GCE EXAMINERS' REPORTS
GERMAN
AS/Advanced
SUMMER 2013
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
Grade boundary information for this subject is available on the WJEC public website at:
https://www.wjecservices.co.uk/MarkToUMS/default.aspx?l=en
Online results analysis
WJEC provides information to examination centres via the WJEC secure website. This is
restricted to centre staff only. Access is granted to centre staff by the Examinations Officer
at the centre.
Annual Statistical Report
The annual Statistical Report (issued in the second half of the Autumn Term) gives overall
outcomes of all examinations administered by WJEC. This will be available at:
http://www.wjec.co.uk/index.php?nav=51
Unit
Page
GN1
1
GN2
4
GN3
7
GN4
10
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
GERMAN
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2013
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
Principal Examiner:
Dr. Jo Desch
GN1 - Oral examination
Centres were again most cooperative when examiners contacted them in order to arrange the
visits. That is appreciated in particular where examiners have to travel a fair distance in order to
visit two schools on the same day and there is often little or no time for a quick lunch break in
between. In such cases, a couple of centres had arranged even to have a snack ready for the
examiner on arrival. Where parking was a problem some centres had reserved a parking bay.
As in the past, centres had also made every effort to provide suitable premises for these tests to
take place. It was not always possible to have the examination room and preparation room very
close together, occasionally they were even on different floors. That sometimes led to time being
lost between tests so that the time slots between candidates needed to be extended. However,
that again caused no problems. There always needs to be some flexibility in the day’s timetable,
and one or two examiners were put under undue pressure because the timetable devised by the
centre was too rigid. It is not reasonable to expect time slots to be kept within a minute’s
tolerance or less. Nor is it a good idea to book the examination room for another subject just five
minutes after the scheduled end of examinations.
Whenever possible, examiners again talked to the whole group of candidates beforehand. It
helps to ‘break the ice’ and enables candidates to ask general questions and get some idea of
the examiner speaking German. Although candidates are usually familiar with the format of the
exam it may be reassuring to hear it again from the examiner.
GN1(a) Tests conducted by visiting examiners
The standards achieved by the candidates this year were generally similar to 2012 with some
very competent candidates scoring marks in the high 50s as well as an increasing number of
native speakers. Their presence in the school usually works well and has a beneficial and
motivational influence on the other students.
Part One
On the whole candidates coped well with the pictures. Sometimes, however, they had difficulty in
going into detail on some of the activities involved, and only the better ones found a way around
missing vocabulary – which is a skill that needs to be fostered more. There seems to be a
perception of candidates having to be taught all the vocabulary they ever need in these exams,
but that can never be achieved. One of the cards, for example, depicted a sheep stranded on a
rooftop and being rescued by a fireman. Few knew the word Schaf and most simply used Tier.
Others said something like Es tut mir leid, ich kenne das Wort nicht, wie heißt das (Tier) auf
Deutsch? – a perfect response that scores marks towards communication. It should be
remembered that this is not a vocabulary test but one of conversational skills. In this particular
case, the better candidates then moved on to discuss whether or not it was appropriate for a
public service to be used for this type of rescue operation, and one or two mentioned newspaper
reports on cats being hauled down from trees.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
1
‘Traditionen’ was another card that caught candidates’ imagination, though not all cottoned on
immediately to the couple with a child getting married. However, virtually all regarded the change
in society towards more open relationships and less rigid conformity as a positive sign of
tolerance.
The three starter questions all worked reasonably well, and in general it was the last of the three
that brought about true discussion. Candidates should however guard against writing copious
notes on each of the questions which they sometimes want to read out. They will invariably be
interrupted since the essence of the test is communication, not a couple of elaborately phrased
answers.
Part Two
In the general conversation, when asked about their interests, candidates should try to go
beyond ‘weil es interessant ist’ as a reason for doing something. Since one of their subjects is
German they can expect the obvious question ‘Warum hast du Deutsch gewählt?’ and ’Warum
ist Deutsch interessant?’ – especially in an unusual combination of subjects. If the favourite
subject is English Literature they can expect to be asked about their favourite book or play,
what interests them about it, and that excursus might also involve key words learned
beforehand – Roman? Schauspiel? Autor/Schriftsteller? The same applies when they say their
favourite pastime is going to the cinema, and they might expect a question or two on a film
they had seen recently. Candidates talking about Drama as one of their interests or school
subjects should surely be familiar with terms like Bühne, Bühnenbild, Szene, inszenieren,
aufführen, Aufführung, etc.
Indeed, it is surprising that only the better students prepare a field of vocabulary on interests
and hobbies they can expect to talk about, e.g. ‘Stadion’ or ‘Liga’ when the main interest is
being a football supporter; ‘Geld ausgeben’ (rather than spenden) with ‘Einkaufen’, Kurs,
Studium, Vorlesung, Seminar, Wohnheim, with ‘Universität’ etc..
