GERMAN
1B
German I,
Second Semester
CBE Review (ONLINE
)
#F0084, F0088 (v.3.1)
3/21
To the Student:
After your registration is complete, you may take the online Credit by Examination for
GERMAN 1B.
ABOUT THE EXAM
The examination for the second semester of German, Level I, is in two parts:
• CBE Spoken Assignment: compose and record a reading assignment = 20 points
◊ You must have access to a device and software for recording digital sound media,
including a microphone (either built-in or external). Your software must be able to
record in .wav or .mp3 format. The Spoken Assignment must be recorded and
uploaded to the Blackboard CBE site before you can access the Quiz portion of
the exam.
◊ Instructions for recording your Spoken Assignment are included on page 3 of this
document.
• CBE Quiz: 60 multiple choice questions worth 2 points each, and a writing section.
◊ Listening Comprehension: listen and respond to audio clips
◊ Reading Comprehension
◊ Grammar and Structures
◊ Vocabulary
◊ Culture
◊ Interpersonal Writing (20 points)
The exam is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for this subject. All
TEKS are assessed. The full list of TEKS is included in this document (it is also available online
at the Texas Education Agency website). The TEKS outline specific topics covered in the exam,
as well as more general areas of knowledge and levels of critical thinking. Use the TEKS to
focus your study in preparation for the exam.
The examination will take place under supervision, and the recommended time limit is three
hours. You may not use any notes or books. A percentage score from the examination will be
reported to the official at your school.
A list of key concepts is included in this document to focus your studies. It is important to
prepare adequately. Since questions are not taken from any one source, you can prepare by
reviewing any of the state-adopted textbooks such as Deutsch Aktuell or Komm Mit!
Good luck on your examination!
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German 1B Key Concepts
The German 1B CBE encompasses the following knowledge and skills:
1. Listening Comprehension: You will listen to recordings of statements and questions.
Tasks include (but are not limited to) determining
• school subjects and when the classes take place;
• whether statements describe weather, chores, a restaurant visit, or clothes; and
• telling time.
2. Vocabulary: Your knowledge of vocabulary will be tested by your ability to
• match prices and school supplies,
• identify vocabulary and phrases describing chores, and
• interpret weather descriptions.
3. Reading: In this section, you will be asked to read a brief selection about a shopping
experience and answer multiple-choice questions in German and English about the text.
4. Vocabulary/Culture: In this section, you will demonstrate your understanding of
German school and German classes by answering multiple-choice questions about a
German report card. This sections requires specific knowledge of German vocabulary
pertaining to school.
5. Culture: In this section, you will be tested in a true/false format on general cultural
differences between German-speaking countries and the U.S., including (but not limited
to) climate and restaurant etiquette.
6. Grammar: Grammar will be tested in a multiple-choice format. You will be asked to
• conjugate present-tense forms of irregular verbs such as einladen, essen, fahren,
geben, gefallen, helfen, laufen, lesen, nehmen, sehen, sprechen, and tragen;
• use a separable-prefix verb correctly in a sentence;
• personal pronouns in nominative and accusative cases;
• identify the correct indirect object pronoun (accusative case);
• identify the correct negation in a sentence (nicht vs. any nominative or accusative
form of kein);
• conjugate modal verbs (müssen, möchten, wollen, dürfen, sollen, können);
• identify whether a sentence is a du, ihr, or Sie-command, or not a command form; and
• form a du, ihr, or Sie-command based on the subject clue given.
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7. Writing: In this section, you will be asked to write a 100-word composition in German
based on a German class schedule. You will be asked to:
• use sequencing phrases (first, then, after that, at ...o’clock, from...till, after ....);
• express liking and disliking using finden, gern, gefallen, and mögen;
• express that something is your favorite, and something is fun; and
• use basic, modal, and compound sentences.
8. Speaking: In this section, you will be asked to record yourself giving a presentation
about what activities and chores you do on a specific day, and you want, have to, and
are supposed to do. You will be given five pictures with times and activities to describe
the day.
