Rilke
Speaking at Start Deutsch 1: introduce, ask, request
The A1 speaking exam is a group exam with a fixed routine. Know the three parts and you can practise almost every answer in advance — and you will be much calmer on the day.
The format
You don't speak alone but in a group of up to four candidates, in front of two examiners. The exam takes about 15 minutes for the whole group and has three parts. Telc Deutsch A1 is built the same way — the Goethe-Institut and telc developed both together.
| Teil | Task | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sich vorstellen — introducing yourself | a sheet with key words |
| 2 | Um Informationen bitten und Informationen geben — asking for and giving information | cards with one word each on a topic |
| 3 | Bitten formulieren und darauf reagieren — making requests and responding | cards with small pictures |
Teil 1: introducing yourself
A sheet lists key words: Name, Alter, Land, Wohnort, Sprachen, Beruf, Hobby (name, age, country, where you live, languages, job, hobby). You say one sentence for each. Then the examiner asks you, for example, to spell your name or the place you live and to give a number — a phone number, a house number, a postcode.
How it can sound
Ich heiße Daniel Oliveira. Ich bin 29 Jahre alt. Ich komme aus Brasilien und wohne jetzt in Köln. Ich spreche Portugiesisch, Englisch und ein bisschen Deutsch. Ich bin Koch von Beruf. Mein Hobby ist Fußball.
Practise spelling
The German alphabet sounds different from what many expect: J = "yot", V = "fow", W = "vay", Y = "üpsilon", Z = "tset", ß = "ess-tset". Practise your name and your street until you can spell them without thinking — those are safe points.
Teil 2: asking for and giving information
The examiner names a topic, for example Wohnen (housing). Each person draws a card with a word and asks another person in the group a question about it. That person answers — and then asks the next question. There are usually two rounds with two topics.
Example (our own)
Thema: Wohnen · Karten: Küche · Miete · Balkon · Nachbarn
- Küche (kitchen) → question: Wie groß ist deine Küche? — answer: Sie ist klein, aber sehr hell.
- Miete (rent) → question: Wie hoch ist deine Miete? — answer: Ich bezahle 650 Euro im Monat.
- Balkon (balcony) → question: Hast du einen Balkon? — answer: Nein, leider nicht. Aber wir haben einen Garten.
Your question has to fit the word on the card, and it has to be a real question — with a question word (Wie? Wo? Wann? Was?) or with the verb first (Hast du …?).
Teil 3: making requests and responding
Now you get cards with small pictures — a window, an umbrella, a glass of water. For each picture you make a request to another person, who responds to it.
- [picture: a window] → Kannst du bitte das Fenster zumachen? — Ja, natürlich.
- [picture: an umbrella] → Kann ich bitte deinen Regenschirm haben? Es regnet. — Klar, hier bitte.
- [picture: a glass of water] → Gib mir bitte ein Glas Wasser. — Gern. Bitte schön.
There are two simple patterns for a request: Kannst du / Können Sie bitte …? or the imperative with bitte: Gib mir bitte … A short sentence is enough as a response: Ja, gern. / Natürlich. / Tut mir leid, das geht nicht.
How it is marked
Every answer, question and request is marked on its own: full points if it fulfils the task and is understandable; half points if it only partly works because of language or content problems; zero if it doesn't fulfil the task or can't be understood. Perfect grammar is not expected at A1 — what counts is that you are understandable and appropriate.
Typical mistakes
In part 2, making a statement instead of asking: Meine Küche ist groß. → Wie groß ist deine Küche?
Asking past the word on the card: the card says Miete (rent), but the question is about where the flat is.
In part 3, saying only the word: Fenster! → Kannst du bitte das Fenster zumachen?
And with Rilke?
In the Rilke app you practise all three parts; the app plays your partner, and afterwards you get an assessment. How writing works at Start Deutsch 1 is covered in the guide to Schreiben A1.