An interesting number of Anglicisms appeared regularly this year: ich chille, chatte, surfe, gehe
shoppen – and quite a few more. Alas, Germany has nothing comparable to the Académie
Française to curb that deluge of ever-so-with-it jargon. However, it poses a question of using
the right register at the right time, a skill not yet mastered by all.
GN1(b) Tests conducted by teachers
Recordings were again submitted in a variety of formats and on different media, which did not
cause any problems this year. However, the vast majority of centres had burnt their recordings
to CDs. However, not all were clearly labelled. In a few cases neither the centre number or
name nor any of the candidates’ details had been entered, not even recorded verbally on the
CD itself. That is not particularly helpful when one has to handle hundreds of CDs that all look
alike.
CDs must be clearly identifiable by centre number and name and must include candidate
details. Wherever possible, files should be renamed, i.e. the computer generated track number
replaced with the student number and name. Some teachers recorded general data such as
centre details, date of recording, the names of teacher(s) conducting the tests or any other
relevant details in a separate file. That is helpful and saves repeating those details at the start
of every test.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
2
On some recordings the volume levels varied from one recording to another, which is not a
real problem unless they are too low generally. Sometimes, however, they were out of
balance, and either the candidate or the teacher could not be heard clearly. It would be helpful
if teachers could check the recordings before sending them off.
A number of centres again submitted their recordings well past the stipulated deadline, and
this was noted, especially where the digitally recorded dates indicated that the tests had taken
place after the deadline.
Timings were generally correct, give and take a minute; but in exceptional cases some tests
were consistently too short (12 minutes) and quite a few were far too long, some well over 20
minutes. Candidates do not gain extra marks from over-long tests.
As in previous years, the level and quality of interaction varied considerably from one centre to
another, depending on whether teachers followed a set pattern for each candidate or whether
they followed up the candidates’ responses and expanded on them, thereby allowing the
conversation to develop more naturally and spontaneously. That meant plenty of ad hoc
answers and comments formulated there and then, resulting in genuine interaction. In a
pleasingly high number of centres teachers succeeded in generating lively and often wide
ranging conversations that were mostly enjoyed on both sides.
On the other hand, there was again plenty of evidence in some centres of prepared or even
rehearsed conversations, where candidates gave virtually identical answers to virtually
identical questions, acknowledged by confirming comments such as ja, das stimmt or genau!
and without any challenge or follow-up whatsoever. In those cases there was little, if any,
evidence of spontaneous answers, and most were standard responses that would have
suited a variety of questions. As a result, there was a fair amount of repetition and a sense of
candidates being presented in standardised question-and-answer sessions rather than being
tested and engaged in ‘natural’, individual conversations.
Teachers should bear in mind that examiners can award marks only in strict accordance with
the marking scheme. Candidates will not score top marks for spontaneity and interaction if
they are allowed to give pre-learnt, extended responses, however ‘fluent’ they appear to be.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
3
GERMAN
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2013
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
Principal Examiner:
Renate Jahn
GN2 - Listening, Reading and Responding
The paper posed no major problems, and a number of candidates achieved high marks in the
first part of the paper. Most marks were lost in the translation section Aufgabe 5 and in the
essay.
In Aufgabe 1, some students lifted directly from the text to answer the questions. Once again,
candidates must be advised that their answers must satisfy the demands of the question and not
simply state particulars that may relate to the question in some way. In this case, for example, a
small number of candidates copied parts of Jens’ fourth speech in order to answer question 4,
but stating that das ist irgendwie ganz verrückt (copied directly from the listening text) does not
answer the question Was hält Jens von der leisen Disko? An appropriate answer would have
been: Er denkt, dass sie ganz verrückt ist. In answer to question 3 (Wieso tanzen die
Diskobesucher unterschiedlich?) some students copied the sentence: Manchmal tanzt neben dir
jemand zu einem ganz anderen Rhythmus und singt einen ganz anderen Song mit. However,
this quote from the listening text, just rephrases the question but does not answer it. A number of
candidates misinterpreted the first line of the listening text: Heidi wollen wir nicht mal zusammen
in die “leise Disko” gehen? They did not know that nicht mal can be used for suggesting an
activity and therefore wrote: Er möchte nicht in die Disko gehen in response to question 1, was
möchte Jens am Abend machen? A number of candidates lost marks in question 2 since they
were not familiar with the German word for headphones. Kopfführer was a frequent offering.
Other candidates claimed that there was no music and no DJs, which was not true since there
was music in those discos but you simply could not hear it without headphones. Answers such
as es gibt keine Musik und keine DJs could therefore not be credited. In answer to question 6,
quite a few candidates wrote Sie will miteinander sprechen.
Aufgabe 2
Surprisingly, the past participle of kennen caused problems for many candidates who, one would
expect, use the German equivalents of ‘to know’ – kennen/wissen – quite frequently in the
classroom. Some candidates failed to recognise that in the context of the passage sein
represented a possessive pronoun rather than the infinitive of ‘to be’.
