German is the language that is high in demand among the Indian students, as it is necessary to get admission into world class German universities. Learning German is not very difficult and a student can go from A1 to B1 level in a short period of 3 – 5 months with enough effort.
The language proficiency standard is governed by Common European Framework for Reference languages (CEFR).
According to CEFR, there are 6 levels in German language i.e.,A1&A2(Beginner levels),B1 &B2 (Intermediate levels) and C1 &C2 (advanced levels). The proficiency exam for German language is called “Goethe-Zertifikat”. These exams are open exams and their results do not expire, which means they are valid for life.These exams are conducted by Goethe Institute (Max-Muller Bhavan) in collaboration with other important educational institutes situated in Germany.
Here is a brief overview of the German language syllabus for A1, A2, B1 and B2:
| Goethe-Zertifikat | Syllabus | Duration |
| A1 | ü Introduction to German alphabets, phonetics and pronunciation
ü Introducing themselves and others using simple sentences and answer to some basic personal questions ü Understanding and responding to everyday queries like instruction, questions, short telephone messages, requests etc., if spoken slowly and clearly ü Ability to fill basic information on forms while registering for courses / classes. ü Ask and giving directions using simple prepositions ü Grammar: Introduction to different types of articles and verbs, Nouns – number & gender, pronouns, present and simple past tense |
50 hours |
| A2 | ü Ability to extract and understand relevant information in a public announcement, broadcast, newspaper, radio etc.,
ü Understand simple expressions and phrases on topics that is directly related to the person in question and his/her habits, life, routine, likes/dislikes ü Ability to speak clearly and concisely about situations that involves direct or indirect exchange of information on simple topics ü Ability to describe about people, work, immediate environment, education and other topics related to personal needs in a concise manner ü Understanding of matters that are familiar and are encountered regularly like instances at school, work, at public places, places of leisure etc., when spoken clearly in a standard way ü Grammar: Detailed overview of articles, adjectives with/without articles, Prepositions – dative & accusative, Introduction to perfect tense and future, pronominal verbs |
50 hours |
| B1 | ü Ability to produce complex / compound texts of varying of length with or without the aid of a dictionary on topics related to personal life, background, daily needs
ü Ability to recall, narrate and describe dreams, aspirations, events in the past, present or future, hopes, ambitions etc., orally and in writing ü Expressing personal feelings with explanation about cause, reason, consequence etc., ü Expressing orally and in writing about opinion, beliefs and suggestions about simple matters related to personal likes/dislikes as well as some controversial issues related to pollution, people/culture, education, unemployment, governments/politics etc., ü Grammar: Active/passive voice, genitive forms and reported speech |
60+ hours |
| B2 | ü Understanding and reacting to ideas related to complex text on both concrete and abstract topics like specialized topics related to technology, science, education etc.,
ü Expressing and interacting fluently and spontaneously with native speakers as part of their regular interaction without creating strain in understanding for either parties involved ü Creating grammatically structured complex but clear and detailed text on a wide range of topics with emphasis on explaining a viewpoint on a common / complicated issue ü Ability to use language effectively and flexible in social, academic, professional context ü Grammar: Using conjunction to link of ideas, explain cause, effects & consequences, giving opinion, advice, discussing advantages/benefits and disadvantages/short-comings about a topic of discussion |
60+ hours |