Rilke
Writing at Start Deutsch 1: a form and a short message
Writing at A1 is short — a form and about 30 words. That is exactly why every detail counts: a forgotten point, a missing greeting. Here is how the points come about.
The structure
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 was developed jointly by the Goethe-Institut and telc; telc Deutsch A1 is built the same way. Writing takes about 20 minutes and has two parts:
| Teil | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Five details are missing from a form. You find them in a short text and fill them in. |
| 2 | Write a short message: about 30 words on three points, with a greeting and a sign-off. |
Teil 1: the form
A short text describes a situation — someone signs up for a course, books a trip, opens an account. Five details are missing from the form, and all of them are in the text. You don't need to invent anything, just read carefully and copy correctly.
Example (our own, in the exam format)
Ihr Kollege Ahmet Yilmaz möchte mit seiner Frau einen Kochkurs an der Volkshochschule machen. Der Kurs beginnt am 3. März. Ahmet zahlt mit seiner Bankkarte. Er ist am besten am Abend erreichbar, unter 0176 4425 913.
Formular „Anmeldung Kochkurs“: Name: Yilmaz, Ahmet · (1) Zahl der Personen: ___ · (2) Kursbeginn: ___ · (3) Zahlung: ☐ bar ☐ Karte · (4) Telefon: ___ · (5) Erreichbar: ☐ vormittags ☐ abends
The situation: your colleague Ahmet wants to take a cooking course with his wife; it starts on 3 March, he pays by card, and he is easiest to reach in the evening at the number given.
Show the answers
(1) 2 · (2) 3. März · (3) Karte · (4) 0176 4425 913 · (5) abends
What to watch for
Write numbers and names exactly as they appear in the text. Read each field twice: Zahl der Personen (number of people) means two here — Ahmet and his wife.
Teil 2: the short message
You write about 30 words to a person or an organisation — a friend, the language school, a hotel. The task gives three points, and for each you write one or two sentences. A greeting and a sign-off are part of it.
This is how the points are awarded:
| What | Points |
|---|---|
| each of the three content points | 3 — fully covered and understandable · 1.5 — only partly covered · 0 — not covered or not understandable |
| the form of the message (greeting, sign-off, suitable phrases) | 1 — appropriate · 0.5 — e.g. no greeting · 0 — no suitable phrases |
So 10 points at most — and 9 of them depend on content. A forgotten point costs 3; a forgotten greeting only half a point. Language mistakes cost when a point is only partly understandable because of them: then you get 1.5 instead of 3.
Example (our own)
Sie möchten im Juni einen Deutschkurs in Wien machen. Schreiben Sie an die Sprachschule „Donau“:
- Warum schreiben Sie?
- Fragen Sie nach dem Preis für vier Wochen.
- Bitten Sie um Informationen über Zimmer bei Familien.
Schreiben Sie zu jedem Punkt ein bis zwei Sätze (circa 30 Wörter). Schreiben Sie auch eine Anrede und einen Gruß.
The task: you want to take a German course in Vienna in June — write to the school saying why you are writing, ask the price for four weeks and ask for information on host-family rooms.
Model answer
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
ich möchte im Juni einen Deutschkurs bei Ihnen machen. Wie viel kostet der Kurs für vier Wochen? Bitte schicken Sie mir auch Informationen über Zimmer bei Familien.
Vielen Dank!
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Mei Lin
Three points, three sentences, around 30 words with greeting and sign-off — at A1 that is all it takes.
Useful phrases for A1
| Purpose | Phrases | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| greeting | {de | Liebe Anna, / Lieber Ben, / Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,} | |
| saying why you are writing | {de | Ich möchte … / Ich komme am … nach …} | |
| asking | {de | Wie viel kostet …? / Wann beginnt …? / Gibt es …?} | |
| requesting | {de | Bitte schicken Sie mir … / Können Sie mir bitte … sagen?} | |
| apologising, declining | {de | Leider kann ich am … nicht kommen. / Es tut mir leid.} | |
| sign-off | {de | Viele Grüße / Liebe Grüße} (friends) · {de | Mit freundlichen Grüßen} (formal) |
Typical mistakes
Forgetting one of the three points — that costs 3 of 10 points.
Misspelling the sign-off: Viele Grüß → Viele Grüße.
Writing a statement where the task asks for a question: if it says Fragen Sie … (ask …), your text needs a question — with a question mark.
And with Rilke?
In the Rilke app you practise both parts: the app checks the form straight away, even offline. For the message you get an assessment with points and comments on each content point. How listening, reading and speaking work at Start Deutsch 1 is on the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 page.