Aufgabe 3, Teil 1
There is still a tendency to insert the first word that springs to mind without first reading the whole
sentence, for example entfernen for question 4 instead of erfahren (…kann nach Eintippen …
erfahren), and öffentlich instead of hoffentlich in question 6. Both answers may be
grammatically correct but they do contradict the context and were therefore wrong. The user of
this website is, of course, not able to delete what others have written (qu.4 – eintippen –
entfernen), and a bookcrosser would not release a book publicly since it would spoil the fun
(qu.6) – though admittedly that was not quite as easy to conclude from the context – and
intentionally so. Careful re-reading of the passage could also have avoided a loss of mark for
question 9: Frequent answers were Meilen rather than Länder. Candidates most probably
overlooked the word ‘in’: Wie viele Meilen andere Bücher gereist sind might make sense, but in
wie viele Meilen andere Bücher gereist sind does not.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
4
Aufgabe 3, Teil 2
As in previous years, this exercise was generally done well, with a good number of
candidates scoring high marks. Only questions e and g, caused problems, possibly
because the words Gefängnis and Fabrik were not known. However, no mention of criminal
students or student jobs was made in the text, which should have given some indication that
those statements could only be wrong.
Aufgabe 3, Teil 3
A good proportion of students scored high marks in this task but marks were lost because
either the answers were not precise enough or were devoid of any logic. For question 1, for
instance, some students just mentioned Osnabrück, which of course is not precise enough
since the question specifically asks Where exactly in Germany is the smallest hall of
residence? In answer to question 4 What does she get for 210 Euros? a number of
candidates wrote the rent which is what the landlord gets, not the resident. When attempting
question 5, a few students claimed that Juliane Ketzer’s bed doubled up as a writing desk,
which is an interesting idea, bearing in mind that the accommodation is so small; but
unfortunately that contradicts the text.
Aufgabe 4
Overall students scored high marks in this part of the exam, with many achieving at least
one point for each sentence. Careful checking of answers could have avoided losing marks
by overlooking words such as fast or noch. In many cases, deshalb was wrongly identified
as a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause and for that reason a high proportion of
candidates placed the verb at the end of the sentence, which resulted in the loss of both
marks. The third question proved to be the most difficult one since it was not obvious straight
away what the subject was. Some students even changed Lesen to Leser, which led to an
incorrect answer. A frequent version of this sentence was befreit das Buch nach dem Finder
der Lesen. In this case, the verb is in the correct position but the choice of subject is wrong
and, therefore, no points could be awarded. Some candidates seem to complete this
exercise rather too mechanically, placing the verb correctly in second position, but giving
little thought to the rest of the sentence.
Aufgabe 5, Teil 1
A number of candidates struggled with this first translation task, partly because of a lack of
vocabulary. Words such as beliebt, Bewohner, ungewöhnlich, and even Wohnzimmer turned
out to be stumbling blocks. The concept of ungewöhnlich posed difficulties to the majority of
candidates, as many related it to ‘wohnen’. As a result, some translation attempts such as In
other parts of Germany there are also uninhabitable student flats misrepresented the
meaning of the sentence. Some students are not sufficiently aware of the rubric which
specifically stresses the need for good English. Frequent offerings for Jeder hat sein eigenes
Zimmer were Everybody has there own room for which full marks could not be awarded.
Likewise, words like inhabitants and inmates instead of residents could not be credited even
though they did indicate understanding of the German text. However, candidates are
expected to show a sound command of their own language and to be able to choose lexis
appropriate to the given context.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
5
Aufgabe 5, Teil 2
A number of candidates struggled with this exercise since some vocabulary items caused
problems e.g. vorstellen, auskommen, Stadtmauer and ungefähr. Whenever students got
stuck with a phrase they became very creative: “Ich hatte es mir kleiner vorgestellt” was
translated by a number of candidates as “Ever since I was small I wanted to live there” or “I
have lived in small places.” The most adventurous translations for ungefähr were
unendangered or safe. Stadtmauer was translated as town mayor, town builder or even hill.
Some sentences were translated into anything but good English. Translations such as she
has lived in the house on the town wall since two years indicate that some candidates either
have insufficient grasp of grammar and structures in their own native language, or they have
simply not checked their answers carefully enough. Few candidates made an attempt at
natural everyday English, as suggested by the rubric, and many left gaps in their answers.
Aufgabe 6
A fair number of candidates were able to achieve high marks with well-reasoned essays
written in clear fluent language, showing sound command of the grammar. There was a clear
preference for the first essay title, i.e. Ich möchte nicht studieren! Studenten haben zu viel
Prüfungsstress, kein Geld und ein viel zu kleines Zimmer! Unfortunately a small minority of
students misunderstood the title and applied it to studying at school. Even though those
students must have studied the topic education they were not aware of the two opposing
concepts Studenten studieren ein Fach an der Universität and Schüler lernen ein Fach in der
Schule. Other candidates applied the title to university students but discussed the title in
general terms by weighing up the pros and cons without reference to Prüfungsstress, Geld,
kleines Zimmer. In some cases candidates even redefined the title in their introduction e.g.
