Learning a new language can be an exciting and challenging experience. Our Year 9 and 10 students recently achieved a remarkable feat by taking the ÖSD (Österreichisches Deutsches Sprachdiplom) exam at level C1 in Dornbirn. In their report, two of our students, Amelia and Ashley, tell us why they wanted to take the exam, how they prepared for this challenging exam and what they experienced on the day.
Why are you taking a C1 exam?
I grew up bilingual, as my father is German and my mother is English. However, as I never went to a German school, I never learnt to write German. When I came to Salem in grade 8, I was in the B2 German class and passed the B2 Goethe exam. Last year I joined the C1 class and this year I prepared intensively for the ÖSD C1 exam in Dornbirn, Austria.
I wanted to take the C1 exam because I wanted to choose German as my first language in IB and I wanted to see if my German was good enough for that. Also, a certificate is a recognition of my German language skills. It's something you can use later in life, for example if you want to study in Germany.
To prepare for the exam, I did the practice test online on the ÖSD website. In class, we read different texts on different topics and answered questions about them to practise the reading part. We also read a play called "The Visit of the Old Lady" in class. Everyone had to play a character and through this exercise, we were able to improve our reading skills in German. To prepare for the listening part, we watched a short film and discussed it.
(Amelia, grade 10)
The ÖSD exam in Dornbirn
On 7 May 2024 at 7.15 am we, the students of classes 9 and 10 of the German and IC system, took the bus to Dornbirn, Austria. At 8.45 am we arrived at the WIFI institute where the ÖSD C1 exams took place. We started the written part of the exam right on time at 9.00 am. We started with "Reading", after which we had a 10-minute break. Then we started listening and finally we finished the written part.
In the reading part, we had to read texts and answer questions about them. At the same time, we had to match the headings to the relevant paragraphs and fill in a gap text. In the listening part, we had to listen to a radio programme on a specific topic and answer questions about it. We also had to follow a lecture and fill in the notes. In the last part of the written exam, we could choose between describing a graphic, giving an opinion on a topic or writing a commentary on a given text. Then we had to write a formal email.
The whole written exam took about three and a half hours. After that, we were allocated our oral exam times. This meant that we all had enough time to have lunch and look around Dornbirn. For the oral part of the exam, we had to give a presentation, make a phone call and have a discussion with the examiners. We met again at the bus at 18:00 and travelled back to Salem.
Amelia and I thought the exam went quite well. We found reading the hardest. Listening and writing went best for us. Despite the excitement, we enjoyed the day in Dornbirn. Our next goal is the adult C1 exam in July.
(Ashley, Year 10)
