JUNIOR CERT GERMAN HIGHER AND ORDINARY LEVEL:WHILE HIGHER level Junior Cert students were delighted with the German exam paper that greeted them yesterday morning, it was a slightly different story at ordinary level.
“Some of the vocabulary that appeared in the ordinary level paper was a bit frightening,” said Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland subject representative Vincent McDonnell. “There were just a few little words here and there that could really throw students.”
Matching a list of signs and words to a list of pictures is a regular part of the ordinary level exam and some of the signs and words were challenging according to Mr McDonnell.
“Metzgerei is a butcher, but I don’t know if that’s a word that students would necessarily know. Handy is a mobile phone, again I’m not sure that’s an obvious word for ordinary level students,” he commented.
The reading comprehensions again presented some challenging vocabulary to students.
The story at higher level was a happier one. Reading comprehensions were accessible and reasonably interesting including a story about a rap group releasing a CD of traditional German poetry and another about the purchase of an advent calendar.
Students also welcomed familiar topics in the letter and the note that they had to compose in the productive writing section.
“Candidates had an opportunity to demonstrate what they know:” Mr McDonnell said. The quality of the recordings for the aural exams has been praised across the board this year and Junior Cert German was no exception.