Studieren an der Uni ist ein viel diskutiertes Thema. Ich werde die Vor- und Nachteile des
Studiums diskutieren.
The third title also proved to be very popular “Sport schadet der Gesundheit.Viele Leute
verletzen sich beim Sport oder bekommen ernste gesundheitliche Probleme”. The majority
of students presented relevant ideas and well thought out arguments. Rather than focussing
on the dangers or benefits of sport a small minority of candidates turned this essay into an
essay on advantages of healthy eating. Similarly, the second title was in some cases turned
into a general essay on hobbies, and the specific focus of the title was ignored, which, of
course, resulted in a loss of marks for quality of response. On the whole, essays on the
fourth question were quite perceptive. Some candidates advocated that men should feel
hard done by when they have to help at home and that some men think that there is too
much competition on the job market with so many capable women applying for demanding
jobs. Some candidates also felt that the newly gained rights of women gave men more
choices, for example by giving them the option to stay with their children rather than going to
work.
Word order remains a major stumbling block for a great number of students, even for those
who tackled the word order exercise successfully. Careful checking with an eye on grammar
and sentence structure could have avoided many such mistakes. Semantically related words
were often used inappropriately, e.g. anders, verschieden and unterschiedlich.
Possessive and reflexive pronouns are only mastered by the more capable students. Even
the basic distinction between meine and deine was frequently ignored, leading to sentences
that were factually inaccurate, e.g. wenn ich studiere bezahlen deine Eltern für Studium.
A high number of candidates fail to use conjunctions such as sondern, trotzdem and statt
appropriately e.g. *Sondern studieren möchte ich arbeiten. *Trotzdem ich gute Noten habe,
habe ich Prüfungsangst.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
6
GERMAN
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2013
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
Principal Examiners:
Renate Jahn
GN3 - Oral examination
Summary
A sizable proportion of candidates scored marks well into the 50s. This was partly due to an
increasingly high proportion of native German speakers or candidates who had spent their
childhood in Germany. This does, indeed, have fortuitous educational merits for non-native
learners. Indeed, there is no indication that the work of our native students suffers from the
perceived ‘dominance’ of German speakers and lags behind. The reverse seems to be the case:
There is a good deal of evidence from examination outcomes in those centres that students with
a German background have a positive influence generally on their fellow students’ motivation
and individualistic, non-conformist approaches to their studies, not to mention the enhanced
inter-cultural awareness. That is borne out not only by their oral exposés and discussions but
also by the way in which they set about addressing the essay questions in GN4.
Speaking
The comments made in the AS report about administrative arrangements apply here in equal
measure. Examiners appreciated the excellent cooperation with colleagues in all but a handful of
centres. The tests were usually arranged in sessions of five tests, though that could vary
depending on the centre’s lunch break, students’ travel arrangements and other circumstances.
Most centres allocated 25-30 minutes per test which gives examiners time in addition to the
actual tests for administrative duties such as reorganising the cards, handing out a card to the
next candidate without haste and exchanging a few friendly words before each test.
Structured Discussion
As always, candidates chose one of two cards presented to them. The choice is not, as was
understood in some centres, between the two topic areas but between two aspects that could
relate either to one and the same topic area or to one of each. So that candidates could make an
informed choice, the examiner briefly outlined what the text was about. This year there was
again a strong preference for themes related to the environment, therefore Kaufen war gestern,
heute ist Tauschen and Das Leben findet wieder im Dorf statt were very popular. On the whole,
students were able to discuss the topics in a knowledgeable way. In response to the card on the
Oekodorf, for instance, most students gave their reasoned arguments as to why they would or
would not like to live in this village. Strangely enough, most assumed that they could not make
use of their electronic gadgets such as computers, laptops or mobile phones even though they
had explained earlier how electricity was produced via solar panels. Few chose ‘Occupy
Frankfurt’ when offered, but those who did showed real interest and were able to sustain an
animated discussion either for or against demonstrations against capitalism and the dominating
role of banks in a supposedly free market.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
7
The starter questions on the cards are intended to set a few pointers and make the candidate
think about some aspects of the text. Examiners do not expect a mini-exposé on each, and
notes should be kept brief so that candidates are not tempted to read them out – and sacrifice
marks through poor intonation. This is not a test in reading comprehension, and a candidate will
lose no marks if he or she does not fully understand every aspect and ask the examiner one or
two questions for clarification. They should bear in mind that they will be assessed on
communication, i.e. on what they make of the text and how well they can express and defend
their views on it and on related aspects.
Very occasionally, teachers objected to candidates being ‘interrupted’, which in most cases
meant that they had not been allowed to read out lengthy statements. It should be remembered
that candidates need to be able to withstand robust questioning in order to get marks in the
higher bands. The ability to present opinions and viewpoints in good German, and being able to
support them when challenged, is what examiners are looking for in order to award high marks.
