assessment of written tests:

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A HOMPAGE ON HOW TO LEARN (in German)

Final Exam: 

If you are to take your final exam in 2008,  you should be able to deal with the following.

THEMES:

Be familiar with information on the themes of all four semesters as they were discussed in class, but most detailed with those in bolt print. 

• political issues (terrorism, climate change)
• social issues (race riots, unemployment, suburbs, youth)
  
• immigration
• integration and exclusion
• culture clash
• globalisation
• visions of the future 
• Life Plans
  

The tasks in the final exam will cover the themes of all four semesters. This means that the questions will be asked in such a way that you will be able (theoretically) to answer them in reference to each  theme/semster. Nevertheless, as you know from your thirteen (!) years of school-experience, the examiner's/teacher's thoughts and expectations are not always identical with your own thoughts and  preparations. Therefore it is urgently necessary that you know your two main themes very well and, just to play it safe, one or two extra. You never know how strange the task  you have to work on might be. The richer your knowledge and therefore also the more possibilities you have inside you to choose from, the better for you.

SKILLS: 

Be able to take new information about  the theme from ...

• a longer English, non-fictional text (in this case you might be expected to analyse stylistic devices, e.g. of a given speech)
  
• a longer English, fictional text (in this case you might be expected to analyse characterization or athmosphere or point-of-view)
  
• a shorter German text (you will be expected to summarize it in English - not to translate it word by word!)
  
• a cartoon (description and analysis)
  
• a chart or graph (description and analysis) 

You will get either one of the above mentioned longer English texts, or a shorter English text plus either the German text or the cartoon or the graph or the chart.

Be able to deal with the new and the old information.

• You should then be able to refer this new information to a character or characters from either a novel, a short story or a film  you have dealt with in class. So make sure you know the people in them, what they did, where the action took place, who wrote and/or directed it and what "it" was called. (This is what is called 'transfer'.)
  
• Finally you will be expected to clearly state an opinion of your own, to give reasons for it and  examples. Don't be superficial. Have something detailed and profound to say (called 'assessment' or 'evaluation').
  

Be able to express your thoughts and what you have learned in class ...

• as pro- and contra arguments
• as a letter to the editor
• as a poster, explaining its  layout 

CONTENT:

This means the material discussed in class in reference to the given theme/semester. You will find all relevant material on each semester's page.


EXAMPLES:

one of last year's

and one more

one for download (CornelsenVerlag)

official instructions (in German)