Study Guide
Overview and Test Objectives
Field 024: German
Test Overview
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 80 multiple-choice questions and 2 constructed-response assignments |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes* |
| Passing Score | 220 |
*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial
Test Objectives
| Subarea | Range of Objectives | Approximate Percentage of Questions on Test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Listening Comprehension | 001–002 | 15% |
| 2 | Reading Comprehension | 003–004 | 15% |
| 3 | Language Structures and Comparisons | 005–006 | 15% |
| 4 | Cultural Understanding, Comparisons, and Connections | 007–008 | 15% |
| 5 | Language Acquisition, Instruction, and Assessment | 009–013 | 20% |
| 6 | Writing | 014 | 20% |
Hover over each subarea for details of subtest content or see table above.
Sub area 1 15%, Sub area 2 15%, Sub area 3 15%, Sub area 4 15%, Sub area 5 20%, and Sub area 6 20%.
Subarea 1—LISTENING COMPREHENSION
Objective 001—Derive information from a variety of authentic oral communications in German representing interpersonal and presentational modes in social and academic situations.
Includes:
- identifying the main idea in a spoken passage (e.g., telephone message, radio broadcast, speech, lecture, public address announcement, conversation)
- identifying significant details in a spoken passage (e.g., telephone message, radio broadcast, speech, lecture, public address announcement, conversation)
- understanding questions or comments encountered in a social situation
- understanding a sequence of steps described in a set of oral directions
- understanding a stated cause or effect of a situation described in an oral communication
Objective 002—Apply skills of inference to a variety of authentic oral communications in German representing interpersonal and presentational modes in social and academic situations.
Includes:
- drawing conclusions based on information presented in an oral communication
- predicting the outcome of a situation described in an oral communication
- inferring the tone or mood of one or more speakers in an oral communication
- discerning a cause-and-effect relationship implied but not explicitly stated in an oral communication
- inferring the social relationships or cultural context in an oral communication
- selecting an appropriate response to a spoken question or comment
Subarea 2—READING COMPREHENSION
Objective 003—Derive information from a variety of authentic materials, written in German, representing interpersonal and presentational modes.
Includes:
- identifying the stated main idea of a passage (e.g., brochure, Web site, newspaper article, letter, literary work) written in German
- identifying significant details of a passage (e.g., brochure, Web site, newspaper article, letter, literary work) written in German
- identifying a cause-and-effect relationship stated in a passage
- recognizing a sequence of events in a passage
Objective 004—Apply skills of inference to a variety of authentic materials, written in German, representing interpersonal and presentational modes.
Includes:
- drawing conclusions based on a passage
- predicting the outcome of a situation described in a written passage
- inferring an author's tone, mood, or point of view in a passage
- discerning an implied cause-and-effect relationship in a passage
- inferring the social relationships or cultural context in a passage
- inferring the theme, purpose, or intended audience of a passage
Subarea 3—LANGUAGE STRUCTURES AND COMPARISONS
Objective 005—Demonstrate knowledge of the grammatical and syntactic structures of German.
Includes:
- determining grammatically correct words or forms of words as appropriate for a given context
- determining grammatically correct phrases or clauses as appropriate for a given context
- recognizing grammatically correct language structures or usage
Objective 006—Understand the similarities and differences between English and German.
Includes:
- comparing and contrasting the sound system of English with that of German
- comparing and contrasting word meaning in English with word meaning in German
- comparing and contrasting word order in English with word order in German
- comparing and contrasting morphological structures and/or processes in English with those of German
Subarea 4—CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, COMPARISONS, AND CONNECTIONS
Objective 007—Understand the products and perspectives of German-speaking cultures.
Includes:
- demonstrating knowledge of products of daily life in German-speaking cultures
- understanding the role and significance of products of daily life in German-speaking cultures
- identifying major literary, artistic, architectural, and technological achievements of German-speaking cultures
- analyzing the ways in which major literary texts (e.g., poems, short stories, novels) and cultural texts (e.g., films, magazines, television programs, songs) in German reflect the perspectives of German-speaking cultures
- understanding the relationship between the natural geographic features (e.g., climate, location, natural resources) of German-speaking countries and the products of these countries
- identifying major regional differences in the products and perspectives of German-speaking cultures
- comparing and contrasting the products and perspectives of German-speaking cultures with the products and perspectives of non-German-speaking cultures of the United States
Objective 008—Understand the practices (e.g., political and economic practices, practices of daily life and communication) and perspectives of German-speaking cultures.