Oral Exposé
The majority of exposés were within the time limit, well structured and including some open
questions to be discussed afterwards. Most were based on films or books taken from the set
list, with Good bye Lenin and Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei being the most popular, closely
followed by Jenseits der Stille; but some other films or books were also used, for example
Neger, Neger Schornsteinfeger, Die Fremde, Sommer in Orange, Hitlerjunge Salomon, Die
Welle, Das Experiment, Der Untergang, Der Krieger und die Kaiserin and Sophie Scholl - die
letzten Tage; Der Mauerspringer, Der Verdacht, Leben des Galilei, Die Architekten, Jugend
ohne Gott.
Most candidates had heeded the advice given in the Teachers’ Guide and in previous
reports and had prepared their exposé in answer to a question, which made them take an
analytical rather than descriptive approach to their presentation straight away; for example:
Wie porträtiert Weingartner das Thema der freien Liebe in dem Film “Die fetten Jahre sind
vorbei”? – Wer sind “die Anderen” in dem Film “Das Leben der Anderen”? – Welche Rolle
spielt das Thema ‘Gerechtigkeit’ in “Die fetten Jahre…”?. Wie beantwortet der Film seine
Titelfrage: „Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken?“ –Wie wichtig ist die Rolle des Schicksals in
„Lola rennt“? – Warum lügt Alex? and Welche filmischen Mittel benutzt Becker, um seine
Geschichte zu erzählen? (Good Bye Lenin) – Welche moralischen Konflikte stellt der Film
dar? (Die Fälscher). Was sind die Gründe für Christa-Marias Aktionen? (Das Leben der
Anderen).
Many fascinating conversations indicated that the students had taken a real interest in their
chosen book or film and were able to discuss it from an analytical point of view. On the
whole, candidates rose to the challenges and provocative statements posed by the
examiner.
There were only very few exposés on Regions, and all but a handful dealt descriptively with
an isolated aspect of the region. Frequently they lacked substance and provided no basis for
an evaluative discussion. Whenever the examiner tried to branch out into more general
aspects of the region in relation to points made in the exposé, candidates struggled because
they were not familiar enough with their chosen region as a whole. All too often this option is
chosen because candidates assume that an exposé could be quickly cobbled together
courtesy of Google and without much research. However, the shortcomings of such a shortsighted approach will show up the candidate’s limitations all too clearly in the discussion.
The demands of studying a region is intended to be comparable to studying a book or a film,
and any short-cuts will doubtless lead to disappointing results.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
8
As pronunciation carries 10 marks out of 60, students need to be advised to take greater
care when delivering their exposé. In their attempt to stay within the time limit and because
they are nervous they often reel off their exposé and fail to pronounce words properly so that
in extreme cases the examiner finds it difficult to follow their message. Frequently the same
candidates were able to pronounce the characteristic German sounds quite correctly during
the discussion when they no longer felt under pressure of time. In most cases, the notes for
exposés followed the recommendation advising that there should be no more than
approximately 10 headings.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
9
GERMAN
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2013
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
Principal Examiners:
Renate Jahn
Dr. Jo Desch
GN4 - Listening, Reading and Writing
Aufgabe 1
Most candidates coped very well with Aufgabe 1 (Listening Comprehension). There were no
obvious problems and, as answers were given in English, candidates were able to show their
understanding easily. One or two non-native speakers of English made mistakes which affected
their communication, but those who were native speakers of German, were clearly compensated
for this in the questions where answers in German were required.
A very small number of candidates answered some or all of the questions in this exercise in
German. Their efforts clearly had to go unrewarded. The standard of their German in other
questions did not give the impression that lack of ability had led to this mistake. It probably arose
from lack of attention to the rubric, perhaps owing to exam nerves.
Most wrong answers were in response to question 5 where some candidates judged ‘a bonus
for living expenses’ (“Lebenslauf”) as one of the benefits of the project. Others saw it as ‘useful
experience for the future’ or ‘in future jobs’ whereas the text stated that the experience might
help them decide on a future career.
Aufgabe 2, Teil 1
Teil 1 (Reading Comprehension) was generally done to a high standard, with many candidates
gaining full marks. The confusion between Essen and essen anticipated at the examiners’
conference did not occur, with the vast majority of candidates choosing the correct word. Some
candidates, however, put Essen as an answer to (2) instead of Lebensmitteln, not realising that
this would not fit grammatically in (6). Conversely, exotischen was sometimes picked instead of
einfachen in (8). This fits grammatically, but does not convey the message of the text. In (3),
gekocht was a fairly common error, and in (4) many more candidates suggested that die Gäste
aßen / essen / bezahlen ... die Zutaten rather than the meals. General assumptions led some
candidates to assume that it was schwer rather than schön (7) to cook a meal mit exotischen
rather than einfachen (8) Mitteln.