Vocabulary and Culture
The following topics may appear on questions throughout the exam.
• clothing
• birthdays and special occasions
• entertainment and free-time activities
• gift ideas
• chores
• restaurant etiquette
• weather
• European countries and capitals
• Celsius temperatures
• telling time (informal and 24-hour clock)
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Instructions for Spoken Assignment
The CBE Spoken Assignment must be recorded and uploaded to the Blackboard CBE site
before completing the Quiz portion of the exam. You will not be able to access the Quiz until
your recorded Spoken Assignment is uploaded for grading.
1. Go to the Blackboard CBE site for details about the Spoken Assignment.
2. Record the assignment clearly and completely (in German).
3. You can use the Text Submission box that appears when you click on the Write
Submission button in the assignment submission section to type notes to help you in
completing this assignment, but remember that only your verbal response will be graded.
4. When both parts of your assignment are ready, click the Submit button to submit the
assignment for grading.
In order for you to receive the best possible score on your speech sample, please follow these
guidelines:
1. At the beginning of your recording, clearly state your full name and which exam you are
recording for—e.g., “My name is John Smith and this is my recording for German 1B
CBE, Set A.”
2. Make your speech sample in German; we cannot give credit for translations or oral
compositions in English or any other language.
3. Do not use any vulgar or obscene language on your recording; we give no credit when
that occurs.
4. Do not whisper, whistle, or whack the microphone; our ears are sensitive.
5. Check the volume and quality of your recording; make sure that it is loud enough to be
heard easily and that there is no excessive background noise.
6. Additional audio help is provided in the “Audio Help” document on the CBE home page.
Before recording, check to be sure that your recording equipment functions well and that you
have set the volume controls correctly. Be sure that you are close enough to the microphone so
that your voice is recorded as clearly as possible. Test and play back a short section to be sure
that your speech sample will be easily heard and understood by the examiner. Take a few
minutes to look over and think through what you will be recording.
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Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
GERMAN 1 – German, Level I
§114.39. Level I, Novice Mid to Novice High Proficiency (One Credit), Adopted 2014.
(a) General requirements.
(1) Level I can be offered in elementary, middle, or high school. At the high school level, students shall be
awarded one credit for successful completion of this course. There is no prerequisite for this course.
(2) Students of logographic languages such as Chinese and Japanese and non-Romance and non-Germanic
languages such as Arabic and Russian will require more time to achieve proficiency, especially in reading and
writing. Initially, the skill focus should be placed on speaking and listening without ignoring reading and
writing in the target language's writing system. As the students become more proficient, a balanced emphasis of
all four skills becomes more attainable.
(3) Districts may offer a level of a language in a variety of scheduling arrangements that may extend or reduce
the traditional schedule when careful consideration is given to the instructional time available on a campus and
the language ability, access to programs, and motivation of students.
(b) Introduction.
(1) The study of world languages is an essential part of education. In the 21st century language classroom,
students gain an understanding of two basic aspects of human existence: the nature of communication and the
complexity of culture. Students become aware of multiple perspectives and means of expression, which lead to
an appreciation of difference and diversity. Further benefits of foreign language study include stronger
cognitive development, increased creativity, and divergent thinking. Students who effectively communicate in
more than one language, with an appropriate understanding of cultural context, are globally literate and possess
the attributes of successful participants in the world community.
(2) Communication is the overarching goal of world language instruction. Students should be provided ample
opportunities to engage in conversations, to present information to an audience, and to interpret culturally
authentic materials in the language of study. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
(ACTFL) identifies three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational.
(A) In the interpersonal mode of communication, students engage in direct oral or written communication
with others. Examples of this "two-way" communication include but are not limited to conversing face to
face, participating in digital discussions and messaging, and exchanging personal letters.
(B) In the interpretive mode of communication, students demonstrate understanding of spoken and written
communication within appropriate cultural contexts. Examples of this type of "one-way" reading or
listening include but are not limited to comprehension of digital texts as well as print, audio, and
audiovisual materials.
(C) In the presentational mode of communication, students present orally or in writing information,
concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers with whom there is no immediate interaction.
