than one concept.

Work requirement 1 of 4

Title of work requirement: Listen and respond

Work requirement 2 of 4

Title of work requirement: Speaking interview

Mode or format: Folio

Description: The folio will include evidence collected at any time over the course. It will be based on concepts from one module or multiple modules as provided by, or negotiated with, the teacher. The folio may consist of either one complete piece or multiple pieces. 

The teacher conducts an interview in German with each individual learner. The teacher selects one or more topics from the course and advises learners in advance of the interview topic(s). Learners will be supported to build a bank of questions to enable a variety of responses.

Size: The teacher will ask the learner 8-10 questions using a variety of structures.

Timing: Teachers will give learners [one week's] advance notice of the interview. The folio may be undertaken at any time over the course as either one complete piece or multiple pieces.

Focus criteria: This work requirement assesses Criteria 2 and 6. 

Work requirement 3 of 4

Title of work requirement:  Read and Respond

Mode or format:  Extended response

Description: The response will include evidence collected at any time over the course. It will be based on concepts from one module or multiple modules as provided by, or negotiated with, the teacher.

Learners read a passage written in German and demonstrate understanding by responding in English to a series of questions in English. The passage will include images, tables, diagrams as appropriate. The questions will take a range of forms. There will be different question types, such as:

• those where the answer is readily apparent from the information provided (specific details)
• those where the answer requires an understanding of some feature/s of the text as a section or as a whole, for example, the purpose or gist of the text (general ideas).

Size:  Approximately 10-15 questions. 

Timing: This response can be done at any time over the course.

Focus criteria: This work requirement assesses Criteria 3 and 4. 

Work requirement 4 of 4

Title of work requirement:  Read and Write, Language and Culture

Mode or format: Folio

Description:  The folio will include evidence collected at any time over the course. It will be based on concepts from one module or multiple modules as provided by, or negotiated with, the teacher. The folio may consist of either one complete piece or multiple pieces. The folio will contain 2 parts: 

• Part 1: Read and Write - Learners receive two stimuli written in both German and English on two different course topics, for example, leisure time and holidays. Learners choose ONE of the stimuli and write a response in German. Learners may use paper dictionaries to assist them in writing their response. 

• Part 2: Language and Culture - a written response to explore similarities and differences in language and culture. The learner will provide a response, in English, to compare aspects of Australian and German culture related to the course topics covered in each stimulus. Some examples of vocabulary and expressions used in German should be included.

Size:

• Part 1: Read and Write - a response length approximately 100-150 words
•  Part 2: Language and Culture - approximately 250 words (or equivalent, if multimodal) in English with relevant examples in German. 

Timing: The folio may be undertaken at any time over the course and may consist of either one complete piece or multiple pieces.

Focus criteria: This work requirement assesses Criteria 4 and 5.

General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities

Learning across the curriculum content, including the cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities, assists students to achieve the broad learning outcomes defined in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (December 2019).

General capabilities:

The general capabilities play a significant role in the Australian Curriculum in equipping young Australians to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century.

In the Australian Curriculum, capability encompasses knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions. Students develop capability when they apply knowledge and skills confidently, effectively and appropriately in complex and changing circumstances, in their learning at school and in their lives outside school.

The general capabilities include:

• Critical and creative thinking
• Ethical understanding
• Information and communication technology capability
• Intercultural understanding
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Personal and social capability

Cross-curriculum priorities:

Cross-curriculum priorities enable students to develop understanding about and address the contemporary issues they face, for their own benefit and for the benefit of Australia as a whole. The priorities provide national, regional and global dimensions which will enrich the curriculum through development of considered and focused content that fits naturally within learning areas. Incorporation of the priorities will encourage conversations between students, teachers and the wider community.

The cross-curriculum priorities include:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
• Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
• Sustainability

Glossary

This language support resource provides language structures and features for this course. This list is not exhaustive and is intended as a guide.

 Vocabulary Categories

• animals
• numbers
• colours
• body parts as appropriate, e.g. hair, eyes
• family
• friends
• days of the week
• date
• greetings, leave-taking
• time including the 24-hour clock
• school, school subjects and school items
• daily routine
• part-time employment
• means of transport
• seasons and common weather expressions
• food
• places around the local community
• names of regions, countries, cities
• sports and hobbies
• entertainment and media
• the Arts
• places including city, countryside, mountains, sea, beach, etc
• directions
• travel

Language structures and features for this course

This list is not exhaustive and is intended as a guide. 

Δ incidental use for recognition

Further guidance: text types, styles of writing and dictionary use

Text types

The following text types apply to all modules of German Level 2. Teachers will select text types for each module based on the knowledge, skills, experience and interests of learners. Learners will be expected to be able to use the text types listed below in assessment tasks.

• Blog post
• Email
• Invitation
• Journal or diary entry
• Message or note
• Brochure
• Script of a speech
• Transcript of an interview
• Informal letter

Styles of writing

Teacher-developed tasks for Criterion 4 and Criterion 5:

• will include purpose, context, process, product and audience
• may be personal, informative, descriptive, either individually or in combination.

Dictionaries

Learners are encouraged to use monolingual and/or bilingual dictionaries. Use of dictionaries is part of a range of strategies that learners can apply in order to:

• learn to mediate between languages
• reflect on language use
• understand the context for language use
• understand language as a system
• understand the limitations of resources and technologies.

Successful use of dictionaries and translation technologies requires students to understand the characteristics of vocabulary in GermanΔ and how German is presented in reference texts. Effective dictionary use is a skill that assists students to develop critical thinking skills, strategies for accurately confirming meaning and creating interest to engage an audience. It is expected that teachers will help students to develop the necessary skills and confidence to use dictionaries effectively. (CCAFL 2021).

Δ The use of German is taken directly from the CCAFL. It is a national framework which does not refer to individual languages. Where these aspects of the alignment appear elsewhere in the body of this course document, they have been identified in relation to the relevant language: German.