Teil 2 was very well done. Many candidates gained full marks and it was rare for a candidate to
gain less than three out of four marks on this question. Some candidates ticked five boxes,
which lost them a mark off the number of otherwise correctly ticked boxes.
The open ended questions in Teil 3 and Teil 4 again caused problems, irrespective of whether
the questions were in German or English/Welsh. Why do candidates not READ the question first
and reflect on it before they put pen to paper or look for words in the text that may be vaguely
related to the question? They must be advised once again that, although answers need not be
complete sentences, they must be unambiguous and relate directly to the question as set. Oneword answers did not satisfy those demands in virtually all cases; e.g. die Tafel (1), falsch
geliefert / verpackt (2), Arbeitslosigkeit (3) or Studentinnen (4). Incidentally, few candidates
seemed to be able to differentiate between Studenten and Studentinnen – at least not
linguistically. In answer to the question about the students’ everyday life (4) one candidate
thought that Stella und Maureen sind ein kulinarisches Erlebnis der besonderen Art.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
10
Answers in Teil 4 frequently ignored the correct tense. In (1), the contrast was between meals
and ingredients, not between prices and ingredients, and therefore the latter was not accepted.
In (3), what they could afford was not accepted as a correct answer because the point was their
appreciation of the meal, not their ability to pay. Indeed, some candidates understood the
RESTaurant to be some sort of soup kitchen for those who could not afford a proper meal,
whereas it was in fact intended to raise money – as became abundantly clear with the next
question that was frequently answered correctly by the very same candidates who made a hash
of the previous one. Don’t they ever take time to reflect?
Question (5) was where most marks were lost. In answer to the question ‘What do Stella and
Maureen now have to decide?’ many candidates wrote about continuing, or the equivalent,
rather than repeating the event. Even if the experiment is to be made a permanent feature,
there will be a break. Moreover, the point was not how, but whether to repeat it.
Aufgabe 3
Translations can be done! That was demonstrated again by some excellent translations by
candidates who, rather than put pen to paper straight away, had read the text, reflected upon
it, sat back to recast it in a mode that they felt comfortable with. They rearranged sentences,
paraphrased expressions for which a direct English/Welsh equivalent was not at hand, and
used the reading text as a quarry for less common expressions such as für den guten Zweck,
voller Erfolg, or umweltbewußt.
Every translation contains expressions that pose a challenge, and there were plenty of
obstacles to negotiate. The first such hurdle was the phrase one-off culinary weekend.
Though the adverb einmal was generally known but sometimes used incorrectly (das einmal
Wochenende) the corresponding adjective einmalig was not.
Very many candidates thought Wochenende was feminine, perhaps because Ende is a two
syllable noun ending in –e. Alas, it defies the general rule, as do Junge or Löwe. Is it too
difficult to remember a few everyday exceptions?
A wide range of qualifiers was offered to render roaring success: toller, fantastischer,
enormer, außerordentlicher, hervorragender, spektakulärer or simply großer Erfolg. Some
candidates wrote sehr erfolgreich to avoid the problem.
Very few candidates knew the word(s) Organisator/in or Veranstalter/in, and quite a few
paraphrased the idea successfully with a relative clause: die Mädchen /Studentinnen, die ...
organisiert haben/ hatten.
“Good cause” was widely mistranslated as – Grund, Ursache, Verursache etc. Few wrote für
die/eine gute Sache, für den guten Zweck (given in the reading text), and some named the
recipient instead: für die Hilfsorganisation, für die Tafel. “People in need” also caused
problems (Braucher, Brauch, Verbraucher, in arm), as did “unusual” and ‘support’.
The last three items caused the greatest difficulties and caused most candidates to lose
marks. Most who attempted to translate ‘more carefully’ used vorsichtiger, which suggests
care in the sense of caution rather than attention to detail. All too many candidates imitated the
English comparative and wrote mehr vorsichtig(er). Others simply wrote mehr, which conveys
the meaning to a degree, but is not an adequate translation of the English in the passage.
The verb “waste” was widely mistranslated with variants of Müll – (zum Müll) werfen, müll es
nicht [!!] wegwerfen es nicht etc. Some even invented the word müllen, presumably based on
the English verb ‘to bin’. However, a fair number of candidates did know the word
verschwenden, though a few of them wrote verschwinden.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
11
Perhaps more worrying was the large number of candidates who failed to recognise the
required grammatical construction here and in the following item, as everything in these last
three items requires subordinate clause word order following “Die Studentinnen hoffen,
dass…”.
Although many candidates used Weg instead of Art, Art und Weise to translate the phrase ‘in
an environmentally friendly way’ a considerable number knew either Art or Weise and used
them correctly. Only very good candidates just used the straightforward adverb …es
umweltfreundlich zu benutzen.
Although communication and language were assessed separately in this question, there were
instances where incorrect grammar or syntax impeded communication; e.g. sie gab instead of
sie gaben in item five. Altogether there are still far too many candidates who show no evidence
whatsoever of trying to understand and use grammar.
