Leaving Cert German: Fair, accessible and topical

The higher-level Leaving Cert German paper was fair, accessible and topical, teachers have said.

Orla Ní Shúilleabháin, German teacher at the Institute of Education, said that students had more choice than in previous years.

Lorraine Tuffy, a teacher at Jesus and Mary Secondary School in Enniscrone, Co Sligo, said the first comprehension was the most accessible on the paper.

“It dealt with themes of love and loss,” said Ms Tuffy, a Studyclix.ie subject expert. “Questions were pitched well and will have been tackled with relative ease by many candidates in today’s exam.

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“A welcomed amendment to the style question asked students to identify two examples of the theme of love and loss evident in the text — as opposed to three to four examples.

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“This question has often been the most abstract and challenging for Leaving Cert candidates and the subtle edit to it will undoubtedly have benefited students.”

Ms Ní Shúilleabháin said that the grammar section, worth 10 per cent of the paper, involved putting verbs into the imperfect and filing in propositions.

“It was a lovely section and there was something for everyone here,” she said.

“The second comprehension was also very topical. It was about third level students Philip and Pia and their experiences studying at home during Covid 19.

“Again this theme was very relevant, as it dealt with a topic that is very familiar to all students who studied remotely during the pandemic.

“The questions were balanced and manageable.”

Ms Tuffy said that the ordinary level paper also contained lots of choice.

“While the language in the first text may have been off putting for some OL candidates, the questions were manageable,” she said. “Much like the higher level paper, candidates had a choice between compound nouns and prepositions in the grammar section.

“In the written section of the paper, the letter tasks rewarded candidates who had prepared well for the general conversation section of their oral.

“Overall, the ordinary level exam, much like the higher level paper, was well pitched and enticing for the choice it afforded the candidate,” Ms Tuffy said.

Try this one at home:

Leaving Cert German, higher level