Examples of this "one-to-many" mode of communication include but are not limited to presenting to a
group; creating and posting digital content; or writing reports, compositions, or articles for a magazine or
newspaper.
(3) The use of age-level appropriate and culturally authentic resources is imperative to support the teaching of
the essential knowledge and skills for languages other than English (LOTE). The use of culturally authentic
resources in world language study enables students to make connections with other content areas, to compare
the language and culture studied with their own, and to participate in local and global communities.
(4) Students recognize the importance of acquiring accuracy of expression by knowing the components of
language, including grammar, syntax, register, appropriate discourse level, and text type.
(5) Students in Level I are expected to reach a proficiency level of Novice Mid to Novice High, as defined in
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 and the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners.
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(A) Students at the Novice Mid proficiency level express meaning in highly predictable contexts through
the use of memorized and recalled words and phrases. They are best able to understand aural cognates,
borrowed words, and high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases with repetition. Novice Mid
students may be difficult to understand by the most sympathetic listeners and readers accustomed to dealing
with language learners. Novice Mid students are inconsistently successful when performing Novice-level
tasks.
(B) Students at the Novice High proficiency level express meaning in simple, predictable contexts through
the use of learned and recombined phrases and short sentences. They are best able to understand sentence-
length information within highly contextualized situations and sources. Novice High students may
generally be understood by sympathetic listeners and readers accustomed to dealing with language learners.
Novice High students are consistently successful when performing Novice-level tasks. Novice High
students show evidence of Intermediate Low proficiency but lack consistency.
(C) By the end of Level I, students of logographic languages should perform on a Novice Mid proficiency
level for reading and writing. In listening and speaking, students of logographic languages should perform
on a Novice Mid to Novice High proficiency level.
(D) Students who have fully or partially acquired the skills required at each proficiency level through home
or other immersion experiences are known as heritage speakers. Heritage speakers may be allowed to
accelerate based on their ability to demonstrate a proficiency in the Texas essential knowledge and skills
for LOTE across all modes of communication at the prescribed proficiency level.
(6) Statements containing the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing
the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Interpersonal communication: speaking and writing. The student negotiates meaning through the spoken and
written exchange of information in rehearsed and unrehearsed situations in a variety of contexts. The student
uses a mixture of words and phrases and some simple sentences with appropriate and applicable grammar
structures and processes at the specified proficiency levels. The student is expected to:
(A) ask and respond to questions about everyday life in spoken and written conversation;
(B) express and exchange personal opinions or preferences in spoken and written conversation;
(C) ask and tell others what they need to, should, or must do in spoken and written conversation;
(D) articulate requests, offer alternatives, or develop simple plans in spoken and written conversation;
(E) participate in spoken conversation using culturally appropriate expressions, register, and gestures; and
(F) participate in written conversation using culturally appropriate expressions, register, and style.
(2) Interpretive communication: reading and listening. The student comprehends sentence-length information
from culturally authentic print, digital, audio, and audiovisual materials as appropriate within highly
contextualized situations and sources. The student uses the interpretive mode in communication with
appropriate and applicable grammatical structures and processes at the specified proficiency levels. The student
is expected to:
(A) demonstrate an understanding of culturally authentic print, digital, audio, and audiovisual materials in
everyday contexts;
(B) identify key words and details from fiction and nonfiction texts and audio and audiovisual materials;
(C) infer meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases in highly contextualized texts, audio, and audiovisual
materials; and
(D) identify cultural practices from authentic print, digital, audio, and audiovisual materials.
(3) Presentational communication: speaking and writing. The student presents information orally and in writing
using a mixture of words and phrases and some simple sentences with appropriate and applicable grammar
structures and processes at the specified proficiency levels. The student is expected to:
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(A) state and support an opinion or preference orally and in writing; and
(B) describe people, objects, and simple situations orally and in writing using a mixture of words, phrases,
and simple sentences.
Source: The provisions of this §114.39 adopted to be effective July 15, 2014, 39 TexReg 5385.