Aufgabe 4
Once again, handwriting was an issue in many papers. In some cases it was not possible,
not even with judicious use of old granny’s magnifying glass, to decipher what the candidate
wanted to write. Even if the meaning can be deciphered eventually, the awarding of language
marks for answers written in German becomes extremely difficult, when the endings of words
cannot be made out. Candidates must remember that, what cannot be read cannot be
credited. Alterations and additions to the text must be clear. There is plenty of space to re-write
a sentence or a passage rather than squeeze whole lines into the space of a word. Drafts that
are not to be marked should be crossed out. Scripts from continental candidates were often a
joy to mark, purely because of the legible and sometimes beautiful handwriting.
Another perennial issue are continuation sheets and tags that are often used as a matter of
course, handed out to candidates irrespective of whether they are needed or not. Most could
be avoided if candidates could be persuaded to organise their work before putting pen to
paper. If they do require an extra sheet for the essay question, it is a better tactic to write the
plan or rough draft on this and the essay in the exam booklet, as this avoids the possibility of
the essay being lost and also of the wrong version being marked.
Candidates from a significant number of centres attempted questions on a variety of films or
books, suggesting individual study is increasingly taking place, as was intended when the
current specification was established.
Some candidates copied out the question before answering it. Apart from being very helpful to
the examiner, who may otherwise have to check which is (a) and which is (b), this helps the
candidate focus on exactly what the question requires and avoid the pitfall of writing about
other aspects of the film or text. For example, in answer to one of the questions on Goodbye
Lenin, many candidates wrote about lies, clearly having written and learned an essay on this
question from a previous exam. The extent to which this succeeded depended on how well
they adapted it to this year’s question about episodes in the film. Writing the question out again
may remind candidates what exactly it is about and then focus on that rather than a different
topic. It may help if teachers could discuss the marking scheme with their students and point
out that, in order to gain high marks, a full and direct response … without deviation is required.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
12
If candidates choose to write a rough draft first they must make it clear which version the
examiner is supposed to mark! Many candidates wanted to use complex pre-learned
structures, which is absolutely fine; but they need to be discriminating as to how they
incorporate them seamlessly, rather than use them as a glaring bolt-on when they fail to
enhance or impress. The same goes for quotations: Unless they are relevant to the argument
presented and do, indeed, underline the point made they add nothing to the substance of an
essay. Where candidates had learned and used quotations they were often not suitable for the
question set and tended to distort or falsify an otherwise quite reasonable essay; or they sidetracked candidates into discussing issues other than those required by the question set.
A large number of essays were well-judged, showing a logical progression of arguments, and
well documented with evidence. That clarity of thought was often complemented by the fluency
of their language. Unfortunately, others became bogged down in straightforward description
with no point being made. This tended to result in repetition, ‘wooliness’ of thought and lack of
focus. Such candidates would benefit hugely from a proper plan, not just jottings.
Whatever the candidates’ choice may be, there is one common denominator that is so often
ignored: The essays must address the questions head-on, and marks are awarded relative
to the success in answering the question as set. There was again ample evidence that
candidates arrive with prepared or semi-prepared essays that very often do not satisfy the
demands of the question. Some candidates again wrote general prelearned introductions
that might have fitted any question or that amounted to an extended rewording of the
question, as if the setter had not quite understood what the demands were. Such strategies
only waste time and only serve to inflate the limited word count without adding anything to
the substance of the essay. 400 words might look like a ‘long’ essay, and time is short.
However, candidates very often have time to write out the entire essay twice, with rough
work hardly different from their fair copy. That time would be much better invested in
reflecting on what the question is really about and to jot down a few aspects and structure
the essay appropriately.
As in previous years, the greatest number of candidates attempted Die Welt des Kinos,
followed by Die Welt der Literatur.
Very few attempted Deutschsprachige Regionen, which is perhaps not surprising. While
films and texts in themselves suggest a certain structure by presenting themes that lend
themselves to be considered even if not fully analysed, essays on regions very often
sidetrack candidates into presenting meandering, descriptive accounts with little regard to
the specific demands of the question. There were, however, a few perceptive essays mainly
by native German speakers. Being very familiar through their own personal experience with
the chosen region they were able to discuss it critically in the terms suggested by the
question.
The World of Cinema
The most popular films were, in descending order, Goodbye Lenin, Die fetten Jahre sind
vorbei, Jenseits der Stille and Die Weiße Rose.
Of the many essays on Goodbye Lenin, most were on Aktuelle Kamera (question a). Most
candidates had obviously enjoyed those scenes, and some wrote interesting, informative
answers, demonstrating how these scenes were an essential factor in the fabric of the film’s
action. However, many did not consider the second part of the question, i.e. “wie authentisch
sind die Berichte der beiden?”