Includes:
- demonstrating knowledge of practices of daily life of German-speaking countries
- understanding the role and significance of practices of daily life in German-speaking countries
- understanding major political, economic, social, and cultural trends, as well as significant individuals, that have shaped German-speaking cultures
- understanding the relationship between the natural geographic features (e.g., climate, location, natural resources) of German-speaking countries and the practices of these countries
- identifying major regional differences in the practices and perspectives of German-speaking cultures
- comparing and contrasting the practices and perspectives of German-speaking cultures with the practices and perspectives of non-German-speaking cultures of the United States
Subarea 5—LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT
Objective 009—Understand processes of language acquisition.
Includes:
- understanding major theories of second-language acquisition and their applicability in developing instructional practices and resources to create a successful language-learning environment
- understanding various world language program models (e.g., Foreign Language in the Elementary School [FLES], Foreign Language Experience/Exploratory [FLEX], immersion) and their language outcomes
- understanding the abstract nature of language and the difference between language acquisition and communication, and identifying types of activities that promote language acquisition and/or communication
- recognizing predictable patterns in second-language development, including factors affecting the time required to learn a second language
- understanding the role of individual student characteristics (e.g., physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development; level of motivation; L1 background; learning style) and linguistic factors (e.g., language transfer, overgeneralization) and how they affect second-language acquisition
Objective 010—Understand principles and practices of instruction in the language classroom.
Includes:
- identifying factors (e.g., cultural and linguistic bias; political, social, and psychological factors) that may affect instruction and differentiating strategies as appropriate to meet the needs of all learners
- selecting, designing, and adapting instructional strategies, materials, and technologies that promote students' critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and that integrate the teaching of presentational, interpretive, and interpersonal communication in all modalities with the teaching of cultures, comparisons, connections, and communities
- identifying strategies for promoting collaborative student work in various groupings (e.g., pairs, small groups) and for managing and motivating students in the language classroom
- identifying strategies for connecting curriculum to students' experiences in school, at home, and in the community
- identifying strategies for promoting students' critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in the context of the language classroom and beyond
Objective 011—Understand the integration of standards into language curriculum and instruction.
Includes:
- recognizing and understanding the role of Michigan standards and the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (2015) in planning language curriculum
- understanding and selecting strategies for integrating the goals of Michigan standards and the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (2015) into language instruction
- understanding ways to use and adapt a variety of standards-based materials, resources, and technologies for designing opportunities for students to communicate effectively in German in a variety of situations and for multiple purposes; explore the products, practices, and perspectives of German-speaking cultures; and make comparisons between German and German-speaking cultures and their own language and cultures
- understanding ways to use and adapt a variety of standards-based materials, resources, and technologies for designing opportunities for students to learn about other subject areas in German and to interact and collaborate with German-speaking communities and the globalized world
- identifying strategies for using benchmarks to evaluate, select, and design instructional resources and assessments
Objective 012—Understand principles and practices of assessment in the language classroom.
Includes:
- understanding the characteristics and uses of a variety of formal and informal age- and level-appropriate assessment strategies that provide meaningful results for the language classroom
- identifying factors (e.g., cultural, racial, and linguistic bias; political, social, and psychological factors) that may affect assessment design, implementation, or results and differentiating strategies as appropriate to meet the needs of all learners
- designing and using authentic assessment methods, tools, and rubrics to evaluate and promote students' interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal skills in all modalities, as well as students' knowledge of the products, practices, and perspectives of German-speaking cultures
- understanding and using effective holistic and/or analytical scoring methods and interpreting the results of assessments
- understanding the role of assessment data for identification, placement, and demonstration of language proficiency and academic achievement
- understanding ways to adjust or determine the direction of instruction based on assessment results
- identifying strategies for interpreting and communicating the results of student performance to stakeholders
Objective 013—Understand the role of a teacher as a professional.
Includes:
- recognizing the value of reflective practices for the continued development of linguistic and cultural knowledge
- understanding the teacher's role as a professional in a discipline and as an advocate for the promotion of multilingualism in the school and the community
- recognizing the value of multilingualism to the overall success of all students
- understanding the history, current state, and impact of major works of legislation on teaching in world language programs
- understanding strategies for identifying, analyzing, and reflecting on resources for improving professional knowledge, language proficiency, and cultural understanding
- identifying strategies for serving as an advocate for students and for building partnerships with students' families and communities
Subarea 6—WRITING
Objective 014—Write a well-organized, cohesive passage of several paragraphs (approximately 200–250 words) in German on an assigned topic.
Includes:
- using language that is appropriate for a given purpose, occasion, and context
- using language structures that are appropriate for a given time frame
- using a range of vocabulary, expressions, and sentence structures
- demonstrating a command of the written conventions of German