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
13
There were also some good answers on question (b) Welche Episoden des Films haben
dich besonders beeindruckt, und warum? However, many candidates simply recounted the
episodes they had enjoyed without considering the second part of the question: “Wie wichtig
sind sie für den Film insgesamt?” Needless to say, they lost out on analysis. Others had
obviously read qu. (a), then took the idea of Aktuelle Kamera into qu. (b) and only talked
about AK scenes with no mention of anything else.
There were some very perceptive essays in answer to question (a) on Die fetten Jahre sind
vorbei, with some good analysis of Jule and her relevance for the film as a whole.
Unexpectedly, some found her stupid and immature and not deserving of any sympathy.
On question (b) „Der Film zeigt Hardenberg als typischen Manager, egoistisch, geldgierig
und ohne soziales Gewissen.“ Inwiefern bist du oder bist du nicht dieser Meinung? the best
essays examined Hardenberg before, during and after the Berghütte, looking carefully at
whether he really changed and why or why not.
There were some very pleasing essays on Jenseits der Stille, mainly on question (a) Wie
unterschiedlich reagieren die Eltern auf Laras Liebe zur Musik, und wie ist das zu erklären?
with often detailed analysis of Kai’s and Martin’s different backgrounds to explain their
support or otherwise for Lara’s passion for music.
Other films attracted a much smaller clientele yet yielded essays of good or high quality. One may
speculate that it is the more individualistic candidates who opt for the less populist films in the first
place possibly because of particular specialist interests such as music (Vaya con Dios), NS history
(Des Teufels General, Die Weiße Rose), issues of loyalty, love, morality and the political
engagement of young people (Der Rote Kakadu), or religious values and Jewish humour (Alles auf
Zucker). Quite a few essays on Alles auf Zucker virtually ignored religion and concentrated on
money as ‘the real theme’ – an aspect candidates had obviously prepared.
In general, native German speakers tended to write the more analytical essays, not because they
had no difficulties to express themselves in German, but because they were used to looking at any
aspects more critically than their English speaking counterparts. Other candidates in centres with a
number of German mother tongue speakers had obviously benefited from that, too.
The World of Literature
The most popular books, also in descending order, were Der Vorleser, Der Besuch der alten
Dame, Das Brot der frühen Jahre and Mutter Courage, with the first two being far in the lead.
Compared with last year, Kafka seems to have slipped slightly in the popularity charts.
Der Vorleser continues to catch the students’ attention and imagination. Most candidates chose
question (a) „Hannas Analphabetismus hat ihr ganzes Leben bestimmt.“ Inwiefern ist das auch
deine Meinung? rather than (b) Was erfahren wir über den Kontakt zwischen Hanna und Michael
nach Hannas Verhaftung bis zu ihrem Tod und wie denkst du darüber? The majority were able to
discuss the problems caused by Hanna’s Analphabetismus thoroughly, some candidates arguing
that her death was a direct consequence of Analphabetismus in that her eventual success in
learning to read and write led her to understand and accept the extent of her guilt. Question (b)
was less well done. While some candidates were able to critically evaluate the whole of their
relationship from start to finish, others were unable to discuss the question in any depth.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
14
Essays on Der Besuch der alten Dame were fairly equally divided between questions (a) and (b).
Question (a) held a certain fascination for very many candidates. However, not all were able to
demonstrate how Güllen hat Claire zu einer Prostituierten gemacht, focussing on Ill as the only
culprit. Responses to the second part of the question, i.e. ... jetzt macht sie Güllen zu einem
Bordell were even less successful, and only the best candidates were able to make the link
between Claire having to sell her body and the Gülleners abandoning their morals and selling their
souls. Question (b) „Der einzig positive Charakter im Stück ist Ill.“ Was ist deine Meinung dazu?
gave rise to some strange interpretations of 'positive'. While many candidates did agree with the
proposition as expected and were able to discuss the idea of Ill’s redemption and change from
negative to positive, others chose characters who were either equally ‘positive’ such as the teacher
or vicar, or were cheerful and had what they wanted, which meant that the Gülleners were seen as
the most positive. A few even discussed Claire in this respect, with interesting results.
Language Errors
All of the hardy annuals in the Chief Examiner’s reports occurred again this year, so I shall limit
myself to a few points: Candidates often wished to say both ….. and…..., and tried a literal
translation. It would be helpful if teachers could give them the correct phrase.
Relative clauses are a problem for many candidates, as is confusion between das and dass.
Commas were often placed after rather than before dass. Jemand was often used for jede(r)
There was widespread confusion between sein and ihr. This sometimes caused genuine lack of
communication, especially in essays on Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei, where candidates referred to
Jule, Hardenberg, Peter and Jan alternately, and the incorrect pronoun sometimes made it difficult
to appreciate whether the point made related to Jule or one of the other three.
GCE German Examiners’ Report (Summer 2013) / HL
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
15
WJEC
245 Western Avenue
Cardiff CF5 2YX
Tel No 029 2026 5000
Fax 029 2057 5994
E-mail: [email protected]
website: www.wjec.co.uk
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.